Children’s Services Directorate
PARENTING SUPPORT STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks go to the following people who were involved in the consultation and preparation of this document. Their contribution ensured that a wide range of views supported the final document produced.
Patrick Boyle, Children’s Services Manager
Jonathan Brown, Senior Adviser Early Years and Schools
Jan Casson, Children’s Centre Locality Manager (North)
Jackie McCormick Centre Locality Manager (West)
Lynne Maughan, Think Family Coordinator/Parenting Commissioner
Carol Leckie, Health and Wellbeing Adviser
Amanda Hartley, Children's Centre Improvement Partner
Jenny Campbell, Short Break Care Co-ordinator, Aiming High for Disabled Children
Janet Leigh, Health Visitor Professional and Management Lead
Jean Hedley, Children’s Centre Locality Manager (Blyth Valley)
Gillian Physick, Children’s Centre Locality Manager (Central)
John Kirton, Targeted Services Manager and Principal Educational
Linden Smith, Administrative Support
Thanks also go to the Directors Wider Group Meeting who devoted the day to the Parenting Support Strategy on the 8th December 2011.
Preface
I am delighted to introduce Northumberland’s multi-agency Parenting Support Strategy and Action Plan. This document had been produced by a multi-agency group and time was devoted to assist in the development of the strategy at the Directors Wider Group Children’s meeting in December 2011.
The document clearly evidences a strong commitment to multi agency working in Northumberland which has always been reflected in various Ofsted inspection reports. This multi-agency approach is going to be extremely important in ensuring that partner agencies work collaboratively with parents and carers to meet the ever changing needs of parenting children and young people in Northumberland.
Graham Allen MP states: "The quality of a child's relationships and learning experiences in the family has more influence on achievement than innate ability, material circumstances or the quality of pre-school and school provision".
This is a view shared in Northumberland and is reflected in the ongoing development of the Parenting Support Strategy and Action Plan.
This Parenting Support Strategy and Action Plan links with our Children and Young People’s Plan 2011-2014, Prevention, Poverty and the Participation Strategies.
The Children and Young People’s Plan set out our ambitions for our children and young people in Northumberland. We are determined that each and every one of them will have the opportunity to realise their full potential.
Our plan identifies clear priorities for improving outcomes for the 67,000 children and young people living in Northumberland. This builds from all of our considerable achievements of the last few years.
Our Vision and Priorities
‘Our Vision is for every girl and boy in Northumberland, with a special focus on those who are vulnerable or disadvantaged, to grow up as healthy, safe, confident citizens who contribute positively to the lives of those around them’.
To deliver our vision, the Children and Young People’s Plan has identified five outcomes that we aim to achieve.
1. More people in work – fewer families living in poverty
2. All children and young people living in safe and secure environments
3. Improving educational achievement for all
4. Improving health outcomes
- Resilient communities where citizens are empowered to lead
I would like to personally thank all partners who were involved in developing this important document and I look forward to hearing about the success of the implementation of the Parenting Support Strategy and Action Plan.
Regards,
Paul Moffat
Corporate Director of Children’s Services
NORTHUMBERLAND PARENTING SUPPORT STRATEGY
How does this document support delivery of our
Children and Young People’s Plan 2011-2014?
Supporting the CYPP VisionThe principles of early intervention and prevention are a key element of local policy and practice supporting delivery of the Children and Young People’s Plan in Northumberland. Early intervention and prevention are also the primary focus of the Northumberland Commissioning Strategy for children and young people.
The central aim of the Parenting Support Strategy is to offer a framework which recognises the need for good quality, accessible parenting support from a wide range of partner agencies.
The clear message for all colleagues working with children and families is that parenting is everyone’s business – and not the responsibility of one agency, one policy or one strategy document.
Supporting the CYPP Outcomes
· More people in work, fewer in poverty
· All children & young people living in safe & secure environments
· Improving educational achievement for all
· Improving health outcomes
· Resilient communities, where citizens are empowered to lead
Links to the CYPP Priorities
· Early intervention for additional needs
· Tackling child poverty
· Closing the gap
· More care leavers in EET
· Reduce risk-taking behaviour
· Support staff to build resilient communities
Links to Other Plans
· Children and Young People Plan
· Prevention Strategy
· Poverty Strategy
· Commissioning Strategy
· Workforce Development Strategy
· Participation Strategy
· Equalities Analysis
· JSNA Executive Summary
· Early Years and Schools Service Plan
· LAC & Safeguarding Service Plan
· Employability and Skills Service Plan
· Public Health Service Plan
Terms of Reference
This document reflects Northumberland County Council Children’s Services multi-agency approach and aligns with the emerging priorities of the Health and Wellbeing Board. The strategy recognises the need for good quality, accessible parenting support from a wide range of partner agencies.
The Parenting Support Strategy and Action Plan support this vision by ensuring that all partners are working together to provide parents and carers the information, advice and support they need. This will ensure everyone is informed and are in a position to respond appropriately to the individual and social needs of children and young people. This document provides a framework for the provision of this support and guidance and how this can be accessed.
In light of national Government’s focus on the identification and support for those families with complex needs it is envisaged that this document will provide partners agencies with an understanding of the high priority given to parenting support within Northumberland.
The clear message for all colleagues working with children and families is that parenting is everyone’s business – and not the responsibility of one agency, one policy or one strategy document.
Definitions used in this document
§ ‘parent’ means the person who is caring for a child and who has legal responsibility for the child’s welfare and development. This may mean the mother, father, step-parent, grandparent, foster parent, corporate parent or parent-to-be. For the remainder of this document the word parent will be used to cover all of these individuals or groups.
§ ‘parenting’ means the tasks, relationships and behaviours between a parent or carer and their child, which constitute a core element of the social and emotional environment.
§ ‘families’ includes a wide variety of arrangements through which caring relationships are sustained, for example, one-parent families and step-families.
§ ‘parenting support’ is defined as any activity or service aimed at providing information, advice and support to parents.
Northumberland’s vision for supporting parents
We acknowledge that parents ultimately have responsibility to parent their children. However, this strategy recognises that at any given point in time parents may benefit from additional support and that this may be required either by law or request.
Northumberland’s Parenting Support Strategy
§ Sees parenting support (of all sorts, covering the full age range) as an ‘everyday’ activity, meeting practical needs and recognising the skills, experience and ideas parents already have.
§ Aims to provide services which meet the needs of families and which are committed to promoting the importance of parent’s role in their children’s lives.
§ Listens to the parents and families and members of the community and consult with them in developing and shaping services.
§ Is accessible, relevant, and timely and uses current resources wisely.
§ Seeks to develop a skilled, knowledgeable and aligned workforce committed to the underlying principles.
§ Strives to deliver high quality parenting support services, with easy referral pathways so that everyone in Northumberland will know how and where to access the support they need.
§ Will address local and individual needs and meet the diverse needs of Northumberland, including its urban and rural areas. This includes meeting the equality and diversity needs of Northumberland.
§ Promotes the role of schools and wider the community in supporting parents, through early intervention.
§ Understands that through the delivery of parenting support we will encourage the development of resilient adults.
Underpinning Principles
The parenting support strategy focuses on support interventions that specifically aim to help parents to improve outcomes for their children more effectively and is based on the following principles:
§ That being a parent is an important and rewarding role and parents need information, advice and support at different developmental stages in their child’s life.
§ That parents know their children better than anyone else and need to be involved fully in planning for their needs.
§ That seeking information, advice or support for parenting is regarded as strength and a sign of positive parenting. Needing support should be recognised as normal and not as a failure.
§ That parents and the wider community will be involved in planning, delivery and evaluation of parent support services.
§ That families should be encouraged and supported to live a healthy lifestyle.
§ That families are all different and services need to be flexible, respectful and inclusive, tailored to meet the needs of all including those from different cultures and backgrounds.
§ That the support provided ensures the best use of Local Authority resources.
§ That supporting parents is everyone’s business.
§ That services that support parents, provide information and opportunities will be represented as a continuum and this will be accessible to all parents and professionals.
§ That, as far as possible, services are delivered, on a locality basis, unless centrally based services are required.
§ That the provision offered will support parents to make their own, informed choices.
§ That services will be evaluated through methods that are relevant to each individual agency and each agency will be responsible for an appropriate level of supervision for staff.
Northumberland in Context
Northumberland’s Parenting Support Strategy has been written in conjunction with the development of the Local Authority’s Children and Young People’s Plan and its Prevention strategy, both of which were developed based on the data, intelligence and evidence collated in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (2011). This information helps to establish the context in which the Parenting Support Strategy and Action Plan will be delivered.
§ Northumberland is the 6th largest county in England, but has one of the smallest populations (just over 300,000).
§ One fifth (just over 60,000) of the population is aged below 18.
§ Served by 15 school partnerships plus 4 academies, 8 social care teams, 20 Children Centres.
§ Receive around 4,000 referrals to Children’s Services a year.
§ There are 28 children with CP plans per 10k, 44 looked after children per 10k.
§ Bordered by Scottish Border (North), North Sea (East), Tyneside (South), Cheviots / Pennines (West).
§ Has exceptional environmental assets such as Northumberland National Park, North Pennines, plus coastal areas of outstanding natural beauty.
§ Just under half the population live in 3% of the county (South East).
§ 99% of population are White with small number of Mixed, Asian, Black and Chinese families. A higher number of the BME population are under 18.
§ Around 72,000 of the population live in the 25% most deprived areas in the country.
§ Around 21,000 of the population live in the 10% most deprived areas in the country (31% in Wansbeck live in 10% most deprived).
§ 18% of children under 16 live in low income households (NE average 28%, national average 21%).
§ 34% of children under 5 live in households where the adults are dependant on benefits. (Overall Wansbeck figure is 35%). This is 68% in Seaton Ward, Ashington and 63% in Newbiggin East.
§ Children and young people are more than twice as likely to become LAC from the areas named above.
§ 76% of the children who have come into care since 2008 lived in an area where the proportion of children dependant on workless benefits was above the national average.
§ 46% of the children who have come into care since 2008 lived in an area were the proportion of children dependant on workless benefits was above 33%.
What are we doing in Northumberland?
Northumberland is a large and diverse community and the complexity of the delivery of parenting support reflects this. All parents in Northumberland have an entitlement to a range of information, support and advice throughout their child’s life journey from pre-birth to 19+ years. This entitlement will be delivered through a parenting offer, available to all parents throughout their child’s life. The Family Information Service will be central is sharing information.
Local providers of parenting support are encouraged to form partnerships to ensure that the provision of parenting is coordinated and makes best use of resources to meet local needs.
In line with the delivery of other services to children and families the parenting offer is structured into levels of need:
Universal parenting services - providing general information, advice and support for all parents
This would include schools, GPs, Health Visitors, Sure Start Children’s Centres, Family Information Service, School Health Advisors and midwifery services for expectant parents, the voluntary and community sector and peer support.
Targeted/Preventative parenting services - available to parents who are beginning to experience some difficulties
This would include all of the universal services in addition to: LISTs (Locality Inclusion Support Teams), Targeted Adolescent Services (TAS), Voluntary and Community agencies, Disabled Children’s Team, Portage, EOTAS and Primary Mental Health Workers. These services would consider the need for a Common Assessment Framework (CAF) to ensure that the planning for the child and family assesses the needs clearly and cohesively.
Specialist parenting services - available to parents who are experiencing considerable difficulties
This would include the above services in addition to children’s social care locality teams, the Youth Offending Team, and CAMHS, Family Recovery Team, voluntary and community agencies.