Family Support: A Refocusing Of Welfare

1
Family SupportA Refocusing Of Welfare?

• Dr John M Davis
• Head Of Department Educational Studies
• Dr Mary Smith
• Integration Manager

2
Introduction

• Policy Background
• Policy in Practice
• Case Study of Family Support Service
• Negative Views Of New Service
• Positive Views Of New Service
• Family Support At A Crossroads
• Different Theories
• Conclusion No Easy Answers!

3
Policy Background

• 1998 New Community Schools Funding
• 2001 For Scotlands Children Report
• 2002 Childrens Change Fund
• 2003 Integrated Childrens Services within The
  Local Authority
• 2005 Getting it Right for Every Child in
  Scotland
• 2005 A Curriculum for Excellence

4
Policy Change Into Practice

• Setting up of Integration Teams
• Setting up of Locality Forums
• Different Professions within Childrens
  Services working more closely together
• Development of Role of Family Support Work

5
New Family Support Service?

• Degree Professional
• Developing Universal Targeted Services
• Leading Multi-Professional Working
• Change Agents and Boundroids
• Non Statutory Holistic Support
• Workforce Reform

6
Findings Family SupportNegative View

• Viewed as Para-Professional low-cost, low-skill,
  support assistant
• Tension - Preventative v Statutory
• Influenced by vested interest/politics
• No clarity on what role is or does
• Lacked a clear philosophy

7
Findings Family SupportPositive View

• Highly qualified staff
• Families/children saw an improved if imperfect
  service
• Local forums enabled joint working
• More appropriate assessment
• More rapid and appropriate responses
• Local capacity building

8
Family Support At A Crossroads

• Polarised debate about preventative v acute
  intervention
• Lack of Clear and Shared Theory To Underpin
  Practice
• More opportunities required for discussion of
  different starting points to assessment and
  provision

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Ways ForwardBuilding A Theory

• Dolan (2006) Types, Qualities and Principles
• Gilligan (2000) Forms of Support
• Gilligan (2000) Parents Complex Identities
• Hill (2005) Gilligan (1999) Child Agents
• Davis (2006, 2007) Complex/Fluid
• Smith (2009) Small Change v Radical Leap

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Dolan (2006) Social Support

• 4 Types concrete, emotional, advice and esteem
• 3 Qualities of social support Closeness,
  reciprocity and durability (e.g. a reliable
  person you have know for a long time).
• Range of principles concerning partnership
  minimum intervention clarity of focus
  strength-based perspectives informal networks
  accessible/flexible services self referral
  inclusion diversity and best practice

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Gilligan (2000) More Than A Child Protection
Service

• Mobilising support for where children live their
  lives -Family, peer, school, sport team, church
  etc
• Child-focused supporting - social, psychological
  educational development
• Prevent child leaving family by reducing stress,
  promoting competence, connecting child family
  to support and resources

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Gilligan (2000) Parents Have Complex Identities

• Multiplicity of roles and identities
• Isolated young mother , can also become some one
  with good child care who is integrated into
  community as a student worker, team mate,
  football supporter
• Key principle of family support is to enhance the
  number of identities available
• This may take time and require sensitivity
• The role of schools and education is very
  important

13
Hill (2005) Gilligan (1999) Children Are
Complex

• Children can gain support from wide range of
  adults and children
• Relates to mobility and autonomy
• Notions of boundary of family not fixed - e.g.
  reconstituted families
• Children create their own identities
• Childhood is more regulated

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Different Theories
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Conclusion - Davis (2006 2007)

• Professional roles to be examined as much as
  parents/childs
• Labelling/deficit models - give
  professionals/parents an excuse
• No Single Theory Works in Its Totality -
  individual, developmental, structural,
  ecological, post-structural etc
• MUD, SID, RED, SSD, SDD - challenges victims
  discourse and realises that professionals can be
  as much a part of the problem as the solution
• Practitioners need to be reflexive and discuss
  the pros and cons of different personal and
  professional positions
• This needs to include an understanding of power,
  politics and vested interests

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Conclusion - Smith (2009)

• Family Support Next 5-10 Years
• Status Quo
• Tinkering At Edges
• Radical Change

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References

• Davis, JM (2006) Childrens Boundaries in McKie L
  Cunningham-Burley S. (eds) (2005) Families in
  Society Boundaries and Relationships. Bristol
  The Policy Press
• Davis JM (2007) Analysing Participation and
  Social Exclusion With Children and Young People.
  Lessons From Practice International Journal of
  Childrens Rights 15(1)121-146.

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References

• Hill, M (2005) Childrens Boundaries in McKie L
  Cunningham-Burley S. (eds) (2005) Families in
  Society Boundaries and Relationships. Bristol
  The Policy Press
• Gilligan R.(2000). Family support issues and
  prospects. In Canavan J , Dolan P , Pinkerton J
  (eds) Family Support Directions from Diversity.
  London Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

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References

• Gilligan, R. (1999) Working with Social Networks
  Key Resources in Helping Children at Risk In
  Hill, M. (ed) Effective Ways of Working with
  Children and their Families. London Jessica
  Kingsley
• Smith, M (2009)