CHILDREN’S CENTRE’S FAMILY SUPPORT COMMISSIONING STRATEGY FOR
CHILDREN 0 - 11
July, 2007.
INTRODUCTION
‘’Good, high quality, timely support for parents as their
children grow up is likely to improve outcomes for children and
young people in terms of their health, social and educational
development and well-being.’ (1)
In Bath and North East Somerset, the statutory and voluntary
agencies have, in recent years, offered a range of family support
services for children and families. However, agencies have
traditionally worked independently with sporadic service spread
across the area, with services not being accessible to all
families. The brief of the Family Support Strategy is to develop a
Model of Family Support and Commissioning Strategy for Children’s
Centre service provision, across Bath and North East Somerset,
working with the statutory and voluntary agencies.
In B&NES, a multi-agency Parenting Strategy Steering Group
worked over a period of 18 months to develop the Parenting Strategy
(2) that was published in December, 2006 on behalf of the Children
and Young People’s Strategic Partnership. The Parenting Strategy
sets out shared Principles and Standards for parenting support
across the authority and states, ‘It is commended as a framework to
assist all partner agencies who are supporting parents and carers
in a variety of ways and to parents and carers as a commitment to
the standards of practice that we are working towards – and already
achieve in many instances.’
As Quinton states, ‘Parenting is something that parents do. It
is not something they have.’ (3) He goes on to describe a set of
responsibilities; parenting tasks, parenting behaviours
and relationships, which are influenced by a range of issues
such as, childhood experiences, current circumstances and
genetics, along with poverty and the parent’s own mental and
physical resilience. The Parenting Strategy covers parenting
for children across the complete age range 0 -18. The Family
Support Strategy will interface with the Parenting Strategy,
focussing on families with children aged 0-8/9 years of age and in
particular to support the Children’s Centre future commissioning
strategy for family support.
Both Strategies will identify work required to support the
targets, as outlined in the Children and Young People’s Plan of
achieving the five outcomes identified to improve children’s life
chances. (4)
Be Healthy
Stay Safe
Enjoy and Achieve
Make a Positive Contribution
Achieve Economic Well-being
Methodology
Data from the evaluation of the Sure Start Local Programme (5)
integrated services which are currently based in South West Bath,
has been reviewed, along with the results of consultation with
children and parents/carers in Norton Radstock, South West Bath and
Keynsham, with regard to the services families are requesting. The
knowledge gained has been considered when developing the proposed
Family Support model.
To progress the Family Support Strategy a multi-agency Steering
group, that includes, a parent with children under eight years of
age, has been convened. The Steering group work collaboratively,
advising on the proposed strategic model of Family Support and
Commissioning Strategy and has been informed by the local Children
and Young People’s Plan 2006-9, Parenting Strategy, Children’s
Centre Strategy, (6) Disabled Children’s Pathway/Emotional and
Behavioural Integrated Pathways, Total Communication Strategy,
Schools and Extended Services, Teenage Parent’s Partnership
(7) Local Area Partnerships and the Common Assessment
Framework (CAF). (8)
Vision
The vision for the Family Support Strategy in Bath and North
East Somerset is to provide a range of integrated, planned,
accessible services delivered in a holistic way with targeted
services being delivered from within universal services. The
aim, as stated in the Children’s Centre Strategy is, ‘giving every
child the best possible start in life, and all vulnerable children
the care and protection they need’. (9)
The full report is attached or available on request
