Line of enquiry

Notes

1. How have you found this year?  Identify the highs and lows.

2. What benefits have you gained from the SEF process?

How have you arrived at the gradings you have suggested?

Agreement form stakeholders?

LJ had completed SEF with consultation from many others.  Agreed process had been useful.  SK – it highlighted all the areas that had been developed and reminded them of what had already been achieved.

LJ and team had been collecting as much evidence as possible and it was all filed centrally.  Much of evidence was anecdotal.

The SEF had also formed part of the discussion at the local and strategic forums.

3. What consultation have you carried out and how well has the consultation reflected the make-up of the community area?

Numbers?

Target groups?

Lots of consultation forms had been completed - no numbers were available but SK felt it must be in the 100’s.  SK had visited different groups circulating it to parents and had used the Open Blue Bus.

The consultation had listed a number of opportunities to choose from and 1^st aid had been identified as a nee for parents.

CM asked what proportion of consultation had been with target groups – SK unsure.  CM asked if 1^st aid had come out as a specific need for target groups or as an overall need – it was acknowledged it was overall.

The 1^st aid course was discussed.  Feedback particularly about the facilitator had been very good.  The course had been offered to anyone in the first instance but courses would now be targeted at families who were referred.

Barnardo's said they would not be commissioning the same level of services because of funding available and the need for increased staff.

LJ raised issue about the work being done with young parents (under 25yrs) which was not necessarily identified as they were not teenage parents.  CM agreed that they could be identified as another target group on the database.

 4. What has been the impact of the children’s centre on families in the community, how have you measured that?

 DoH scales have been used for evaluation of outreach work measuring stress and well-being.  Other evaluation about how families perceived the intervention had helped them was also undertaken and this linked to ECM.

 There had only 5 referrals in Malmesbury for 1:1 work and SK still working with all of the families.  SK reported that most of these families she was working with were not linking to other agencies.

 There were good contacts with the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau.  The CAB had agreed to run workshops on debt management but the take up had been low.  There was a general discussion and it was acknowledged that families probably needed more practical help on actually dealing with debt than on ideas for saving for Christmas.  CAB will be running some 1:1 sessions for support with debts.  This was after Westlea Housing had identified high instances of bad debt amongst their residents.

 What particular activities have you carried out or co-ordinated that have hit target groups and produced outcomes? (ECM)

•  Debt support especially lone parents

• BME parents on the base at Hullavington – SK attending multi-agency meetings at the base regarding the new facility being built by the MOD.
• Disabled parents – emotional issues, mental health rather than physical disabilities

What tools are you using to monitor the quality of the services you are offering?

Covered in question 4 above.

What are your identified areas for action in 2008/09?

• Developing health partnership.  LJ expressed a commitment to building on existing links with Health Visitors on the ground and developing the strategic direction in partnership with PCT managers.

• Continued working with library.  CK had been very supportive and proactive in getting services started.  CK explained that the service’s targets were very similar.
• Management of centre – there will be a new management structure in place from June.  SK expressed some concerns about the level of funding available to the centre.
• Continue to develop links with the school who have a high level of children attending with SEN.
• Lots of interest is being expressed in the use of the building
• Increase the use of volunteers.

GH thanked everyone for attending the conversation and the meeting closed at 10.45am.