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CHAPTER FOUR: VIEWS ON THE CTCS

4.1 INTRODUCTION

A key element of our research involved gaining an understanding of current perceptions of the CTCS. This involved consultation with parents and carers in areas of high deprivation across Scotland, as well as discussion with a wide range of professionals and volunteers working with parents of young children.

While parents and professionals from across Scotland were involved in this research, consultation focussed strongly on those living and working in the three selected local authority areas which demonstrated high levels of deprivation coupled with low levels of CTCS membership - Glasgow, Dundee and East Ayrshire. Professionals involved in health, social work, education, adult literacy and road safety were consulted in these areas. Discussion groups with parents were also held in each of the three areas, as well as in two other local authority areas. A full list of those involved in this research is included in Appendix One. Further detail on the research methodology is included in Chapter One.

4.2 PROFILE OF DISCUSSION GROUPS WITH PARENTS

During November and early December 2005, five focus groups were held in Glasgow, Renfrewshire, East Ayrshire, Stirling and Dundee, with a total of 24 parents attending. Two groups comprised parents in their late teens and early twenties, while the others were attended by slightly older parents. All had at least one child aged three to five, and a number also had younger and older children.

Although the focus groups were conducted in areas of high deprivation, most of the parents attending groups were those closely involved with nurseries or playgroups. This meant that, in general, attendees were more likely to work jointly with these groups to educate their children and were likely to have a high level of interest in road safety education. As a result, the level of CTCS membership amongst parents attending the focus groups was higher than average for Scotland.

4.3 AWARENESS OF THE CTCS

4.3.1 Parental Awareness

A key issue explored with parents was their awareness of the CTCS. Parents were asked whether they recognised promotional materials and logos for a range of public safety campaigns, including the CTCS. These campaigns included Zero Tolerance, One Scotland Many Cultures, Don't Give Fire a Home, The Tufty Club and Streetwise Guys. When shown the promotional materials and logos, the CTCS was always the first logo recognised within the group of parents, and levels of awareness were broadly comparable to that of other high profile campaigns such as the 'Zero Tolerance' logo.

Amongst members, recognition of the CTCS logo was extremely high with the vast majority of parents immediately identifying it. Despite this, a few members only remembered the logo after prompting. Non-members generally did not have any awareness of the logo at all.

Parents were also asked to rank the importance of road safety in comparison with the objectives of other campaigns. The other campaigns were 'Eat healthily and exercise', 'Be safe on the roads', 'Don't play with fire' and 'Be careful around strangers'. In general, parents felt that educating their children about being safe around strangers was the highest priority for those aged three to five. Road safety and fire safety were seen as almost as important, particularly as children are beginning to walk, both at home and outside - ' even though young children aren't alone, they could still run off into the road or find a lighter in the house'. Parents felt that as soon as their children could walk it was critical to educate them about road safety.

Educating children about healthy eating was consistently ranked as the least important objective, generally because other issues such as road and fire safety were seen as presenting a ' more immediate danger' to children - ' I would rather my child was big and inactive, but alive'. Eating healthily and exercising were seen as longer term messages which were still extremely important, but could be taught gradually. However, many parents did stress that it was difficult to rank these objectives given that they were all critical issues for young children.

4.3.2 Organisational Awareness

Professionals in the statutory and voluntary sector were also asked about their level of awareness of CTCS. High levels of awareness were demonstrated by NHS Health Promotion Teams, with those in the three target local authority areas exhibiting a keen awareness of both the Club and its activities.

Within local authorities, awareness of the CTCS was lower. Social Work staff at management and front line levels often had limited or no awareness of the Club. Those who were aware of the club knew about the CTCS due to being members themselves or through hearing about it from clients or other professionals.

Awareness of the Club within Education services was also relatively low, particularly at a senior management level. However, front line staff were highly aware of the Club and its objectives, which is important given the key role which nurseries and playgroups can have in promoting the CTCS.

It is worth noting that discussions with local authority staff focused on the three target local authority areas, and that different patterns of awareness may be found in other local authority areas.

Many voluntary organisations demonstrated high levels of awareness, with representatives of national organisations such as SureStart, the Scottish Childminders' Association and the Scottish Pre-School Association all well aware of the Club, its purpose and its activities.

Awareness of the CTCS among organisations working specifically in areas of deprivation was more patchy. For example, the two Social Inclusion Partnerships consulted as part of this study had no awareness of the CTCS. Organisations working with adults with literacy difficulties had varying levels of awareness of the Club, as awareness was often as the result of personal or coincidental contact with the CTCS.

4.4 MEMBERSHIP AND UPTAKE

Overall, two-thirds of the parents and carers involved in this research were members of the Club. Some of the focus groups were specifically organised to discuss the CTCS while others were held in venues where parents were already meeting for other reasons - such as parent and toddler groups. Levels of CTCS membership were particularly high in focus groups which had been specifically organised to discuss the CTCS. As would be expected, those parents most interested in road safety issues attended these groups. Where parents and carers were contacted at their regular group meetings, levels of membership were lower and more reflective of average levels in the area. Membership levels were particularly low in one focus group with young parents aged 16 to 25, attending a parent and toddler group.

Parents had generally joined the Club because 'it was common sense' and because 'you're always looking for materials to use with your children'. Road safety was a big issue for parents, with many having tales of near misses with their children or relatives. As a result, many were keen to make sure that their children would be safe on the roads - 'I wanted to give her the best start'.

However, for some parents the act of registering with the Club was less positive - 'I felt obliged to join'. A small number of parents were less interested in the materials, but felt that they should accept the offer as someone had gone to the trouble of producing the resource.

4.5 VIEWS ON REGISTRATION PROCESS

4.5.1 Parental Views

The majority of parents had joined the CTCS through responding to the mailed invitation distributed by the Health Board. However, in some areas, parents indicated that Health Visitors had promoted the Club both when their child was born and as they reached the age of three. A number of parents in Glasgow indicated that they had received information about the CTCS in a 'Bounty Pack' which they got from the hospital when their child was born.

In areas where a number of professionals had promoted the CTCS - including Health Visitors and nursery staff - this approach appeared to have encouraged parents to join. A number of parents mentioned that they had not joined the Club immediately on receipt of the registration form, but had joined following reminders from the nursery or Health Visitor.

In many cases, the registration materials encouraged parents to join and were seen as ' bright and catchy'. Many felt that the registration information positively highlighted stickers and other 'freebies' which would catch the attention of children. However, others felt that the registration materials were too long and complex - ' to be honest, I would stop reading it half way through'. Generally parents felt that the materials were interesting, but that there was too much information provided. Many suggested that a double sided A5 sheet would give enough information at the point of registration.

For others, the whole process of registering by post was off-putting and a number of parents felt that other mechanisms for joining the Club should be introduced. Mailshots were often viewed negatively - ' we get too much information through the door' and 'you don't read letters, you can't be bothered'. Postal registration was highlighted as a particular issue for parents with literacy difficulties. As one parent stated ' I can't really read or write', meaning that invitation by letter was not appropriate. The issue of adult literacy and its impact on CTCS membership is explored in more detail in Section 4.7 of the report.

4.5.2 Agencies and organisations

Key stakeholders were also asked their views on the current processes for joining the CTCS. Generally, organisations believed that the primary method of registration - returning a form by post - was a useful method. However, all believed that there were flaws with this approach and that it should be used as just one of a range of mechanisms for joining the Club - ' it is one way, but it is important to consider other ways also'.

Organisations highlighted that in areas of high deprivation there can be ' serious literacy difficulties' which make understanding and responding to a written invitation difficult or impossible. In addition, it was felt that there could be ' issues with the confidence of parents to engage with letters' due to personal, addiction or health problems. Many also suggested that CTCS letters could be seen as junk mail and therefore be ignored by parents. As a result, there was general consensus that offering a variety of mechanisms, including the option to text, email or phone, was particularly important in areas of high deprivation - ' in socially excluded areas it is probably best to adopt a variety of approaches'.

4.6 VIEWS ON RESOURCES

Overall parents were generally positive about the resources, believing that their children enjoyed being part of a Club. Parents highlighted that children were particularly keen on two elements of the CTCS - the receipt of the books through the post, and the provision of stickers with the resources.

Several parents said their children loved the resources because they were addressed to them and 'are theirs'. The stickers were also very popular although some parents found the children could be distracted by them. Some stated that in order to go through the text they had to remove the stickers from the book before the child saw them. Other parents let the children play with the stickers until they were used up before looking at the books.

With regard to the CTCS books, many parents felt that they were a useful and easy to use resource, presented in a modern, simple and fun way. It was clear that the majority of those who were CTCS members were actively making use of the resources. Most parents knew which book they were currently using and recognised the balloon characters.

However, there were also less positive comments about the resources. Even parents who generally liked the resources felt that the balloon characters were 'quite boring' and a number suggested that there should be a main character. It was felt that characters should be someone the children could relate to - ' like a superhero' - rather than balloons.

Others felt that the materials do ' need lots of parental involvement' and for parents who are less interested it might mean that the children just play with stickers and do not actually learn from the books. The potential of this happening was highlighted in one of the focus groups with young parents. This group - the majority of whom were not CTCS members - felt that the books seemed bright and colourful. However, many stated that on first reading, they did not really notice the notes for parents and would not bother reading them. They felt that the parents' notes needed to be shorter, brighter and more interesting.

In one of the five focus groups there was a strong consensus that the resources could be substantially improved, with these parents describing the resource as confusing, old fashioned, complicated and boring. These parents felt that the materials were not attractive to children, and difficult to use - ' the kids are not interested'. Most parents had tried to go through the books with children, but found this problematic:

' There's too much going on - so many characters and balloons'

'I can never remember the names of the characters so I can't repeat any of it when we're crossing the road'

'There are about a million different characters - it's too confusing'

'Each page is very busy - but also quite dull'

'It's a chore to read… it bores adults too…'

Finally, some parents felt there was potential to change the frequency at which the books were sent out. A number felt that books should be sent out closer together - perhaps every month. This was because 'after a fortnight the kids lose interest'. In addition, some believed that the CTCS materials should be complete by the time their child begins to attend school and has other priorities. These parents felt that the books should either be sent out closer together, or should begin at an earlier age.

4.7 BARRIERS TO JOINING

Discussions with parents and other key stakeholders identified a range of potential barriers to joining the CTCS which could result in lower levels of membership in areas of high deprivation.

4.7.1 Adult literacy

The issue of how literacy affects membership levels was explored through focus group discussions with parents and with projects and organisations working with parents of young children. In addition, a number of projects and organisations focussing specifically on supporting adults with literacy difficulties were contacted to establish the barriers faced by this client group.

Adult literacy came out strongly in the focus groups as one potential barrier to joining the CTCS - as one parent clearly expressed ' people who can't read or write would need support in filling out the form'. Parents felt that the complexity and length of the registration leaflet distributed by post could be difficult for some people to deal with, and that the current necessity to register for the Club in writing could act as a barrier to registration.

It was clear from the focus groups that a number of parents attending had some type of literacy difficulties, ranging from slight difficulty dealing with complex text, to parents who stated that they could not read or write at all. Of the 24 parents attending the groups, five identified they had some kind of literacy difficulties. However, it is likely that some parents had literacy difficulties and did not mention these. This is broadly similar to national figures, which suggest that 22 per cent of people in Scotland have literacy difficulties with a higher proportion in deprived areas.

Parents stated that literacy difficulties resulted in problems dealing with the CTCS resources. For example, one parent had to look at the pictures to work out the message that the book was trying to express. This parent felt that the pictures did not always clearly relate to the message, making it difficult for adults with literacy difficulties.

A number of parents had less severe difficulties with reading, but did state that they found the CTCS materials confusing at times - ' sometimes I have to sit down with the books first to work out what the message is, and then work through it with (the child)… but it takes up a lot of time'. These parents felt that the key messages within the book were very important, but that they were difficult to extract -' it gets lost in the other stuff'. At the focus groups, some parents with literacy problems quickly lost interest in the books while the group was looking at the materials and sharing their views. Sometimes these parents then lost interest in the rest of the focus group and withdrew from further group participation.

Consultation with other stakeholders indicated that, in addition to difficulty dealing with the materials, parents with literacy difficulties often have issues relating to lack of self confidence which have stemmed from undetected learning difficulties, poor school experiences, behaviour problems at school and education being a low priority. Organisations working with adults with literacy difficulties indicated that it was rare for individuals to have no reading ability at all. It was suggested that most people have some reading ability and are able to recognise letters and sounds and read basic information, such as a bus timetable. In addition, consultees indicated that, in general, writing skills are worse than reading skills.

Literacy support workers consulted suggested that literacy difficulties could not only limit the way in which parents can work with their children but it can also reinforce personal inadequacies. This can mean that parents with literacy problems may avoid educational or reading activity with children, as this situation can mean that they feel ' worse about things than they already do' and demonstrate to their children that they have difficulty reading.

This desire to avoid reading and writing with children could clearly have an impact on the desire among parents to join the CTCS.

4.7.2 Non receipt of the form

One practical issue which could have a substantial impact on CTCS membership levels is the receipt of the registration form through the post. A number of parents stated that they did not receive an invitation to join the Club. There are two potential reasons for this - firstly that the process of distributing the forms using the CHI database is not always completely accurate and, secondly, that the parent did not notice the form or remember being invited to join the Club.

As many parents stated they had not received the form, the process for distribution of registration packs was explored in more detail. Health Boards indicated that children's details are stored on the Child Health Index ( CHI) which is used to identify the three year olds due to be sent registration forms. Children are entered onto this database at birth, and address details updated based on information received by the family's GP. The timescales for updating the database upon informing the GP of a new address are extremely quick - often within 24 hours.

This approach should mean that the database for distributing registration forms is up to date, and most families should receive an invitation. However, in some cases it is possible that the GP is not informed of a change of address. This may be a particular issue in areas of high deprivation where families are significantly more transient. For example in one focus group a young parent suggested that her friend may not have received her registration form because she had ' moved about 25 times!'

Re-registering with a GP may not be a major priority for families moving at regular intervals. Research has demonstrated that many families in deprived areas move within their local neighbourhood, which would often not require a change in GP. This may mean that parents are less likely to inform the surgery of their change of address.

In some cases, however, there were suggestions that whole neighbourhoods had not received CTCS invitations. While this is hard to substantiate, it is possible that this could occur due to procedural difficulties in distributing the CTCS invitation rather than inaccuracies in the database. It was extremely difficult to identify the individual within each Health Board responsible for distributing the CTCS invitations, which involves sticking address labels onto the registration packs. In some cases it is possible that the label run misses an area, or human error leads to some parents not receiving an invitation.

The other possibility is that some parents simply did not remember receiving their registration form. Although in some areas there will be other opportunities to join the CTCS - for example, through Health Visitors, nurseries and stalls at local events - in others this postal invitation will be the only time at which parents hear about the CTCS. If this invitation goes unnoticed, particularly in areas where literacy and 'chaotic lifestyles' may mean that people pay less attention to mail, parents will have lost the only opportunity they had to join the Club, often without realising.

4.7.3 Need to be proactive

Although a number of parents stated that they had not received the registration form, the majority of parents who had not joined the Club had been invited to do so. Many non members said that their main reason for not joining was the need to be proactive - to remember to complete the form and post it back. One parent, who had received the registration form, commented that it was lying in a drawer and 'it'll still be lying there three months down the line, knowing me'.

Parents who were members also felt that one of the main reasons for people not joining the Club was forgetfulness or ' out of laziness'. A number suggested that people may simply forget to return the form or not realise that it was important. In addition, parents suggested that there are some parents who just aren't interested in educating their children about road safety. However, it was recognised that for some parents road safety will understandably not be a priority - ' some parents will have serious problems and bigger issues to worry about - like drugs or alcohol problems'.

This view was supported by Social Work consultees, who suggested that some parents will not have the capacity and motivation to deal with the process of registration due to other pressures and priorities. It was suggested that these parents may be most difficult to engage in the Club, as many will not be able to participate in a process that requires them to be proactive. The circumstances of some parents attending the focus groups support this view, with several non-members demonstrating complex social problems.

4.7.4 Relative Priorities

School work, extra-curricular activities and other campaigns such as 'fire safety' and 'stranger danger' compete for parents' time and input. In areas where parents may be less able to prioritise and schedule time with their children, road safety may be marginalised or forgotten about.

4.7.5 Inflexibility of the registration process

At present, the registration process is relatively rigid, only allowing parents to join by completing the registration form when their child is between three and three and a half years of age. This could result in lower membership levels for a number of reasons. Firstly, the process relies on parents being able to read and write (in English), appreciate the importance of the information received, and make the effort to post the completed registration form. Secondly, parents who miss the first mailing may not be able to join at a later date if the Club is not promoted by other professionals such as Health Visitors and nurseries.

Thirdly, as children develop at different stages, CTCS resources may not be appropriate for some children at this age. This is a particular issue for children with Additional Support Needs. Some parents suggested that children with learning difficulties or physical disabilities may not be ready for materials at this age. However, parents are unable to access the materials at a later date once their children have developed the skills to use the books.

Conversely, a number of parents believed that road safety education should begin even earlier, and that they would welcome availability of resources earlier.

4.7.6 Views on CTCS resources

One final barrier raised by parents related to views on the CTCS resources. A small number of parents were particularly negative about the resources and stated that ' you certainly wouldn't recommend it to your friends'. In this way, it can be seen that views on the resource itself could have an impact on membership levels. Word of mouth is often the most valuable publicity mechanism for initiatives like the CTCS, and losing this opportunity due to negative perceptions about the resource is likely to have an impact on the number of people registering with the Club.

In addition, if parents with more than one child do not like the resource for any reason this could impact on whether they register further children with the Club.

4.8 INCREASING MEMBERSHIP

All of the parents and other stakeholders consulted were asked for their views on how best to encourage increased membership of the CTCS in areas of high deprivation. Feedback largely focussed on making the registration process more accessible, seen as the main way of increasing membership levels. However, parents also commented on potential improvements to the resources themselves, which could in turn have an impact on membership levels through creating higher levels of satisfaction with the Club.

4.8.1 The registration materials

Parents felt that the existing invitations distributed by post could be simplified and improved through significantly reducing the amount of information provided. It was felt that an invitation letter should continue to be sent by post - seen as a good way of reaching a wide range of parents - but that this should be simpler and shorter. Generally a double sided A5 invitation leaflet was seen as adequate.

4.8.2 Registering in writing

Parents were keen that the option of registering in writing by completing a registration form continued to be available. The registration form itself was seen to be simple and easy to complete, but parents stressed that in many cases it would be important to ensure that there is support available for parents who have difficulty completing it - 'the key is helping parents to fill in the form'.

4.8.3 Introducing other registration methods

Parents were also in favour of increasing the ways in which they can register their child for the Club. There was strong demand for online registration, and parents stated that generally people either have a computer or access to a computer with an internet connection. This was seen as a simple and quick way of registering with the CTCS. There was a general preference for completion of a simple online form rather than sending an email. It was felt that if responding by email ' you don't know what information they need'.

There was some interest in registration by text, although some parents highlighted that not everyone has a mobile phone. Text registration was particularly popular among young parents. Registration by phone was not particularly popular amongst parents, with online registration and texting seen as simpler methods of joining.

Adult literacy professionals emphasised the importance of ensuring that whatever registration methods are adopted, they were simple and did not require too much information to be provided as this could be off-putting and confusing.

Although there was some interest in different methods of joining, parents were much more interested in ensuring that they were offered more opportunities to join, rather than just one registration letter. There was a strong preference for a face to face approach in the promotion of and registration with the Club, through working with professionals such as Health Visitors and nursery staff to support parents through the registration process.

4.8.4 Working with other organisations

Both parents and organisations believed that the key to increasing membership of the CTCS in areas of social deprivation was ensuring that all key stakeholders were working jointly to promote the Club and facilitate registration. Parents identified a number of organisations which could assist in CTCS promotion:

• Nurseries were seen by parents as an obvious starting point for increasing CTCS membership. It was generally believed that if the nursery invited them to join, they would often be more likely to complete the form. Parents also suggested that nurseries could facilitate the process of joining, through distributing registration forms to parents, helping people to complete the form and accepting completed forms. Although parents felt that other organisations could also help CTCS promotion, there was general agreement that 'the nursery is the best place' to encourage uptake as parents tend to have high levels of contact with nurseries.
• Playgroups and voluntary organisations were also suggested as potential places to promote the Club, including local children's centres and clubs. Again parents felt that these venues could provide forms, support parents and accept completed forms.
• Public venues such as doctor's surgeries, libraries and supermarkets were seen by many as useful places to join the CTCS.

The organisations and agencies consulted also believed that the face to face approach was critical to increasing CTCS membership. Each organisation consulted as part of this study identified opportunities to support and adapt the existing registration process. Most organisations, in the first instance, were keen to learn more about the CTCS and its activities, and identified that, through building a closer relationship with the CTCS, their staff would be better informed and more confident to talk about the Club to the parents they work with. More specifically, each organisation saw opportunities for the CTCS to fit in with the existing structures in their organisation.

Organisations also had a wide range of ideas relating to promotion of the Club through partnering with local initiatives already working with local communities and with a track record of working with young families. These suggestions for partnership working are explored in more detail in Chapter Seven.

4.8.5 Improving the resources

Parents had a number of suggestions regarding improvement of the CTCS resources. While this is not directly related to increasing uptake in areas of high deprivation, increasing satisfaction with the resources could result in word of mouth promotion and registration of subsequent children. The key areas which parents would like to see improved include:

• Simplified text and layout - some parents, particularly those with literacy difficulties, stated that the resources could be quite confusing. It was felt the resources could be improved by reducing the amount of information provided on each page and simplifying the messages - 'it should be smaller and with less writing'.

• Identifiable characters - most of the parents consulted felt there were too many characters, and that it would be beneficial to introduce one or two strong characters which children could identify with - ' it needs just one or two main characters - like the hedgehogs.' [The hedgehogs are the main characters in a Department for Transport road safety advert.]

• Interactive resources - there was a strong desire from the majority of parents for more interactive resources such as DVDs, online games and more activities within the books. One group of parents suggested that more activities would keep the interest of the child - ' it would be good to have little stickers to put onto a road setting - like marking hazards or where to cross the road…'.
• Memorable messages - a number of parents were keen to see one or two key messages emphasised throughout the resource. Some pointed to memorable rhymes about crossing the road which could be taught to children at home and reinforced when outside - 'It would be nice to have a very simple rhyme for the kids'.
• Support in using resources - a number of parents felt that it would be useful to have some type of support in using the resources - ' some back up would be good'. Parents felt that at the moment the Club does not really work as a club, and is very much an individual activity between parent and child. Many felt it would be useful ' even if the school or nursery could help'.

4.9 SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 4

• Parents and key stakeholders across Scotland were consulted regarding their views on the CTCS and how uptake could be increased in areas of high deprivation
• Road safety is seen as a key message for children aged three to five (and even younger children) and parents felt that the aims of the CTCS were very important
• Approximately two thirds of parents consulted were members of the CTCS and generally had high levels of awareness of the Club, recognised the CTCS logo and were using the resources
• One third of parents were not members and had low awareness of the Club with little recognition of the CTCS logo
• The majority of parents joined the CTCS in response to the postal invitation, but in some areas Health Visitors and nurseries had prompted parents to join the Club
• Generally, awareness of the CTCS is relatively high among front line staff working with parents and children, but lower at a strategic level within local authorities
• Voluntary organisations demonstrated high levels of awareness of the Club, but awareness was lower among organisations whose primary aim was regeneration or working in deprived communities - such as Social Inclusion Partnerships
• Parents and organisations emphasised the importance of promoting the CTCS in a range of ways, particularly through personal approaches from, for example, nurseries and Health Visitors
• Parents were generally positive about the CTCS resources, but most suggested potential improvements and a minority gave more negative feedback
• A number of potential barriers to joining the CTCS were identified by both parents and organisations, including literacy difficulties, the registration process itself and competing demands for parental attention
• A range of ways of increasing CTCS membership in areas of high deprivation were suggested by parents and organisations:
• • Simplifying the registration materials and introducing other registration methods
  • Promoting the Club through other organisations
  • Supporting parents in registering and using the resources
  • Improving the resources.

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