Never mind the quality feel the length ?

Never mind the quality feel the length ? Sure Start’s Blakenall experience of reach Carol Ferron-Smith Programme Manager Sure Start Blakenall 22nd September 2004

Sure Start Blakenall - setting the scene

Sure Start Blakenall - facts and figures • There are 566 children aged under four years living in the North Blakenall ward. • 57 per cent of the people in North Blakenall aged 16 -74 have no educational qualifications • The ethnic profile of the area is 95 per cent British White. The largest ethnic group is Asian or Asian British Indian • 47 per cent of the homes in North Blakenall have one or more people with a limiting long-term illness. • The levels of breastfeeding among new mothers in Blakenall area is low.

Who are the ‘hard to reach’ ? My definition of ‘hard to reach’ families Families identified as being in need of support but who choose not to use a particular service.

Reaching the reach target All Sure Start programmes are expected meet a Government target of reaching 80 per cent of children living in their area after 18 months of delivering services. The national guidance also states that there must be a quality aspect to each contact with a family.

Blakenall’s reach

What are the barriers to reaching families ? • Stigma • Time • Parent Choice • Service flexibility

Reach – what are the challenges to improving low reach figures? • Offering services that meet the Sure Start agenda and the interests of local families. • Keeping existing families while trying to get new families to get involved. • Developing a criteria which can look critically at the current range of activities offered to families. • Balancing national and local targets.

Reach – what are we doing to improve our reach? • Making evaluation an integral part of everybody’s work rather than an add on activity • Encouraging staff to become reflective practioners • Offering a more responsive service that better meet the needs of local families

Parent ideas for increasing reach • A ‘buddy scheme’ for new parents joining Sure Start. • Delivering services or activities from one place. • Reviewing what services and activities can be provided to families during the early evening and at weekends. • Develop a parent pack which explains what each activity does and who it is aimed at.

Parent ideas • Give parents more opportunities to meet and talk to health professionals. • Review charges for Sure Start parents. • More support for parents with older children who want to use Sure Start activities. • Give more opportunities for parents to learn new skills at different venues.

What has worked well ? • Freebies • Building parent confidence • Family Fun events • Confident staff who know the area • Pregnancy Bags • Word of mouth • Having a friend to go to an activity • Offering something and delivering it

Reach – final thoughts • Defining reach is not easy • Reach – what counts – quantity or quality • Activity registers are not a true reflection of programme reach • Impact of low reach on staff

Never mind the quality feel the length ?