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Listen
BACKGROUND
- The Executive wants every child and
young person to have the best possible start in life.
Helping children realise their potential is key to
giving them a sense of fulfilment and equipping them
for their future. Parents do an invaluable job in
enabling children to reach their potential. The ways
they can do this include:
- safeguarding and promoting their children's health,
development and welfare (including their emotional and
social development and wellbeing);
- ensuring their children are well-fed, warm,
clothed, have opportunities for play and physical
activity;
- providing appropriate housing (shelter);
- taking action to ensure their children are
adequately protected from harm and danger;
- ensuring their children receive a suitable
education and actively supporting their learning;
- providing direction and guidance, taking
responsibility for the actions of their children and
encouraging respect for others;
- encouraging and supporting their children's growth
towards independence, responsibility and
adulthood;
- and not least, providing financially for the
upbringing of their children.
For some children some of these responsibilities may lie
with the local authority.
- All parents may need information and
support at some point. Professionals such as health
visitors,
GPs and teachers need to be
proactive and intervene early where they have concerns.
They could, for example, seek to discuss with parents
issues around their child's development or behaviour,
concerns about health or about their performance and
behaviour at school so they can give them the quality
of support they need. Some parents will need higher
levels of support. This might be for many reasons, but
may include those families where children are exposed
to a number of factors that may hinder their progress
such as low family income, lack of access to material
goods or to normal leisure activities, family conflict,
lack of parenting skills or problem drug or alcohol
use. Parents may need support whether their children
are in their early years or in their teens. Early
bonding is important for a child's emotional, mental
and social development, while good parenting is still
crucial up to and into the teenage years. Good
parenting skills, such as listening and empathy, are
key protective factors for good emotional and mental
health in later life. In all circumstances, it is
essential that professionals identify the appropriate
level of support for parents and families.
- The Executive will continue to provide support for
children, families and carers especially those in
difficult circumstances. Universal support for parents
is provided through midwives, public health nurses and
health visitors and through initiatives like the
Childcare Strategy which seeks to provide good quality
affordable childcare for 0-14 year olds. More targeted
support is also provided through a range of
interventions such as Sure Start Scotland, which
targets support at families with children aged 0-3
years, particularly vulnerable and deprived families,
the Working for Families Fund which provides
affordable, flexible childcare which enables parents in
disadvantaged areas or groups to access employment
and/or training opportunities, and support for lone
parents. Schools will continue to provide both
universal and targeted services, building on the
Integrated Community Schooling approach.
- Since 2002-03, the Executive has also been
investing through the Youth Crime Prevention Fund in
support for parents and families aimed at preventing
and reducing antisocial and offending behaviour by
young people. Much of this work is aimed at intervening
early and working with children of primary school age
and their families where behaviour is becoming an issue
but before offending takes place. 12 parenting and
family support projects are currently being supported
by the Fund until 2006 and the Executive recently
announced plans for extending support until 2008 for
projects delivering good outcomes and good value for
money.
- It is however clear that there is a small minority
of parents who do not fulfil their parental
responsibilities and refuse to engage with help and
support when it is offered to them. Such parents are
putting their children at risk - without effective
parenting the chance of a child growing up to meet his
or her full potential is inevitably diminished. It is
at these parents, those who wilfully refuse to seek or
engage with the help and support they need and who fail
their children, that parenting orders are aimed.
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