Disseminating Findings Community Evaluation Unit Taunton Deane PCT Sure Start Weston super Mare Mystery Shopping for Quality Services

Sure Start Weston Super Mare Service Quality Review 2004 Aims: To assess children’s services in terms of how they fit to Sure Start’s aims + the expectations of local families To consider the experience of local parents in seeking advice and information To use the results to inform the development of services in the local area

Key Questions: How do parents define a quality service? What is the quality of services/activities provided by both Sure Start + local providers? How easy is it for families to access services in their area? What are the barriers that families may face when accessing services?

Defining Quality: Parent Consultation Six parents involved in discussing factors that are important for them Factors that make a high quality + family friendly service: –Staff attitude- Easy access –Confidentiality- Privacy –Signposting- Cleanliness –Information- Leaflets –Costs- Activities

The Method: Mystery Shoppers Mystery shoppers recruited via GP records Postcard adverts sent to 298 households 17 people telephoned to register interest Design of mystery shopping scenarios Consent taken from service providers to mystery shop them 7 telephone and 10 visit based enquiries were carried out Enquiries made at a number of services which work either directly with, or include access for, under 4’s and their families in Weston super Mare

Type of EnquiryLocationEnquiring about… PhoneNurseryInformation on their service PhoneNurseryInformation on their service PhoneSure StartInformation on their services and Speech and Language services PhoneSure StartInformation on parent involvement PhoneChildren’s Information ServiceInformation on general children’s services PhoneChildren’s Information ServiceInformation on general children’s services and childcare PhoneLibraryInformation on their services and Speech and Language services VisitSure StartInformation on their services and services for children over 4 years VisitSure StartInformation on craft session and general services for children VisitSure StartVisit to group and information on general services for children VisitSure StartVisit to parents meeting VisitVariousInformation on depression support VisitChildren’s Information ServiceInformation on childcare and outdoor play VisitChildren’s Information ServiceInformation on childcare and Speech and Language services VisitHealth CentreInformation on smoking cessation VisitLibraryInformation on their services and Speech and Language services VisitLibraryInformation on their services and Speech and Language services

Health Centre Mystery Shopper Visit The Enquiry – Find out about giving up smoking Where did you go to find out about giving up smoking? Getting There How did you get to the health centre? How long did it take you? What was your journey like? Was there buggy access to the building? Was it clear where you were going? Initial Impressions Did anyone greet you? Did the staff welcome you and your children? How approachable were the staff? Did you have to wait to talk to someone at all? Information Given What information were you given? Do you feel that this would be helpful to someone considering giving up smoking? Were you able to take any leaflets away with you? Did you feel encouraged to find out more about giving up? General Do you have any more comments on your experience? Could anything be done to have made it easier for you?

Health Centre Mystery Shopper Telephone Call You are having problems breast feeding – can they help or suggest where you can go? How long did it take to get through? Was the person you spoke to able to help? What information were you given? How friendly and helpful were they? Could anything have been done differently? Would you feel able to follow up your enquiry with the information given?

Results1: What is the quality of services? Varied experiences – enquirer has as much influence as the provider Influenced heavily by gatekeepers Information on sensitive issues difficult to locate Difference between phone and visit enquiries

Results2: Phone Enquiries Front line staff ‘helpful’ but little information Positive key words: helpful, friendly, reassuring, encouraging, interested, supportive Negative key words: staff are too busy, rushed, indifferent, no encouragement, impersonal service, unapproachable Signposting confusing Little relevant information available Order of information – funded geographical areas

Results3: Visit Enquiries No problems with travel to venues 6 mystery shoppers took children – very few facilities/child friendly areas Access to buildings good but few signs Divide over front line staff: –4 x pleased by friendliness –5 x unsatisfactory Very large, busy, dull looking unfriendly places Very few child friendly venues - distraction Little privacy or confidentiality – public spaces Signposting confusing

Results4 : Key barriers Lack of encouragement/friendliness Staff attitude + welcome Local knowledge – partial information Misinformation + confusing signposts Child friendliness – distractions + attention

Conclusions: Parents often feel nervous about reaching out to a new service either by phone or in person Parents look for different qualities when they are phoning about a service compared to when they visit Front line staff are key gatekeepers + are very important in providing quality family based services + information Those shoppers who are welcomed + encouraged feel more at ease with the service + asking questions Few venues prioritise privacy/confidentiality when sharing personal details Few venues that give information about children’s services are child-friendly Information + signposting can be confusing

Recommendations: Expect any parent who comes to the service to be nervous and require some support Provide key information to front line staff; activities, specific staff contacts etc. Ensure staff are aware that they are gatekeepers to important information + appreciate the power that gives Train front line staff in how to welcome and encourage participation from the earliest stages Encourage a private space for parents to discuss issues confidentially Expect people accessing children’s services to have children with them Ensure only correct information + signposting is given, giving consideration to literacy issues

Learning Successful Methodology - uncovered what it can be like for local parents attempting to access services and information – data impossible to gather in other ways Good Action Research - Successfully engaging ‘hard to reach’ parent both in the research and service – one man quit smoking as a result and sample draws on non Sure Start parents An incentive must be used (previous research 0 replies from 250) - some volunteers are more interested in the incentive than the evaluation Dealing with data – project not about naming and shaming but developing a model of good practice with reference to children’s services – dealing sensitively with services Difference in feedback from parents – first MS exercise less structured feedback sheet to standardise data. Qualitative or quantitative?

Dissemination Presentation to Parent Forum Presentation to Partnership Board Full report Summary for Weston super Mare library

Contact Details Jo Moseley Community Evaluation Unit Taunton Deane PCT Wellsprings Road Taunton TA2 7PQ or Reports: