Transcript Hard-to-reach or hard –to- engage parents

Reaching Hard to Engage Parents
Shirley Gillespie – Toybox Team Leader
Karen McGuigan – Toybox Project Worker
Early Years AGM and Conference
9th & 10th June 2011
Aims of the session
• Identify hard to engage parents?
• Why engage with hard-to-engage parents?
• What are the barriers for families accessing
support?
• Building relationships with parents.
• How to best support hard to engage parents.
• How can my programme collaborate with
existing service providers?
Who are the ‘hard-to-engage’?
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Working parents
Grieving parents
Single parent
Parents with low educational qualifications
Parents with negative background experiences
Parents suffering social isolation
Parents with mental/health issues
Parents with young babies and toddlers.
Why engage with the
‘hard-to-reach’?
• The UN Convention on the “Rights of the
Child”
• So every child has a successful learning
experience
• Being responsive to individual needs
• Parents are their child's first educators and
have a wealth of knowledge and
experience
Without family involvement, intervention is
likely to be unsuccessful, and what few
effects are achieved are likely to disappear
once intervention is discontinued.
Une Bronfenbrenner (1974)
What are the barriers?
Structural and Organisational barriers
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Attitudes of communities
Culture and ethos of the setting
Making assumptions of people
Funding/Resources
Organisation and routine
Policies
Identify parent barriers
Barriers described by parents
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Language
Social (not fitting in)
Negative past experiences
Fear
Family pressures
Dislike of formal meetings
Lack of confidence, low self-esteem
Worried about what they might be told
Describe Practitioner barriers
Barriers described by Practitioners
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Limited contact with parents
Language / cultural barriers
Time constraints
Working with challenging parents
Limited family information
Training and experience
How to overcome the barriers?
• Parent and Practitioner
How to address barriers?
• Recognise parents as individuals
• Recognise the benefits of working in
partnership with parents
• Agencies working together
• Clear vision, direction and goals
• Acknowledging family structures
Research indicates where there is
parental involvement attainment goes
up and behaviour improves.
Kelly-Vance L & Schreck D (2002)
Toybox Process Map Accessing ‘hard to engage’ Traveller Families
Guidance Notes
Forms
Identify the family and gather information about
this family i.e. from Health Visitor and or T.S.G.
Encourage other services
accessing the family to promote
the Toybox Project
Leave business card
Visit the family and leave free play
resources. Bring information about
the Toybox service and other services.
Give family
information on any
training courses and
or signpost them to
other agencies
Call with the family fortnightly.
Make contact by telephone and
remind them of Toybox services.
Observe and listen to the family.
Keep in contact with services/
agencies the family are accessing
Share with Team Leader at your
1-2-1, updates on these families
Process Map Details
Unique ID TB-003
Description Process Map Accessing ‘hard to engage’ Traveller Families
Created by: Joan Bradley on 31/5/2011
Modified by:
Version: 1.0
How can my programme collaborate
with existing service providers?
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Provide a holistic service
Outreach work
Networking
Have parents as partners
Effective communication
Signposting
Support we provide
What we have learnt
• Dvd “My Child”
Success story - Patrick Mongan
• Patrick is 16 years old and is a member of the
Travelling community
• Lives in an economically disadvantaged area in
Belfast
• Lives in a 1 parent family
• During his early life his family followed their
traditions and moved around in their caravan
• Subject to bullying and discrimination
• Great support from his Mum and other family
members
• Patrick has had consistent education
• Attained GCSE’S
• Is still at school
• A member of Belfast City Young Forum
• Delivers Cultural awareness
• Volunteer at An Munia Tober youth project
• Loves to write stories
Looking forward !...