"We simply wouldn't have got the outcome we achieved without the support of the MATD process. "
The Challenge
The Central Vale District of North Yorkshire covers a large area more than 50 miles long and shares a boundary with 5 other authorities. Within the district there were pockets of effective parenting support but a joined-up approach was lacking, further complicated by a lack of co-terminous boundaries resulting in two separate professional networks at either end of the patch.
The challenge was how to enable these two networks to come together to translate the county parenting strategy into a local action plan.
The Project Team
9 Children's Services professionals including:
- an integrated services manager
- representation from the Primary Care Trust
- children's centres
- senior parent support advisor
- education social work
- the youth justice service
- NSPCC, representing the 3rd sector
The Results
Using the MATD programme the team were able to develop a shared understanding of the needs of the area and through this, a better understanding of the agency's roles and the best ways in which each agency could contribute to the action plan.
This resulted in an action plan which enhances agencies' individual strengths and has resulted in a more joined up service team. The project team mapped a range of parenting support interventions that are currently happening in Central Vale. 'Positive Parenting', a National Parenting Academy approved programme was chosen as a method to develop parenting skills for parents with younger teenagers.
Next Steps
- The team are delivering an event to raise awareness of the programme and to proide a wide range of services with information on how the programme can be accessed, including schools and children's centres.
- The training of licensed facilitators from a range of agencies to deliver the programme is being co-ordinated by the team.
- The programme went live in September 2009 enabling the authority to meet the parenting support aspect of the core offer of both extended services from schools and children's centres.