Parenting strategy
Sefton recognises that all parents want to do the best for their
children. Not only is parenting the best job but it is also one of
the hardest jobs in the world.
Sefton’s Parenting Strategy sets out how Sefton Children’s Trust
aims to support parents in bringing up children. It has five key
actions.
Strategic
A Cross cutting Parenting Strategy has been developed which
includes a thematic approach to developing the ‘Think family’
agenda and the ‘no wrong door’ approach. A strategic lead for
parenting has been developed, defining the core outcomes for
the strategy within the outcomes for Every Child Matters. The
strategy will also ensure that all practitioners working with
parents are skilled for that purpose.
Participation and Consultation
A participation / consultation strategy has been developed in
partnership with parents and practitioners, creating appropriate
opportunities for them to be involved in planning, development,
governance and evaluation of all relevant services and
policies.
Information
Accurate, accessible and up-to-date information about parent
support services is available to parents, prospective parents and
practitioners.
Commissioning
Working together we will identify gaps and priorities
for core universal and targeted services, in line with an overall
commissioning framework for parent support and wider children’s
services.
Safeguarding
In line with the ‘Think Family’ approach, all relevant staff are
able to assess and identify Safeguarding needs of children within
vulnerable families and act appropriately - following LSCB
procedures. These actions will be updated every six months and the
current action plan will be available here.
Sefton understands that Parents have a major impact on the well
being of their children, future educational attainment and social
behaviours. There are many different ways of bringing children up
well, and many different kinds of families. Being a parent is not
always easy, and most parents need to have some support and advice
at some stage in their children’s lives.
Parent support is a wide term, and can be interpreted in
different ways. At its heart is the recognition that parents have
the most significant influence on a child’s social, physical and
emotional well-being. Meeting parents’ needs for support, as early
and effectively as possible, is therefore vital if children are to
achieve their potential in life and experience good outcomes, both
as children, and later as adults and parents themselves. "Parent
support services" are defined as:
"Any activity or facility aimed at providing information, advice
and support to parents to help them in bringing up their
children."
Parents have different levels of need in relation to their
parenting role, which in turn require the appropriate level and
type of support. Parent support services can be viewed on a
continuum from prevention and early intervention through to more
specialist and intensive services, including those that have a
degree of enforcement attached to them. Levels of need may change
at different times in the lives both of children and parents.
Sefton’s Parenting Vision
- Parents to receive high quality responsive services which meet
their needs
- Parents to understand their rights and responsibilities
- Parents are listened to and their views used to shape future
services
- Parents know about and have access to information about
services which are available for them and their families
- Services work together to support the whole family
What difference will delivering the strategy make?
- Gaps in parenting support are known and are addressed.
- The views of parents are used to shaped future
services.
- Parents in vulnerable circumstances will use parenting
support sooner.
- Practitioners will receive training to deliver high quality
parenting support programmes.
- Parents better understand the effects and benefits of positive
play and leisure time with their children.
- Easier access to information about parenting support.
- Staff are trained and supported to work effectively in
partnership with parents.
- Wherever a parent goes for support they will receive the
help and support that they need.
Documents
Due to the large filesize of the Parenting Strategy, it has been
broken down into the 3 parts below for quicker download.
Last Updated on 11/18/2011