SURE START CHELMSLEY WOOD

1

• SURE START CHELMSLEY WOOD
• Key findings from the local evaluation 2004
• Presenters Jo Sabin, Centre Manager Mairi Ann
  Cullen, CEDAR, University of Warwick

2
The key challenge

• I am very pleased and very happy that there is
  such a place as Sure Start now. Its nice to know
  that, because this is up and running and its
  well-established now, in years to come my
  children will have somewhere to go with their
  children, as well.
• (quote from a parent)

3
Focus of local evaluation, 2004

• Three strands of work
• Collate and analyse existing internal evaluation
  information
• Conduct two service evaluations a) support for
  speech and language development b) adult tutor
  support
• Conduct thematic evaluation - partnership

4
Purposes of the local evaluation

• Each strand included for a purpose
• To draw together existing, internally-generated
  information about members views into an
  accessible format
• To begin focused thinking about mainstreaming
• To unpick the Chelmsley Wood model

5
Evidence-base

• 1. Parents views of 18 groups events, 2000-03
• 492 evaluation sheets 5 reports based on
  parents views
• 2a. Support for speech and language development
• 8 interviews (parents, professionals, Sure Start
  staff)
• 145 Reynell assessments 64 PIPA assessments
• 2b. Support for adult learners
• 13 interviews (parents, professionals, Sure Start
  staff)
• College and LSC data on adult and community
  education
• 3. Working in partnership
• 40 interviews (parents, professionals, Sure Start
  team)

6

• Main findings

7
Headline findings, 2004

• Existing information from members gave evidence
  of overwhelmingly positive views
• Support for speech and language development is
  making a difference
• Adult learners are thriving and increasing
• The partnerships work - for parents and their
  children, for the staff team, for local
  professionals and for the community

8
What has been achieved?

• Improvements related to all four Sure Start
  Objectives
• Social and emotional development
• Health
• Childrens ability to learn
• Family functioning and sense of community

9
Objective 1 - Social and emotional development

• increased confidence of parents and children
• mental health issues addressed
• behavioural issues addressed
• improved parenting skills
• improved bonding between parents and children
• improved parent-child interaction
• success of Solihull Approach
• success of Family Support Model

10
Objective 2 - Health

• tentative findings that preventative work is
  reducing health inequalities ( a long-term goal)
• quality of ante-natal and post-natal support
• benefits of Baby Massage
• progress in smoking cessation
• valued support for young mums
• valued support for mums with post-natal
  depression
• promotion of health eating
• promotion of dental health
• support for breastfeeding - Baby Café, trained
  parent counsellors

11
Objective 3 - Childrens ability to learn

• parents have higher aspirations for their
  children
• improved play experience (play at Sure Start
  Centre planned around child development Birth
  to Three Matters implemented)
• improved listening skills
• better preparation for Nursery
• adults notice the benefits to children from
  experience of Sure Start crèche, Play and Stay,
  Play Link, Welcome to Nursery, Rainbow Tots

12
Objective 3 service evaluationSupport for
speech and language

• sharing knowledge and skills with parents has led
  to positive behavioural changes in how members
  interact with their babies and young children
• sharing knowledge and skills with team has led to
  effective support for speech and language
  development becoming embedded across the
  programme
• outreach work in local nurseries has led to
  statistically significant improvements in
  childrens phonological awareness, a prerequisite
  of literacy
• members value access to qualified speech and
  language therapist without waiting for a referral
  or clinical appointment and the friendly,
  reassuring, holistic manner in which support and
  advice is given
• local professionals report a marked improvement
  in speech, language and social interaction skills
  of children who attend
• local paediatric SLT service willing to learn
  from Sure Start Chelmsley Wood

13
Objective 4 - Strengthening families and the
community

• friendships social networks formed among
  parents and children makes transition to
  nursery and school easier
• parents and professionals report increased sense
  of community spirit
• coherent, articulate, assertive parental voice,
  especially evident through Parents Action
  Community Team
• parent-run parent and toddler groups
• parent-run adventure group for under-10s
• increased parental representation on local
  decision-making groups and on local working
  groups

14
Objective 4 service evaluationSupporting adult
learning

• role of adult tutor valued by Sure Start members,
  colleagues and Solihull College Community
  Education staff
• adult tutor provides support to enable access to
  first steps learning, accredited learning, routes
  to employment
• adult tutor has raised local profile of family
  learning, esp. through Family Learning Network
• huge increase in take-up of adult learning
  opportunities in Chelmsley Wood ward
• progression routes from first steps learning now
  established and used e.g. improved uptake of
  Level 2
• improved employability, especially successful in
  childcare sector

15

• How has it been achieved?

16
Thematic evaluation - partnership

• All the successes achieved through the processes
  of working in partnership
• the partnership that put together the original
  bid
• the partnerships that sustain the local programme
  the Partnership Board and Community Reference
  Group
• the partnership working within the multi-agency,
  multi-skilled, carefully chosen team
• the partnership working with parents

17
Working in partnership what it means in Sure
Start Chelmsley Wood

• Key elements of definitions given Partnership
  Board and Community Reference Group
• shared vision
• purposeful, open discussion
• agreed, shared action
• How far did this match reality at Sure Start
  Chelmsley Wood?
• ALL agreed it was an exemplar of good practice

18
Partnership working in the team what it means
in Sure Start Chelmsley Wood

• team is representative of needs of members - i.e.
  a coordinated cohesive team, working together
  in service of families
• respect for others roles, skills and knowledge
• blurring of edges of roles (not precious about
  areas of expertise)
• benefits of co-working, of core planning and
  joint planning
• accessible, effective support for team and
  members
• underpinned by Solihull Approach - provides a
  common language and consistency of approach to
  children and families
• mutual support provides scope to be innovative
• actively learning from each other

19
Partnership with parents what it means in
Sure Start Chelmsley Wood

• Key aspects of definitions given by parents
• treated as equals (even first among equals)
• being valued and listened to
• being taken seriously, esp. re decision-making
• acting on parents views (delivering the goods)
• How far did this match reality at Sure Start
  Chelmsley Wood?
• ALL stated this matched all these expectations
• awareness of what parents offer to Sure Start
  Chelmsley Wood Were what makes it work.

20
Partnership with parents - valued
characteristics of Sure Start Chelmsley Wood

• children and parents at the centre - working with
  and for local parents and children, not doing
  unto them
• environment - safe, friendly, welcoming
• respect for staff, parents and children staff
  who listen and dont judge
• high quality - of staff, of facilities, of group
  sessions, of individual support of childcare of
  equipment provided

21

• The Sure Start Chelmsley Wood Model

22
THE SOLIHULL APPROACH empowering families
The 3 elements of the Solihull Approach are used
to empower both parents and children and can be
utilised at any stage in the family relationship
in a therapeutic or preventative way.
CONTAINMENT (from psychoanalytic theory)
RECIPROCITY (from child development research)
BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT (from learning theory)
For further information contact
mary.rheeston_at_solihull-pct.nhs.uk
23
The three elements

• Containment responding to another in a way that
  acknowledges their feelings reflects them back
  as tolerable and meaningful restores ability to
  process emotions and capacity to think feeling
  safe valued
• Reciprocity mutual involvement in the starting,
  continuation and ending of an interaction, i.e.
  each person being able to affect and be affected
  by the other - basis of relationship with baby
  supports communication language development
  dancing together
• Behaviour management parents teaching children
  self-control through setting reasonable
  boundaries, giving attention praise, modelling
  expected behaviour facilitates learning and
  development ready to learn and develop
  together

24
Sure Start Chelmsley Wood Model

• Think of a series of triangles sitting inside
  each other, with a heart in the middle
• Heart at the centre values and attitudes of all
  staff
• valuing the children, families and each other as
  equals
• Triangle 1 all working within the Solihull
  Approach
• containment reciprocity behaviour management
• Triangle 2 the Sure Start Chelmsley Wood
  experience
• safe, welcoming environment i.e. containment
  respectful relationships i.e. reciprocity
  high quality staff delivering high quality
  services in well-kept premises - all learning
  and developing together i.e. behaviour
  management

25
Sure Start Chelmsley Wood Model - affecting,
and affected by, its context

• The model of working affects, and is affected by
• Triangle 3 the wider context of Solihull
• partnership structures in place (containment)
  day to day partnership working (reciprocity)
  willingness to learn together and develop
  mainstream versions of the positive experiences
  from Sure Start Chelmsley Wood (behaviour
  management)
• Triangle 4 the wider national context
• commitment to national Sure Start programme
  (containment) mutual sharing of knowledge and
  experiences, e.g. through NESS (reciprocity)
  facilitating others to learn from Sure Start
  local programmes and develop similar approaches
  within Childrens Services (behaviour management)

26

• Conclusion

27
Key recommendations

• To continue to work together as a Partnership to
  achieve the long-term future of the facilities
  and provision at Sure Start Chelmsley Wood
• To embrace widening access to the programme -
  parents and professionals want this (interview
  data)
• To support the mainstreaming of approaches and
  lessons from Sure Start Chelmsley Wood being
  implemented locally
• whilst ensuring that
• the emphasis on high quality provision, made in
  partnership with parents, for children and
  parents is maintained
• quick, easy access to specialist support within
  universal services is maintained

28
What next? - the current position

• Mainstreaming is already happening
• Education local development of Neighbourhood
  Nurseries, Extended Schools, Childrens Centres
  all influenced by Chelmsley Wood model
• Social services - Solihull Family Support Model
• Health - Health Visitor review Parental
  Evaluation Developmental Screening pilot
  influence within CAMHS SLT Dept parents groups
  Solihull Approach spreading
• Community action - Parents Action Community Team
• Sustainable community provision - Cheeky Monkeys
  Little Squirrels for pre-school Funky Monkeys
  for under-10s
• Opportunities for adults - local college agreed
  to train crèche workers to improve quality of
  childcare to increase uptake of courses
  development of Excellence in the Community
  learning pods

29
What next? - the framework for the future exists
(a)

• The local programme slots in to the key
  developments
• a) national agenda
• Childrens National Service Framework
• Every Child Matters Change for Children - Sure
  Start members want these five Outcomes for their
  children too (interview data)
• Choice for Parents (10 Year Childcare Strategy)
• Together from the Start
• Early Support Pilot Programme

30
What next? - the framework for the future exists
(b)

• The local programme slots in to the key
  developments
• b) local agendas
• Solihull Sure Start Plan, 2004-06
• Solihull Lifelong Learning Partnership (3 Year
  Plan)
• Solihull Adult Community Learning, SDP 2004-07
• A Place for People - community strategy for
  Solihull, 2003-13

31
The key challenge

• I am very pleased and very happy that there is
  such a place as Sure Start now. Its nice to know
  that, because this is up and running and its
  well-established now, in years to come my
  children will have somewhere to go with their
  children, as well.
• (quote from a parent)