Presentation

1. Presentation Angela McIntyre Family Support Co-ordinator Education, Training, Health, Outreach Support (ETHOS) Project Family Support Hub Friday 7th September 2012 Greater Shantallow Area Partnership

2. Profile of the Outer North / Greater Shantallow Area Profile • Population 30,000 (15,000 Outer North Neighbourhood Renewal Area) • 32.7% under 16 years (NI average 23.6 %) -18 local schools in the area • 55.4% Households rented(NI average 30.3%) (47.2% rented from NIHE compared to 26% in Derry and 18.6% in NI) • 26.1% Lone Parents in Shantallow West (NI average 8.1%) • 57.0% Households with Dependent Children (NI average 36.5%) • 49.4% Economically Inactive (NI average 37.7%) (32% due to • permanent sickness/disability) • 50.0% of Residents with NO Qualifications (NI average 41.6%)

3. Outer North / Greater ShantallowArea Profile

4. History/Background Worked Together over the years to improve the lives of children and young people by addressing specific issues SAMPLE of projects/initiatives in the Greater Shantallow Area Community PlaygroupsParent and Toddler GroupsJunior WardensCounselling Yearn to Learn (Schools Literacy & Numeracy Programme)Surestart Shantallow Ante Natal ClinicHealth VisitorsAnger ManagementExtended Schools Surestart Programme for 2 year oldsBank Your Smile Campaign Triple P (Positive Parenting programmes)Play ParksDCC Active Citizenship Programme EKLAN (Speech language programme)Shantallow Youth Leadership Programme Neighbourhood Health Improvement Programme (NHIP)Dads & Lads Programme YES (Youth Educated in Safety)Off The Streets Youth Initiative

5. History/Background Sept 2008Greater Shantallow Area Partnership & Outer North Extended Schools Cluster including Thornhill College, St Columb’s College, St Brigid’s College, St Therese PS, St Pauls PS, & Galliagh Nursery, Break the Intergenerational Cycle; Holistic Approach; Mixed Economy of Care; Oct 2008-Mar 2009Pilot family support hub -referrals through 6 schools in the area (10 hrs per week) 79 Families Supported;

6. History/Background Nov/Dec 2008 Review of family support services in the area Jan 2009 Presented a discussion paper to the Outer North Neighbourhood Partnership 18th Feb 2009 Local Steering Group Set Up (GSAP, RCD, Surestart Shantallow, Shantallow Family Centre, NWDO) 16th March 2009 WHSCT workshop -Family Support-developing the hub approach to the promotion of an integrated Early Intervention Approach to children/families in need May 2009 Meeting with WHSCT (Gerry Conway/Pat Armstrong)/14th May 2009 Meeting with WE&LB (Sean Barr) June –Sept 2010 Development of ETHOS proposal-Funding proposals to WELB (Achieving Derry Bright Futures), DSD (Neighbourhood Renewal), & WHSCT (£70,000 per year in total) 1st Dec 2010 ETHOS Pilot Project (1 full-time Family Support Coordinator & 2 part time Family Support Workers)

7. Core Aim • To provide families with children and young people aged 4-18 years old living within the Greater Shantallow area with access to networks of support that: • Help children and young people grow and develop; • Build parents’ skills and confidence in parenting; • Support families to respond to problems ‘early’ and; • Improve the way agencies work together to make sure families get the services they need;

8. ETHOS Management Framework • LEADERSHIP • BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS/TRUST/RESPECT • COLLABORATION • OPTIMISING RESOURCES AVAILABLE • MAKING CONNECTIONS • CO-ORDINATING EFFORTS • CONTINUOUS LEARNING PROCESS • FLEXIBILITY • ACCESSIBLE Save the Children Western Education & Library Board Department for Social Development ETHOS FAMILY SUPPORT HUB Greater Shantallow Area Partnership EXTERN Family Centre & Surestart Shantallow Public Health Agency Outer North Neighbourhood Partnership PSNI Western Health & Social Services Trust Resource Centre Derry

9. GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF ETHOS • The welfare of the child is paramount; • Children’s needs are best met in families and communities; • Respect for individuality of families, children and young people; • Empowerment and building on strengths; • People have the capacity to change; • Relationships with individuals and families are core to positive intervention; • Inclusion of families and children in effective participation and decision-making; • Families have the rights to choice, privacy, confidentiality, and protection; • Generally, families avail of Family Support Services voluntarily;

10. DEVELOPING ETHOS PROJECT ETHOS project is underpinned by the ten (10) internationally recognised key defining characteristics of family support services based on research evidence of best practice. (Pinkerton, Dolan, Canavan2006).

11. Agency referral with consent of child and or parent Self Referral Coordinator invites family/ individual into Office or undertakes a home visit ETHOS – FAMILY SUPPORT HUB REFERRAL SYSTEM Coordinator takes initial information/ assessment Safeguarding Issues? Agree Action Plan Referral to Gateway Allocate to a Family Support Worker Work on Action Plan Review Further Support Needed No further Action Case Closed

12. The ways in which families are supported(One Size does not Fit All!)

13. Family Support Services Depending on the family and its needs, family support services accessed by families may include;- • Home visitation and centre-based individual and/or group sessions for parent support, knowledge and skills development; • Advocacy and referral, where families may be having problems dealing with other agencies; • Group activities. These may be courses to develop skills - in parenting, self-esteem, communication, relationships, play skills for parents and children, money management and household management, among others; • Activities for children, including special programs for children affected by issues such as domestic violence; • Self-help groups where people share experiences with others in similar situations. This may be helpful where people are experiencing the effects of, for instance, grief, sexual assault or domestic violence; • Activities that help family members to get to know other people, to decrease social isolation and to build supportive networks within communities; • Information about resources available for families, particularly those struggling with financial hardship or poverty; • Counselling, with individuals or in family sessions;

14. Examples of 2 (two) international evidence based group programmes • Families and Schools together (FAST) Programme (Save the Children)- eight-week course for children and all members of their family designed to strengthen family bonds and to encourage families to become more involved with the school-St Therese PS. • Strengthening Families Programme (CAWT Time IVA Change Project and Derry Healthy Cities) -14-week family skills programme specifically designed for vulnerable families-. Alley Theatre in Strabane.

15. Network of Collaboration… Daisy Project Derry2020 GSCA Opportunity Youth Surestart FIS Family Centre Extern Resource Centre LAEP Cruise Praxis ETHOS FAMILY SUPPORT HUB Eating Disorders West Team CAB PSNI Opportunity Youth Slievemore House NIHE Bootle Trust New Horizons GPs Victim Support CBO Foyle Haven Women’s Aid Playhouse Aware Defeat Depression NWRC SVDP Gateway Little Amigos Aurora Divert Shantallow Youth L’ship Parents Advice Zest

16. Multi Agency Referral Process REFERRALS – Dec ’10 to June 12: 259 referrals (Approx 14 families per month)

17. Multi Agency Referral Process NEW REFERRALS – Analysis by Quarter Note: July – Sept’12 (34 new referrals for July & Aug)

18. Presenting Issues

19. Measuring Impact Resilience- Pre / Post Intervention

20. Impact on Families! “Christmas was a bad time for me and you were beside me all the time, even after hours” “I don’t think I would be here. I didn’t think you existed until the school referred me” “I trust you to not make my business public” “No one puts me down, you aren’t going to report me for being angry” “I feel you listen to me, you don’t judge me, you leave me feeling that I have made decisions myself even though you have given me a few suggestions” “I was for the bridge when you met me with a hamper” “I can cry in front of you and tell my ‘tittle tattle’, and come out feeling a lot lighter”

21. Other High Level Impacts! • More families are accessing services and services are intervening ‘earlier’; • Families are receiving a more holistic / coordinated approach; • Better communication / information between families and professionals; • Existing service networks strengthened and new ones created; • Stronger focus on prevention and early intervention; • Services able to meet more diverse needs and reach ‘harder to reach’ families; • Social capital strengthened in vulnerable or socially disadvantaged communities where the incidence of poverty, anti social behaviour and unemployment is high; • Significant practice change and service flexibility (communication/optimisation of resources);

22. The Way Forward! • Key areas of work… • Addressing family priority needs, prior to engaging them in wider, meaningful services / projects; • Measuring Impact; • Resources / Funding; • Increasing a Parent’s / Child’s right to be heard, - taking into account their views and concerns;

23. Contact Details Angela McIntyre / Frances Hawkins Greater Shantallow Area Partnership Northside Village Centre Glengalliagh Road Derry, BT48 8NN Tel:(028) 71 358787 Greater Shantallow Areas Partnership