Beyond the Project Cycle: Keeping Connected and Keeping Going Norma Cameron, Rachel Tainsh and Amanda Muir

Common Themes Relationships User Involvement Accessibility Mentoring and Peer Support

Securing the Future: Mellow Futures Toddlers A new programme to support parents with Learning Disabilities with key life skills to strengthen relationships with their toddler, other parents, services and their wider community

Keys to Life Strategic Outcome A healthy life, enabling people with learning disabilities to enjoy the highest attainable standard of living health and family life.

Context It is estimated that between 40% and 60% of parents with a learning disability have their children removed from their care due to being assessed as unable to provide adequate standard of parenting (Wilson et al 2013 quoted in IRISS Insights Parents with Learning Disabilities 2017)

Mellow Futures – increasing accessibility for Parents with Learning Disabilities Mellow Futures Perinatal (Bumps and Babies) Programme Mums experienced: increased confidence, increased skills, increased social support – Tarleton and Turner 2016 Cost-benefit analysis calculated reduced support costs of between £1287 -£4237 per family – Bauer and Williams 2015 Mellow Futures in Glasgow prevented placement and enabled a family to stay together

Why Mellow Futures Toddlers? Some parents with learning disabilities require support to develop ‘good enough’ parenting skills Mums completing the Mellow Futures perinatal programme asked for continuing help to adjust their parenting to the changing demands of living with toddlers. Part of the nature of a learning difficulty is a poor flexibility in response to changing demands Mellow Futures Toddlers Manual

Who will benefit? Parents will have increased understanding of the changing needs of their toddlers Parents will receive support for themselves as people while prompting parenting skills Children will benefit from stronger relationships with their parents and access to other community supports and opportunities to develop as active citizens. Children who attend will become more “nursery ready” and that this will ultimately support preparation for school.

Who will benefit? The group facilitators will share their learning as well as supporting and strengthening families who require additional support to parent. The volunteer mentors will learn new skills and enable families to access wider community supports. The local authorities will benefit from a refreshed delivery approach and opportunity to support some of the most vulnerable parents in their area. Reduce the cost of more intensive ‘emergency’ family support that is sometimes required and support a reduction in the number of children on the child protection register and ultimately in foster care.

What did we do? Research Steering Group Topic and Activity Trials Created Top tips Created a film of a Mum and her toddler Created a cartoon story Created a new Parents and Toddlers programme Connected with services and parents Refreshed existing Futures programme

Mellow Mentors Mentors are essential to the successful running of a Futures Toddlers group Practitioners and mentors meet before the group Introduce them to the family at a home visit Every week, let mentors know how the group went and what topics were covered Every week check with mentors how the home visit/community activities went before the next group

CANTRAY CREW CONNECTS

Structure/Key Elements Events Initial Idea Structure/Key Elements Events Committee Clear Identity Staffing Sustainability

Challenges Accessibility Identifying/Meeting Individual Needs Dynamics of Group

Successes Connected People Expanded Networks Project Ongoing Committee Feedback Fun!

Scenarios What would you do? Challenges of re-establishing a group that has ended what are the particular challenges for parents with LD – what could mitigate this. Challenge of recruiting expectant Mums life gets in the way increases in CP concerns complex situations – poor housing how can services be responsive. Realistic to achieve in the time scale.

Keeping Going: Future & Beyond Staff Facilitation Committee Facebook Events

Keeping Going: Equal Say and Stepping Stones Partnership working Training Groups planned Evaluation No quick fix, capturing all the benefits of 14 weeks, takes time for changes to imbed. What has made the change.

Thank you for listening Any Questions?