Working for Families Annemarie Pattison Development & Regeneration Services

Working for FamiliesAnnemarie PattisonDevelopment & Regeneration Services

Rationale“…. To tackle poverty and worklessness in selected areas by ensuring that childcare is not a barrier to parents entering education, training or employment”

(Working for Families – Guidelines for Implementation, Scottish Executive Dec 2003)

The Client Group

• Families on low income• Families with other stresses

in the household• Lone parents• No postcode lottery

Working for FamiliesThe Projects

• Guidance & Mentoring Projects• Sitter Service• Childcare Works Voluntary Option Project• HNC Pilot Project• Rosemount Transitions Project• Money Advice Services• Young Parent Project

Young Parent ProjectMary Carson Team Leader

Careers Scotland

Over the next year 4000

Scottish teenagers will become mothers!

.

• 9322 teenage pregnancies in 03/04 –• 706 to 13/15 year olds• 4000 teenage births in Scotland - over 5000

abortions or miscarriages• Of the births there were 278 in Scotland 25 in

Glasgow who were from the least deprived areas of Scotland

• 1 in 5 teenage pregnancies occur in Glasgow (796)

• Average age of first time mums in deprived areas is 19

• And 28 in better off areas

Teenagers• Designer labels• Music• Going out• Experimenting with

alcohol/smoking/drugs/sex• Money• Self Conscious/self confidence/self

esteem • Sleeping 23 hours a day • Mood Swings• Distain for adults

ParentsSleepless nightsColicTeethingChildcareMoneyBabysittersEmotional rollercoasterInterfering GrandparentsSingle parent?

Teenage ParentsEverything before +Homelessness or managing a house for the first timeDifficulties in prioritising demands on money Now not the childGrandparents – extremesNot having the skills to find out what they need to knowHousing lists/ housing applicationsBenefits/ Income Support/Tax Credits/Community Care Grants/Milk Tokens/Crisis Loans

Young Parent Project• Structure• Criteria• Referrals• Community Health & Social Care

Partnerships• Links with other agencies

What do we do – How do we differ from other Working for Families Projects

Key worker RoleSocial/emotional supportGreater flexibilityEmployabilityChildcareDiscretionary FundBudgetingLink into other agencies

Supports - We don’t work alone Money Advice

Childcare MentorsTeenage Pregnancy MidwifeSocial WorkSingle Parent Employment ZoneJC+EducationCollege supports

Plans for future

Group Work

Ante Natal – focus on pregnancy & childcare issues

Post Natal – focus on employability

What kind of successes have we had?

92 have registered out of 135 referrals Mostly 16/17 year olds either pregnant or with babies under 1 year old

•Voluntary Work 2•Training 13 + 2•Employment 5 + 10•College 7 + 2

Biggest Success is that Young Parents are engaging with us!

ChallengesAccommodation issuesBenefit issuesPartnership workingLack of informationMiscarriagesBabies taken into careChildcareEmotional challenges

How do we do it?

Single greatest factor in success is in the relationship between the individual and the Key Worker with the Young Parent Project

Kathryn Roarty

Key WorkerCareers Scotland

Young Parent Project

Case Study A• Susan, aged 15, referred by Social Work• Child Aged 4 months• School non attenderAgencies involved: • Young Parent Project, • Education Dept• Social Work Services • HealthClient Need: • Support to return to school• Confidence Building• Support for transition to college• Linking with other young mums

Case Study B• Rhona, aged 17, self referral• Child aged 10 months• Completed S4 before having childAgencies Involved• Young Parent ProjectClient Needs• Support to make career choice• Support to make transition to college

Case Study C• Susan, aged 19, referred by Single Parent Employment Zone• Child aged 2 years• No formal qualificationsAgencies Involved• Young Parent Project• Single Parent Employment ZoneClient Needs• Support to find childcare for existing job• Support with Budgeting• Support with Benefits•