The Scottish Government

GUIDANCE ON THE EXPANSION OF SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH VERY YOUNG CHILDREN

Purpose

1. This document provides guidance to local authorities on Ministers' aims and objectives in making funding available for an expansion of support to families with very young children. As indicated above copies of the guidance are also being sent to organisations in the voluntary and independent sector.

Background

2. Ministers announced on 21 September that £42m was being allocated to this initiative over the next three years. Jane Morgan's letter of 23 September to Chief Executives, copied to Directors of Education, Social Work and Finance, provided outline information and enclosed a copy of the text of the relevant press release. A further letter of 4 December set out funding allocations to individual local authorities for 1999/2000, both for the specific initiative which is the subject of this guidance and in connection with local authorities wider role in implementing the Government's childcare strategy.

3. Also relevant is the Secretary of State's announcement on 5 November that additional funding would be allocated to local authorities from a new "Children's Services Development Fund". Gerald McHugh's letter of the same date to Chief Executives, Directors of Social Work/Chief Social Work Officers and other relevant organisations and agencies set out further details of the Fund. His letter confirmed that one part of the new money is to promote multi-disciplinary working in support of families with very young children.

4. It will therefore make sense, as local authorities plan to meet Ministers' objectives, to take into account together these two funding streams. Later sections of this guidance deal with the planning process, funding and set out how The Scottish Office proposes to bring together its own requirements for information from local authorities.

5. Local authorities will wish to note that this guidance has been prepared and is issued jointly by the Education and Industry Department, the Department of Health and Social Work Services Group.

6. The guidance that follows is set out under a number of headings:

• Aims Paragraph 7
• Objectives Paragraph 9
• The Planning Context Paragraph 10
• Linked Objectives and Policies Paragraph 13
• Models of Delivery Paragraph 18
• Multi-disciplinary Working Paragraph 25
• Rural Areas Paragraph 31
• Targeting and Access Paragraph 34
• Providers Paragraph 37
• Funding and Planning Paragraph 39
• Exchange of Practice Paragraph 44
• Contact Officers Paragraph 46
• Queries Paragraph 47

Aims

7. Ministers' aim is to promote social inclusion through a positive start inyoung children's lives. Research (see Annex A) has demonstrated the benefit of directing support to families with very young children to help children fulfil their potential and be in a position to get the most from subsequent opportunities including, most immediately, pre-school education. The initiative is therefore a key element of Ministers' broad programme of action to promote social inclusion.

8. The focus is the promotion of personal growth and development of the very youngest children (0-3) before they have the opportunity of pre-school education. But the child develops within the family, with the well being and broad skills of parents fundamental to a child's progress. This initiative is therefore aimed at providing community based, family focused resources, including high quality childcare and direct support to parents, which through a variety of mechanisms will strengthen parents' ability to maximise their children's potential.

Objectives

9. In meeting the above aims it is recognised that different parents and children will have varying wishes and needs. But the broad objectives of the initiative are to:

• encourage parents to identify what will be helpful resources and services and in the light of that to make provision which maximises opportunities for parental involvement and self and group help;

• provide a stimulating environment, in which very young children, through play, have opportunities for physical development, social interaction, personal development and the growth of skills in communication and language;

• offer parents opportunities to assist their child's development and achieve greater satisfaction in their role as parents through playing together and exploring how children develop;

• provide support to parents which will assist in providing a healthy upbringing for their child;

• promote self esteem and personal confidence, as well as communication and decision making skills in both children and parents;

• provide opportunities for parents to acquire skills which lay the basis for more extensive training or subsequent employment;

• provide inclusive support which is both culturally appropriate and sensitive and takes account of any special needs of children and parents;

• provide support targeted to areas of greatest need, including innovative outreach provision to families not otherwise likely or able to seek services.

The Planning Context

10. Meeting objectives will require joint working between, and the co-operation of, in particular, different Local Authority departments and Health bodies. Joint working will be necessary to:

• identify the specific needs of different communities
• plan to meet these
• deliver new or expanded resources and services.
• Whether lead responsibility rests with one department or another, it is important to stress that meeting objectives will require a combination of expertise and resources from a number of organisations or departments in order that services can be delivered which satisfy the diverse requirements of families with very young children. We would envisage involvement not only of education and social work staff but also, where appropriate, of economic development units. In health, as discussed further below, it will be appropriate to involve those involved both in health promotion and in more direct delivery of health care services.

11. Ministers' aims take local authorities beyond the provision of services already required in connection with their statutory responsibilities for children in need. But it is recognised that some local authorities have already sought to provide a wider service with a more preventative and pro-active approach as is set out in this guidance.

12. Ministers therefore wish new or expanded provision to take into account and build on, both existing provision already on the ground (e.g. Local Authority and voluntary sector) and existing expertise in working with families with very young children. It will be important to explore the physical and professional resources which are available before developing proposals and models of delivery.

Linked objectives and policies

13. Ministers have announced support for new 'Social Inclusion Partnerships', whereby local partners will come together to promote social inclusion, focused either on a deprived area or on a particular client group. Existing Priority Partnership Areas and Regeneration Programmes will also evolve into Social Inclusion Partnerships. All partnerships will be expected to address the long-term prevention of social exclusion, in particular by focusing on the needs of children, young people and their families. Local authorities, who will play a leading role in the Partnerships, will wish to consider how developments under this initiative can most effectively support the objectives of any Social Inclusion Partnerships in their area.

14. The government is already committed to the provision of high quality part-time pre-school education for all 3 and 4 year olds by 2002. In light of this, the longer term focus of new provision for very young children should be 0-2 year olds. However, a number of issues arise on co-ordination of activity. First, local authorities will want to consider appropriate links between provision for very young children and provision for 3-5 year olds. As in some existing family centres it may be appropriate to provide pre-school education as part of a wider package of activity. Where families have children of varying ages the logistics of delivering one child to one place and a second child to another location can present sufficient difficulty to prevent parents using a service, let alone becoming involved in the provision themselves. Where centres deal with the whole 0-5 age group it is accepted that family support should not be exclusively for parents of very young children but should be extended to parents with children receiving pre-school education.

15. Pre-school education also offers the potential, at the planning stage, of contacting existing groups of parents and building upon this contact to establish what the families in the area see as their needs for provision for very young children. Those parents, whose children have moved into nursery education, will be able to comment on what would have been helpful when their children were in the 0-2 age band.

16. Ministers have recently issued a prospectus for New CommunitySchools, which will provide integrated provision of a range of services with a view to a stepped change in the attainment of children facing under-achievement. The objectives for these schools have much in common with the objectives in expanding support for families with very young children. Both aim to look at the child within the wider family, taking on board issues of social, emotional and health needs. In both, emphasis is placed on integration or co-ordination of a range of support, on an inter-disciplinary team approach and encouragement of parental involvement. Local authorities will wish to consider whether there is a benefit in linking family centre type provision to New Community Schools, so that parents and children receive the broad support envisaged over a longer time-scale.

17. Healthy living centres, to be funded by the New Opportunities Fund may also offer possibilities of linked provision or shared resource opportunities. Healthy living centres are intended to focus upon the wider determinants of health, such as social exclusion, mental health, poor access to services and social and economic aspects of deprivation, encouraging innovative ways of responding to these challenges in order to meet the needs of different communities and groups. Among the projects that may be considered for funding are health screening, food co-operatives, pre and post-natal groups, parenting classes, cafes and art programmes.

Models of Delivery

18. This guidance does not seek to prescribe either one or a number of models of provision. Provision must meet local needs which, will vary between and within local authority areas. But innovative models and flexible methods of delivery are encouraged. The initiative aims to challenge, as well as extend, the types of existing provision for very young children.

19. It is also worth repeating that while expansion of provision is first and foremost aimed at the needs of the child, these are unlikely to be satisfied or sustained without significant family support being offered. The support will need to identify and aid the needs of the parent, as an essential ingredient of encouraging and strengthening the relationship between the parent and child. The initiative also recognises the need to provide different families with different support services at different times. Dealing with all these variables will require flexible working methods and a diversity of delivery models through out Scotland.

20. Centre based provision should provide a spring-board for outreach and peripatetic services. The extent of focus on, or suitability of, centre based provision will vary with, for example, the nature of families to be supported and density of population. (Delivery in rural areas is discussed further below). There is no presumption of support being provided in purpose built dedicated centres for very young children. Local authorities may wish to exploit and extend existing facilities (family centres, child care facilities, schools, women's centres, health centres or community flats) in order to take advantage of already existing family support networks, information services and wider support services.

21. Bothchildcare and opportunities for children to play in the company of their parents should offer a stimulating environment which promote the child's development. But access to these services or resources should also provide a gateway to wider support.

22. As far as childcare is concerned, funding assumes that childcare will not be provided full time but rather perhaps for three to five half day sessions per week. (Provision of full time places to parents in work or training is considered further below at paragraphs 31). Drop-in facilities or planned parent and toddler sessions, where parents may remain with their children, are also important in providing an opportunity to mix and for playworkers to interact with parent and children.

23. Childcare can offer the parent some essential respite and/or the opportunity for personal development and contact with other adults, in the knowledge that their child is being well cared for. The availability of childcare also offers the opportunity to take up more specific support, both within a centre and through help in accessing specialist services for child or parent. Centre based support might include individual access to advice (including possibly one to one counselling) and group based support or training. Such group based opportunities are likely to be important as much for building self-esteem and confidence as for specific skills acquired. Both aspects may, however, lay a basis for most extensive training and for future employment. In all cases, if services are to be used and have an impact, it will be important that parents play a large part in determining the shape of provision and activities.

24. Home based or one to one contact may be necessary in some cases to build confidence and enable families to access wider support available at a central facility. This may extend beyond mere provision of information. Outreach can take many forms, but is generally taken to mean practical support to the family in their own home (or other agreed venue). The help provided to families by the voluntary organisation Home Start is relevant here. Local authorities will want to discuss co-ordination and co-operation where appropriate but specific expectations of activity are not appropriate as Home Start rests on volunteer effort.

Multi-Disciplinary Working

25. In providing flexible and innovative family support a range of skills will be needed. Individuals from whatever background will need to work together with a multi-disciplinary approach. Providers will need to consider

• the extent to which individual centre and outreach workers can, through appropriate training, carry out a range of activities,
  
• the need for centre staff to have specific skills or qualifications (childcare, social work etc.)
  
• the need for involvement of professionals whose remit extends beyond the centre in question, such as health visitors, social workers for children with disabilities or sensory impairment, community paediatricians and peripatetic support teachers.

26. In some instances it will be possible to train centre workers, local community workers or outreach workers in special areas of knowledge or skill (e.g. basic health promotion (for instance nutrition), or counselling skills for working with very young parents). Working with multi-disciplinary teams should give opportunities for shadowing or placement practices, which will help extend individuals' skill base.

27. There will also be advantage in working closely with, for example, social workers and health visitors who have responsibility for relevant geographical areas or families who could take advantage of centre support. As noted below funding is being allocated specifically to encourage such multi-disciplinary working.

28. Particular consideration should be given to the person best suited as an initial point of contact, to draw families' attention to support that is available. This could be an appropriate role for mid-wives, who have contact with a family before and after the birth of a child, or health visitors who also have contact with families soon after birth and in the first years of the child's life.

29. It will be important for Local Authorities to plan provision in co-ordination with relevant health bodies. This is not just because of the issue of initial contact but also for the benefits of including health promotion as an objective of provision. Practical work might be undertaken by centre workers after training by health promotion staff or directly by health visitors. Centre based provision may also provide opportunities for linking into a range of health initiatives. This would include, for example, support groups to encourage breast feeding, addressing child health development, dealing with specific diseases and illnesses and first aid for children.

30. This joint planning will also want to examine any opportunities for or advantages to be gained from direct delivery of services at centres. However, it is recognised that this will be very much for local determination depending on the wider pattern of service delivery.

Rural Areas

31. Although emphasis is seemingly given to a centre based approach, it has already been noted that this may be less appropriate in some areas. Solutions will need to be devised locally but experience to date has highlighted the following possibilities.

32. A cluster model might involve only a central management and resource facility providing a base for workers to offer a range of support services to small communities in remote settings. Where there are existing groups of parents meeting on a regular, if not a frequent basis (e.g. parent and toddler group, playgroup breastfeeding group, nurseries), there may be an opportunity to bring in family support workers (e.g. play workers, childminders, counsellors, health visitors) to provide the kind of family support identified as being required. In addition, even where a centre does exist, these groups may provide a springboard for outreach work with families unable to access the service for what ever reason (transport, other family commitments, confidence issues etc.).

33. Alternatively, a mobile unit which travels to those families or groups of families who would otherwise have no access to a facility, may be a solution.

Targeting and Access

34. Funding is being provided for targeted provision as discussed below and with the objective of promoting social inclusion. In determining where to place services local authorities will want to identify concentrations of vulnerable families who would otherwise not receive such support. In terms of individual access, support might be available to all those who live within certain boundaries, similar to a school catchment area. It is recognised, however, that this approach is not without problems. Some outside the agreed area may have greater needs for support. But wholly referral based access may discourage use. An overriding objective is that parents should not be discouraged from using provision because of any stigma attached to services or providers.

35. It seems likely that providers will need to allow for a mix of open access and referral by social workers, health visitors etc. Ideally the emphasis should be on the former but this brings with it a need to ensure that more dominant individuals or groups do not discourage use by others and that parents' needs are best met by the facility in question rather than being better met elsewhere. It will also be important to encourage access by all main carers (e.g. fathers and grandparents as well as mothers) and to be culturally sensitive including meeting the needs of ethnic minority groups.

36. Funding is being provided to allow provision of services and resources without charge. The focus of centres means that services will not be directed in the main to parents in full time employment. However, there may be a case for centres providing more extensive childcare at a charge to parents in employment. This might, for example, increase the degree of social mix. Charging those in lower paid employment will become more practicable with the introduction of the childcare element of the Working Families Tax Credit. It is, however, recognised that parents engaged in full time training may face particular problems in paying for childcare and local authorities may want to make more extensive childcare available to this group.

Providers

37. Local authorities will need to consider whether to provide support at their own hand or through others, such as relevant voluntary sector organisations or private sector providers. Decisions will need to take into account which providers are best placed to encourage vulnerable families to take up their services, relevant expertise and experience and cost effectiveness. A number of voluntary organisations in particular have considerable experience in providing support similar to that described in this guidance.

38. In practice, the diverse nature of effective family support may demand a service that pools resources from a variety of providers under one umbrella centre or infrastructure. There are, for instance, existing examples of organisations working together combining expertise in provision of childcare and of family support. Existing partners in delivering pre-school education may be able to provide childcare elements of new services.

Funding and Submission of Plans

39. Funding to support this provision for families with very young children is to be included in the general local government settlement for 1999/2000. As set out in paragraphs 3 and 4 above, funding is in two streams. But we expect local authorities to draw up proposals and manage projects on the basis of bringing these funding sources together.

40. Individual allocations from funding of £9m within the 1999/2000 Education GAE were notified to authorities in Jane Morgan's letter of 7 December. The equivalent allocations in respect of the social work GAE sub-heading of "Children's Services Fund" will be notified shortly to social work and other interests.

41. Outputs will be maximised where authorities are able to take advantage of existing physical infrastructure. But it is recognised that in some circumstances capital expenditure will be necessary. Where such needs go beyond minor adaptations to existing buildings it is accepted that delivery of services may not reach planned volumes until 2000/01 or, exceptionally, 2001/2002.

42. Within education totals, available funding will increase to nearly £14m in 2000/01 and nearly £19m in 2001/2002. Before individual local authorities receive increased allocations for these years Ministers wish to see plans setting out how authorities propose to meet objectives. Local authorities are therefore asked to:

• submit in April 1999 outline proposals for meeting Ministers objectives;
• submit by 24 September 1999 a report setting out more detailed proposals including action to date and taking into account increased levels of funding in later years where authorities wish to participate in this.
• Following submission of the September reports Ministers will be advised as to how far and how well proposed action meets objectives. It is anticipated that Ministers will then decide whether or not the additional funding that is available should be distributed among all authorities. These principles hold good also for the arrangements already announced in Gerald McHugh's letter of 5 November for the relevant element of the Children's Services Development Fund.

43. Local authorities should, as far as is possible, incorporate these requirements in wider planning processes. For example, outline proposals might best be incorporated in the Pre-school and Childcare plans which Childcare Partnerships are to prepare in co-operation with local authorities. It is envisaged that, as for pre-school education, local authorities will want to discuss their proposals for support for very young children with the Childcare Partnerships although in the final instance the shape of support to be delivered is for the local authority to determine.

44. Local authorities should also ensure that full joint planning between social work and education interests is confirmed in the brief statements to be submitted in support of relevant expenditure under the Children's Services Development Fund. Such expenditure must be in line with the principles of this guidance. For the longer term, all key information on this initiative, particularly costed targets and outcomes , might be brought together in Children's Services Plans.

Exchange of Practice

45. This guidance has made clear that no blueprint of provision is being provided. We anticipate provision taking a variety of shapes both to meet differing local circumstances and as a result of innovation. But exchange of ideas and experience will contribute to effectiveness. The Scottish Office therefore intends to take a number of steps to facilitate exchange of views and spread of good practice. As a first step a conference is planned for 22 February. At that views will be sought on the value of, for example, further seminars or dissemination of written material. This would form part of the best practice initiative already planned in respect of pre-school education and childcare. We would also anticipate taking into account material produced for, and development of, the Sure Start programme in England which has similarities with what is proposed for Scotland.

Contact Officer

46. As discussed, meeting objectives for providing support to families with very young children is likely to involve a number of local authority departments and health bodies. It would be helpful for future communications on this subject if local authorities and health bodies would use Annex B to nominate a lead contact who will in turn provide information to colleagues. This will be used for, for example, invitations to the proposed conference or reminders on submissions of plans. But were any further guidance to be issued this would be circulated more widely on the same basis as this document.

Queries

47. Any questions about this guidance should be directed in the first instance to:

Margaret Tod
Children & Families Division
Children & Family Support
Area 2B (North)
The Scottish Executive
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ

Telephone: 0131-244-7024

Fax: 0131-244-0978

E:Mail:margaret.tod@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

ANNEX A

Cross Departmental Review of Provision for Young Children

A Cross Departmental Review of Provision for Young Children was carried out in end 1997/beginning 1998. The main remit of this review was to see if resources devoted to services for children aged 7 and under could be better spent, in particular to see whether a more integrated approach to service provision at the family and community level could tackle (more effectively) the multiple causes of socialexclusion affecting young children.

The Review involved extensive consultation with those involved and interested in such services. A number of key issues were identified:

(1) Effective support for young children is undermined by the current system of service provision, which is driven by vertically separated agencies - each of which deals with a fragment of children's lives - rather than by the needs of children as whole individuals. Fragmentation and lack of co-ordination appears particularly severe for those aged 0-3, when children are most vulnerable but can benefit most from support.

(2) There is a need for changes in existing arrangements, to provide a pattern of services for young children which are free of stigma, but enable effort to be targeted on those children at most risk of becoming socially excluded later in life. Evidence shows that the first year of a child's life is crucial in terms of cognitive development and emotional adjustment: the quality of bonding and attachment in the first year heavily determines subsequent achievement.

(3) In order to benefit those most at risk, a community-based approach to children's services may be needed, providing a universal and open access "gateway" of core services for young children and their families (e.g. childcare, early education and play, health services and family support), beyond which services based on evidence of what works can be targeted on those who need them most.

Effective early interventions were identified:

• 2 generation: involve parents a well as children
• non stigmatising: avoid labelling "problem families"
• multifaceted: target a number of factors, not just e.g. education, health or "parenting"
• persistent: last long enough to make a real difference
• community based: built on consultation and involvement of parents
• culturally appropriate and sensitive to the needs of children and parents

There is no blueprint, but core services were identified as:

childcare / early education, play, health and family support accessible through a single gateway (e.g. open centre, home visitor); effective outreach service to ensure that those in most need get access to appropriate services - it is these parents who are most likely to lack the self confidence to seek support or use facilities on offer.

The review also suggested that to date families with very young children had not been a focus of initiatives to integrate support.