Welcome to the autumn edition of the Sure Start Scotland e-bulletin.
This issue provides a range of information on issues related to families and young children. As always, we would like to send out a big thank-you to everyone who has taken the time and interest to submit an article.
We are delighted to include an article from Carole Dick from Midlothian Sure Start about her self-funded visit to Malawi and how she is getting families in Midlothian involved in fund-raising for families there.
We also have information on the Scottish Government's Early Years Strategy and the Better Health, Better Care discussion paper.
Future e-Bulletins
As Sure Start Scotland programmes are conducted on a local rather than a national basis, this e-bulletin is mostly written by people who provide Sure Start services for fellow practitioners. We are often told that local authorities want to share best practice/ideas - this is great opportunity to do that. Unfortunately, we are not receiving as many articles or feedback as we would like for this e-bulletin to continue in this format. We would really appreciate your comments on any aspect of the e-bulletin. Do you find this electronic format helpful? Does it cover the issues you are interested in? Do you like the idea of focusing on one local authority at a time or a specific subject? Please e-mail me your views at joanne.ramsay@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.
Anyone wishing to contribute an article can do so now by emailing me at the above address.
Joanne Ramsay
Scottish Government
Safer Children, Stronger Families Division
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Midlothian Sure Start's Carole Dick, Co-ordinator of the sure start centre in Penicuik, travelled to Ekwendeni in Malawi during the summer. She planned to share her experience and see if some of the elements of the Midlothian Sure Start model could be of use to the community in which she was working.
What she found was a culture that is very hierarchical and patriarchal. To have something that provides emotional and social support (as opposed to medical support) to women and families was a new concept within Malawian culture. The women's role is to take care of everything within the family (this includes extended family) without question.
Carole started with a small group of women in a village called Kafukule about an hour and a half from Ekwendeni 
by the Zambian border. The first meeting had about twenty women. Carole explained a little about how Midlothian Sure Start operates and why. After suggesting that something similar could be developed in Kafukule for them, Carole discussed how they would like to take this forward. Was there was a need to have somewhere that the women could come for emotional and social support? The women overwhelmingly agreed there was a need not only in Kafukule but other parts of Malawi as well. The group agreed to meet again in three days allowing them time to think about what they wanted to do.
News of this meeting spread to the other villages. When Carole arrived back there were about 100 women waiting some of whom had walked (including children) up to 10kms to be there. It was a little overwhelming to begin with and very humbling to think these women had walked so far just to find help. Because of the crowd the meeting was held outside, which is where they felt most comfortable anyway. Carole abandoned the idea of a facility for the children to be looked after while the parents met, as in African culture the women like to have their children with them all the time and to have them running around did not bother them.
When Carole asked what issues they wanted to talk about for support, she was stunned as it wasn't what she had expected. Some of the customs and rituals that discriminate against women are still prevalent and one of the main causes of the spread of HIV/AIDS. The women and particularly the younger women are now beginning to stand up and say no to these practices, for example, wife inheritance, death cleansing and sexual initiation from being a girl to becoming a woman. The women asked Carole what women did in Scotland and if the problems were the same. 
A temporary worker (only until April 08) is now continuing the work that has been started with these women. Midlothian Sure Start is working towards raising funds for a permanent qualified worker to continue the work. This is being done through various fundraising events involving the parents attending their six centres in Midlothian.
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Dare to Care: Make Time to Help End Child Poverty is a campaign being run by CSV Scotland to encourage people to volunteer their time, skills and enthusiasm to help improve the life chances of children, young people and families living in poverty. 1 in 4 children in Scotland are currently living in poverty, one of the worst rates in the industrialised world.
Our innovative campaign focuses on the poverty of experience that is an inevitable consequence of financial poverty. Some children living in poverty can't read, some rarely venture beyond the peripheries of their community and few can afford necessary clothing or accessories. We want children to know that their situation is being considered and to make volunteers aware that there are things they can do to help.
Can you help?
Dare to Care is calling schools, community groups, businesses, charities and other organisations to work with children, young people and families from disadvantaged communities. If you have a skill that you can share, time to spare, or enthusiasm to care then perhaps you can:
- Give your local community centre a make over
- Teach an exercise class at your community gym
- Provide cookery lessons to parents to help them prepare healthy meals for their children
- Help families understand the complex and bewildering welfare rights and benefits system
- Set up a walking bus to help children get to school safely
Whatever your idea, we can help you make it a reality. If you register an activity with us you will receive an action pack full of useful resources and be eligible to apply for a small grant of £50 to cover volunteer expenses, buy raw materials, refreshments and other project costs. We also provide support with publicity for your group and activity.
With government targets aiming for a 50% reduction in poverty by 2010 and eliminating it completely by 2020, now is the time for action. You can help make a difference to people living in poverty and that difference could be the catalyst that enables them to change their lives.
For more information about getting involved in Dare to Care please visit www.csv.org.uk/Scotland or call Sarah Bromley, Campaign Officer, Tel. 0131 622 6677 or email sbromley@csv.org.uk.
We look forward to hearing how you Dare to Care!
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The Scottish Government has announced the scope of a new early years strategy to be published in 2008, alongside four themes which will form the core of the strategy.
The strategy will form a key plank of the Government's approach to early intervention. It aims to improve outcomes for all children, but also to reduce inequalities by identifying risks earlier and moving from intervening in a crisis to more preventative way of working. Building resilience will be at the heart of this approach.
The strategy will cover pre-birth to age 8, be long term and cover the range of services that support young children in their families. The strategy will not just about developing services, but in part, about the respective roles of services, families and communities. The four themes announced by Ministers are:
- Building parenting and family capacity
- Creating communities that provide a supportive environment for children and families
- Meeting the needs of children and families in a holistic way
- Workforce
The Government aims to develop the strategy in an open and inclusive way that will build a shared platform of objectives and ideas. We are therefore looking at ways to give service planners, providers and users a strong role within the process, to make this a true joint venture between the many interests in early years.
For futher information please contact Don McGillivray at the Scottish Government, Positive Futures Division, 0131-244 0966.
The Better Health, Better Care discussion document launched in mid August by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing opened a nationwide discussion about the future priorities for health and wellbeing in Scotland. This discussion is well underway with the consultation period closing on 12 November.
The initial sense is that we are making good progress as we get out and about across Scotland engaging with patients, the public and NHS Boards. We've been hearing in local discussions that the following issues are seen as being particularly important:
- How NHSScotland can improve communication with patients;
- The important role that carers and the voluntary sector can play; and
- The importance of investing in prevention in order to tackle issues such as obesity.
Building on these local discussions we held two large World Café Events which provides the opportunity to exchange views and share ideas around a particular theme within Better Health, Better Care.
The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing led the first of those in Glasgow on 23 October and the Minister for Public Health led the second event on 5 November in Aberdeen. The Glasgow event was attended by over 150 delegates from a variety of backgrounds.
The response to date has been positive. Most people seem to think that we are asking the right questions and that the direction of travel set out in the discussion document is, broadly speaking, the right one. We still have work to do on the collection of information and on the analysis of responses. All of this information will inform an action plan for health and wellbeing to be published by the end of the year.
You can keep up to date with the development of the discussion at www.scotland.gov.uk/betterhealthbettercare
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