Supporting Parents & Carers in Edinburgh Our SPACE in the west

Fairer Scotland Funded project in west Edinburgh

June 2010 – March 2011

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Project Aims Our SPACE in the west• Improve the level and accessibility of information and support to

parents and carers at a community level

• Consult widely with parents and stakeholders in the design of services

• Promote parent participation and influence over services provided

• Develop a programme of activities that will improve the health and wellbeing of parents and children through tried and tested programmes

• Develop services for any local parents/carers who need them (universal provision) and improve access for those who require more intensive support (Parent Information Points)

• Develop sustainable practice with partner agencies to ensure that the project aims once achieved will endure beyond the project lifetime (nationally recognised Family Links training)

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Stakeholders… Our SPACE in the west

Stakeholders include:

• Child & Family Centres; Primary Schools & Nurseries; High Schools; Community Learning & Development; Early Intervention Team; Services for Communities (Housing; Anti-Social Behaviour; Libraries) Lothian Health

• West Steering Group for Parents & Carers

• Voluntary Sector (including churches; youth centre)

• Edinburgh Leisure; Police; Intensive Family Support Service; Educational Welfare Service; Working for Families

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What stakeholders want … Our SPACE in the west

• Training in parenting techniques

• Contacts and information on what is available. A Directory of support services

• More capacity to deliver services to those most in need

• Targeted interventions for families experiencing bereavement, separation, re-housing

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Parents/Carers … Our SPACE in the west

We spoke with 200 parents/carers through:

• Questionnaires in Early Years establishments and Primary Schools (0-8yrs)

• Questionnaires in Primary and Secondary Schools (8–16 yrs)

• Conversations with parents/carers at project events

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What Parents/Carers want :Young Children Our SPACE in the west• Activities and groups for single parents/carers

• Affordable activities for parents/carers and their children

• Summer holiday activities (Almond)

• More play areas for under 5s

• Child-friendly pavements (Kirkliston + Ratho Station)

• Adult learning with creche

• More wrap around care including breakfast and after school clubs

• Information and advice service for parents/carers

• Continuation of support groups (Almond)

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What Parents/Carers want :Older Children & Young People Our SPACE in the west

• More things for young people to do out of school

• Support to improve parenting practice e.g. around communication with children and teenagers; setting boundaries; difficult behaviour; understanding puberty/development; specialist knowledge and support for conditions such as ADHD

• More things for young people to do

• Financial support; flexible working hours; childcare (8-13yrs)

• Parents’/carers’ concerns to be taken more seriously by services

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What have we achieved? Our SPACE in the west• Significant research with parents/carers and stakeholders to establish

gaps in service and needs

• Marketing of project through: launch events; branded publicity; attendance at a variety of events and networks to publicise project

• Short courses for parents/carers in Western Edinburgh and Almond (Kirkliston) on: parenting in early years; early literacy; healthy eating; parenting information

• Major parenting programmes in local venues (PEEP; Incredible Years; Raising Children with Confidence Teen Triple P;)

• Parent Information Points (PIPs) infrastructure in place, including - staff from partner agencies trained to deliver; venues booked; calendar and staff rota; marketing; comprehensive information; staff procedures and problem solving manual

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What is happening now? Our SPACE in the west

• PIPs will begin in January

• More parenting courses are being launched

• Exit Strategy to ensure sustainability, is being produced in February

• Ongoing research is happening to measure impact of project activity

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Parent Information Points (PIPs) Our SPACE in the west

• 16 practitioners from partner agencies are trained and signed up to deliver PIPs until end 2011

• PIP calendar produced for sessions between 26 January and end June 2011

• Permanent PIP - Corstorphine Library. Fixed PIPs - Rannoch CC, Kirkliston CC, Rosebery Hall (Kirkliston Library from March onwards). Mobile PIPs – High School and some Primary School parents’ evenings. Get On Bus – various locations

• Training provided for admin/frontline staff to promote the PIPs with parents/carers who visit services eg schools.

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Parenting Programmes (framework) Our SPACE in the west

• PEEP: 1 staff trained; 4 programmes running from Jan-Mar @ Rannoch (x2), Queensferry CC, Queensferry Primary Nursery (3 last term)

• Incredible Years: 1 staff trained; 14 participants recruited for course starting 24th Jan @ Rosebery Hall. Another course in Western Edinburgh due to start after Easter.

• Raising Children with Confidence: 3 staff members trained, 8 participants, started 12th Jan @ Rannoch CC. Recruitment on 24th Jan for course at Ratho Station. Relaunch of programme with Clermiston Primary School 28th Jan

• Teen Triple P: 7 participants attended @ St Andrew’s Church Hall Sept-Dec 2010. Next course @ Forrester/St Augustine’s HS planned to start end Feb

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Parenting Programmes

(other, including small grants) Our SPACE in the west

• TOPS: 6-8 participants @ Kirkliston CC starting 24th Jan (continuation from last term)

• Family Learning 5-10 participants @ Clerminston, Fox Covert (x2) East Craigs and Kirkliston Primaries & Nurseries (continuation from last term)

• Healthy Eating @ Drumbrae + Kirkliston Leisure Centres 6-8 participants, last term

• Time for a Story @ Drumbrae + Kirkliston Leisure Centres, 6-8 participants, started w/b 17th Jan

• Speakeasy – 5 participants @ East Craigs Primary. In planning with Craigmount cluster primaries for delivery in each between Jan-May 2011.

• Raising A Teenager @ Craigmount High School: 5 information sharing sessions – 17 participants signed up – Mons & Thurs throughout Jan. Planned roll-out of this package to other High Schools.

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Impact of Programmes so far Our SPACE in the west

• Healthy Eating @ Drumbrae + Kirkliston LCs▪ “I don’t feel so isolated… it’s good to mix with other mums”▪ “I feel better mentally and physically”

• Raising Children with Confidence @ Rannoch CC▪ “Children are relying on me to provide the support they need – and I can

give it!”▪ “This is really good. It should be made available at ante-natal classes, as

you need to know this before you have kids!”▪ “Today’s session was very helpful especially on how to deal with emotions.”

• Speakeasy @ East Craigs Primary▪ “I need to pay more attention to speaking to my child about relationships.

I’m the adult and need to get over my embarrassment to help him.”▪ “It’s so nice to be able to speak to someone who feels confident in this

subject and can help us see it’s not so difficult”▪ “I think I will deal with awkward questions better now”

• Raising A Teenager @ Craigmount High School▪ “Very informative and helpful, definitely recommend this to other parents”