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Never mind the quality feel the length ?

Sure Start’s Blakenall experience of reach

Carol Ferron-SmithProgramme Manager

Sure Start Blakenall

22nd September 2004

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Sure Start Blakenall - setting the scene

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Blakenall’s reach

Year Average number of children seen in the last month

% of child population based on 2001 Census count of the number of children under 4 living in North Blakenall

2001/02 259 45%

2002/03 255 43%

2003/04 222 38%

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What are the barriers to reaching families ?

1. Stigma

2. Time

3. Parent Choice

4. Service flexibility

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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.

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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

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Parent ideas for increasing reach

1. A ‘buddy scheme’ for new parents joining Sure Start.

2. Delivering services or activities from one place.

3. Reviewing what services and activities can be provided to families during the early evening and at weekends.

4. Develop a parent pack which explains what each activity does and who it is aimed at.

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Parent ideas

1. Give parents more opportunities to meet and talk to health professionals.

2. Review charges for Sure Start parents.

3. More support for parents with older children who want to use Sure Start activities.

4. Give more opportunities for parents to learn new skills at different venues.

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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

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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