Courses on the Shared Parenting training platform include videos, quizzes and assignments that receive personal feedback.

The first two courses on the training platform are Communicating in Challenging Times and Stress Awareness. They aim to develop skills that will help participants make the best and avoid the worst of relationship breakdown.

Communicating in Challenging Times looks at the verbal and non-verbal ways we communicate and how to remain calm in communication – an important skill for difficult situations like working out child care arrangements in the new situation of living separately.

Stress Awareness identifies the adverse effects of stress on any one of us and how it affects decision-making and communication and the common tendency to react first and think later. It teaches participants how to destress and relax, as well as identify potentially stressful situations and develop skills of remaining calm.

Ian Maxwell, national manager of Shared Parenting Scotland, said: “Over the last 10 years we have seen too many cases where the separated parents - fathers and mothers – allow their hurt and animosity prevent them from focussing on their children.

“We know from research around the world that separation is an adverse childhood experience for children but they do better if their parents can find a way of collaborating in their interest. They don’t have to like each other but they are the adults. They should put their responsibility to their children first. We know that isn’t easy and there are often friends and professionals rallying round to encourage them to focus on battling ‘the ex’ rather than remembering that in most cases both love their children and the children love them both.

“We have run similar courses face to face for several years but thanks to funding from the Scottish government’s Wellbeing Fund and the Community Response, Recovery and Resilience Fund we are now able to rework them for online learning. We’ll be adding to our online ‘curriculum’ in coming months.”

For a limited time this training is free. Shared Parenting Scotland is also seeking accreditation for the courses so participants will have something to work towards.

Sign up here.