In Part 1 of this series of blog posts I looked at the culture the Government is facing, in Part 2 the practitioners and their environment and in this one I want to look at the content and outcomes.
I have looked at the 6 Content Themes set out in the Department for Education document (parenting classes trial evidence-based principles) to try and fit our outcomes with them but it is impossible because our approach is so much more.
Our outcomes are:
- Learn life and pro-social skills
- Improve emotional resilience
- Increase motivation and aspiration
- More involvement in supporting children
- Better relationships with teachers and school
- Better able to undertake training and employment
- Break the cycle of reactive behaviours
- Happier children, young people and families
To say we change a whole family dynamic in just 8 weeks with one parent, I accept, could be a stretch of the imagination. But we don’t just do that – our parenting programme provides the confidence, tools and techniques and online support to create generational sustainability. You have to read our success stories to believe it.
We are not the only ones pioneering different approaches but we are all coming up against a brick wall of authority that are tied by old established practices. For the last 5 or 6 years I personally have been butting up against Government agencies and Local Authorities trying to open up a dialogue. In most cases ignored, on a few occasions we have been asked to jump through hoops only to find another set as soon as we have been successful. Or there was always the “get out of jail free card” we don’t have a budget!
Now we are pointed to the local authorities that do have budgets and a ‘claim’ for seeking innovation and evidence based practices. I’m not sure how that will work when there are not many ‘innovative’ parenting programmes that have been able to generate an evidence base along the lines currently required as ‘good practice’. We have with Canterbury Christ Church University.
But I am in despair for the families who are struggling to keep it together with more and more stress piled upon them. The Government is now pouring more millions into a system that needs a complete overhaul.
I, and many others believe the riots were the tip of the iceberg and something big has to happen to create a more collaborative culture TODAY – where is that going to come from?
