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

5. Data and knowledge

Issues

Collection and dissemination of data &

knowledge critical

Both national and local

Growing evidence base

Key actions

DCYA role in data gathering &

dissemination

Develop culture of evaluation

Annual parenting support conference