Supporting Parents: Sharing good practice, models and approaches
Tuesday, 24 February 10.00am – 2.30pm
Dublin Castle Conference Centre
#supportingparents
Special Interest Group (SIG)
• April 2013 – SIG Position Paper developed
• May 2013 - Met with Minister Fitzgerald “You’re pushing an open door”
• July 2013 - Towards an All-Island Parenting Strategy Symposium - SIG Position Paper launched by Minister Fitzgerald
• April 2014 - Better Outcomes Brighter Futures launched:
Transformational Goal 1 – Support parents
A Government commitment
Our 2013 Position Paper called for a strategic approach:
“A resourced national policy framework for parenting supports” and
“A coordinated approach to ensure that parenting support services are available to all families who want or need them, through a combination of universal and targeted supports.”
In April 2014, in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, the Government committed to:
“Develop a high-level policy statement on Parenting and Family Support to guide the provision of universal evidence-informed parenting supports.”
Why we need a plan
• Parenting impacts on all national outcomes for children
• No coherent national strategy for parenting supports
• Demonstrate the value of parents and the work of parenting
• Draw together parenting actions that are spread across different strategies (e.g. early years, youth)
National Outcomes
• Active & healthy, physical & mental wellbeing
• Achieving full potential in all areas of learning & development
• Safe & protected from harm
• Economic security & opportunity
• Connected, respected & contributing to their world
Scope of a plan
• Children of all agesAnte-natal to young adults
• All family typesIncluding looked-after children, children with
disabilities, children in diverse family structures etc
• Universal and targeted supports
• All relevant departments, agencies, and community & voluntary organisations
Principles (1) – strategies
1 Progressive universalism:Supports for all, and additional supports for those with additional needs
2 Normalise / de-stigmatise parenting supports
3 Reform mainstream services
4 Prevention and early intervention
Principles (2) – methodologies
1 Rooted in evidence:Evidence-based and evidence-informed. Outcomes-focussed.
2 Quality standards
3 Integrated / coordinated services
4 Parents as active participants:In policy development and in service delivery
Implementation
National Steering Committee• Develop implementation plan
• Identify progress indicators
• Monitor implementation
• Report on progress
Must involve representation from:
• All relevant departments and agencies
• Community & Voluntary sector
• Parents
Areas for action
1. Integrated planning
2. Reconfiguration of resources
3. Building on ‘what works’
4. Inter-agency workforce development, training and support
5. Data and knowledge collection and dissemination
1. Integrated planning
Issues
All ages
All agencies, organisations
Universal and targeted
Coordination, national & local
Key actions
National steering committee
Encompass full spectrum of supports
Local coordination, CYPSC
2. Reconfiguration of resources
Issues
Fragmentation: between services, across country
Little coherence in availability or quality
Need to ensure sustainability and cost-
efficiency
Key actions
Review all, identify gaps
Identify mainstream services
Develop partnership models
Look at potential for replication
3. Building on ‘what works’
IssuesMany services & programmes
subject to evaluation
Positive outcomes – for children and parents
Positive cost-benefit analysis
Both universal and targeted
Many through community agencies
Key actions
Range of evidence-based and evidence-informed
programmes & approaches
Through varied agencies and services – statutory and
C&V
Public information campaigns
4. Workforce development
Issues
Need for quality standards, CPD, &
learning communities
Plan needed, with resources
Build on existing work within HSE & Tusla, but
wider scope
Key actions
Workforce development plan
National quality standards for practitioners
Training in inter-agency working