Hello Ruth

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Clare Cook Development Worker, Grassroots
Project Christine Foster Project Worker,
Grassroots Project
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Grassroots Project and Co-production

• The Scottish Government and Cosla are of the
  view that using assets-based approaches such as
  co-production are instrumental if we are to
  successfully shift the balance of health and
  social care and develop public services that are
  focused on prevention and independence
  Co-production of Health and Wellbeing in Scotland
  2013
• The Grassroots Project is unique and uses an
  assets-based approach to early intervention.
  Trained volunteers support pregnant woman and
  families with children under 5 years old who live
  in rural South Lanarkshire and who require extra
  help

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Purpose of the project
Lottery Outcomes

• Vulnerable parents and carers are better able to
  cope for the arrival and aftercare of their child
• Such as parents/carers will attend relevant ante
  and post natal health care appointments and feel
  supported during this time
• 2. Vulnerable families with children under 5
  years old will be more confident and capable
  parents/carers
• Parents/carers will improve their parenting
  skills and greater health awareness and improve
  their emotional well-being
• 3. Vulnerable families have improved
  relationships, both within the family unit and
  their local community
• Parents/carers will increase family activities
  and meet new people at courses inc peer support
• Parents/carers will have improved knowledge of
  local agencies and where to go for information

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How we will achieve our outcomes

• Secured Big Lottery funding from 1st April 2012
  until 31st March 2015. Funding from NHS
  Lanarkshire has been secured from April to June
  2015
• Recruited 1 Development Worker and 1 Project
  Worker
• Asset based approach (underpins all of Healthy
  Valleys programme activities and empowers the
  Grassroots Volunteers and beneficiaries
• Volunteers are at the heart of delivery (It is
  essential we support, train, retain and value our
  volunteers are they are crucial to the success of
  the project)
• All of which will contribute to supporting
  pregnant women and families with children under 5
  years old who need extra help

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DVD

• http//vimeo.com/111198240

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What is the Grassroots Project?

• Official launch of Project on 23rd November 2012
  by Aileen Campbell MSP for Clydesdale and
  Minister for Children and Young People
• 2 pronged approach to early intervention
• Intensive Parental Support Programme
• Family Education Support Programme

the project is not time limited and we will offer
support for as long as the family needs it
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Addressing Inequalities Referral criteria

• Substance misuse
• Domestic violence
• Poor mental health
• Homelessness
• Teenage pregnancy
• High/Low body mass index

• Family at risk/child protection issues
• Isolated
• No family/friends support
• Post natal depression
• Unable to cope with baby/toddler

However, Most of our referrals have a combination
of these issues
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Referral Process

1. Referral received
2. Development Worker meets with family and
   completes paperwork including the Family Impact
   Star and Action Plan
3. If required, Development Worker will carefully
   match family to a trained volunteer (IPSP)
4. All referred families can access to FESP
5. Development Worker will review Family Impact Star
   and Action Plan every 6 months with family and
   remain in regular contact with family and
   volunteers
6. Trained volunteers complete session records
   regarding family they are supporting

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What is the Grassroots Project?
Cover rural South Lanarkshire Grassroots Project
is not restricted to specific datazones There are
people who need extra help who live in all areas
and postcodes

• Intensive Parental Support Programme (IPSP)
• supports pregnant women, dads and other carers in
  need of support to attend vital ante natal and
  post natal appointments. Families will benefit
  from this by being matched to a volunteer who
  will support their involvement with Grassroots to
  enable a positive, trusting relationship to form
  and provide consistency and stability which will
  ultimately change positive outcomes

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What is the Grassroots Project?

• Family Education Support Programme (FESP)
• Which offers a range of learning developments and
  opportunities that other services/organisations
  dont already run. This is includes
• Healthy weaning course
• Cookery sessions
• Baby massage/yoga
• My Way Stress Management
• Adult Child First Aid
• Peer support
• Play_at_Home
• Complimentary Therapies

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Key Elements

• Grassroots Project Steering Group
• representation from ICS, Community Midwife Team,
  health visitors, Stop Smoking, Leisure, Community
  Learning
• Grassroots Project Volunteer Meetings
• Statutory, Voluntary Community Sector
  involvement inc EYC BPS
• links with various agencies including ICS, HIT,
  Community Midwifes, Public Health Team, Social
  Work, Leisure, CPNs, Stop Smoking Service,
  Substance Misuse Team, Womens Aid, Community
  Learning and Home School Partnership

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Family Impact Star Action Plan

• Is a visual tool that we use to measure
• Outcomes
• Self esteem/confidence
• Parenting skills
• Mental health and emotional well-being
• Ability to cope under pressure
• Control and decision making
• Relationship with statutory agencies
• Social networks and family relationships
• Community engagement and participation

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What difference is the project making

• 97 families have been supported
• Currently supporting 20 families
• Currently have 13 active volunteers
• 448 FESP sessions have been delivered from April
  2012-December 2014 with 365 individuals attending

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Impact
Grassroots Longitudal Research Report

• According to the findings of the Longitudal
  Research Report (Coburn and Wallace 2014), the
  service users experienced a range of benefits of
  being involved in the Grassroots Project-
• In improvements in self confidence
• In the provision of personal support to attend
  appointments and project activities
• In the reduction of isolation and in the creation
  of social networks
• In the provision of information and advice to
  meet personal needs
• In improved parenting with regard to learning,
  communication, nurturing and play
• In greater resilience and well being.

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Impact

• During the first 2 years of the project, we
  exceeded the outcomes by achieving the following
• 58 improved their emotional wellbeing
• 68 improved their parenting skills and a greater
  health awareness
• 64 parents/carers reported an increase in skills
  as a direct result from attending activities
• 91 parents/carers attended at least 1 FESP
  activity
• 64 reported they feel better equipped to look
  after their child
• 57 new mums/carers attended all relevant ante and
  post natal health care appointments
• 68 participated in parenting courses and learning
  life skills
• 33 families have completed goals in their action
  plan
• 63 parents/carers reported they have an improved
  ability to cope under pressure
• 70 reported being more informed of local agencies
  
• 32 participated in regular peer support group
• 91 reported doing more things are a family

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Successes

• Asset based approach
• Partnership working
• Dedicated volunteers
• Secured funding for a Volunteer Co-ordinator
• Grassroots DVD published in October 2014
• Car seat development
• Improving Maternal and Infant Nutrition in
  Scotland conference 7th February 2012
• The project has featured in the Big Lottery
  Magazine Issue 8
• Roll out of BabySounds in rural South
  Lanarkshire.

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Challenges

• Recruiting and retaining volunteers
• Beneficiaries moving out of the area
• Welfare Reform
• Crèche services
• Transport
• Complex/child protection cases referred

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Steering Groups Attendance

• Grassroots Steering Group
• Early Years Sub Group
• VASLan Rural Thematic Group
• Play_at_Home Steering Group
• FIN
• Sub Group of FIN (Food, Clothing and other goods)

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The Future

• Apply for Big Lottery funding to continue and
  extend the Project beyond March to include
• Pre-conception Information and Education Service
  (PIES)
• Volunteer Co-ordinator
• Total requested amount 530,236
• Healthy Valleys is planning to relocate to a
  multi-functional, accessible facility which will
  better support families and children in need of
  extra support
• Roll out Grassroots into other areas of Scotland,
  promoting good practice of using asset based
  approach

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Quotes
Thank you so much for the help you provided a
grassroots client to get to the hospital and to
have her baby. I appreciate all that Healthy
Valleys does and it really helps me out a lot and
makes it a lot easier. Your service is
absolutely vital in rural South Lanarkshire to
promote health for pregnant women and to support
them to attend their health care appointments,
with the volunteers providing this, these women
wouldnt have healthy pregnancies or babies.
Thank you. Midwife, March 2013  
Ive been with Grassroots since it started. I
think its good for the families as well as myself
as its brought some people out of their homes
that wouldnt go out without the support of
Grassroots, its also helped build up my
confidence as well gaining new skills and
certificates which is also good for my CV and I
hope to study childcare at college next
year Grassroots Volunteer March 2014
Grassroots was introduced to us for my daughter
and grandson and I as a Granny have had a new
lease of life through Grassroots. We live
extremely remote and both my daughter and myself
dont drive so they have supported us with
volunteer driver who is one in a million giving
up her time to drive out to us and bring us to
everything. Grassroots has boasted my confidence
in that Id love to volunteer if I ever learn to
drive (hopefully in the near future). It has
introduced me to things I never thought Id have
the confidence. Grassroots is a fantastic
project not just for young mothers and fathers
but for grandparents as well Beneficiary February
2013
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