The first four-month review of Parentline, a 24-hour telephone advice and referral service for parents, has shown it to be highly successful in meeting its aims.

Since being implemented in June, Parentline has received more than 6000 calls from across Victoria seeking information on a range of issues including how to manage tantrums, aggression, swearing and disobedience, relationship issues, adolescent behaviour, coping with stress and substance abuse.

Around 24% of calls were from country Victoria and 84% of all calls were made by women. The service, operated by High Performance Healthcare, is staffed by professionals from a range of backgrounds including psychology, social work and nursing. All operators have on-line access to a wide range of information, from tips regarding a variety of parental difficulties, and a list of relevant services available in the caller’s area. It can also allow for three way conferencing with such services.

The service is intended to be an early intervention/prevention service providing information and advice to parents on a wide range of everyday issues before they escalate and require more intrusive intervention.