'Transnational Local Support Programme to Prevent Violence Against and Abuse of Children

DAPHNE-PROJECT (JAI/804/01/111/C)

'Transnational local support programme to prevent violence against and abuse of children in families'

EXTERNAL EVALUATION REPORT

Joe Francis and Janice McGhee University of Edinburgh

January 2004 DAPHNE-PROJECT (JAI/804/01/111/C) TRANSNATIONAL LOCAL SUPPORT PROGRAMME TO PREVENT VIOLENCE AGAINST AND ABUSE OF CHILDREN IN FAMILIES.

EXTERNAL EVALUATION REPORT

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER TWO: EVALUATION DESIGN 3

CHAPTER THREE: 'KICK-OFF' CONFERENCE VIENNA 6

CHAPTER FOUR: FAMILY CENTRE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME 13 AND LOCAL TRAINING

CHAPTER: FIVE THE PARENTING PROGRAMMES 25

CHAPTER SIX: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 33

APPENDIX 1 'Kick-Off' Conference Questionnaire 36 APPENDIX 2 Operator Exchange Questionnaire 38 APPENDIX 3 Family Centre Questionnaire 41 APPENDIX 4 Parent Training Programme - Discussion 44 Feedback Form APPENDIX 5 Parent Training Programme -Trainers 46 Feedback Form

i CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

This report details the findings of the external evaluation of the Daphne-project (JAI/804/01/111/C - Transnational local support programme to prevent violence against and abuse of children in families). Researchers from the School of Social and Political Studies at the University of Edinburgh undertook the evaluation.

Five countries, namely, Austria, Finland, Italy, Scotland, and Sweden participated in this project. Fourteen family centres - six in Austria, two in Italy, fife in Sweden, one in Finland -were involved in all aspects of the project. Additionally, the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, was involved in attending the 'kick-off' and final conferences and the operator exchange programme.

The project funding application document indicated that the principle aim of the project was:

. To avoid violence against and abuse of children with the focus on “primary prevention”.

Subsidiary aims of the project were:

. To promote non-specific abilities like educational competence, responsibility, communication and conflict taking in families. . To develop parents self-assurance and self-assertion. . To provide parents with strategies for problem-solving and overcoming crises without breaking down. Parents should become aware of their responsibility for their children without feeling overstrained.

The main activities undertaken through the project were as follows:

. Staff training programme including the Vienna 'kick-off' conference and local courses in the participating countries.

2 . An exchange programme between operators of all the family centres involved in the project. . A parent training programme offered in each of the participating family centres.

The evaluators were interested in examining these three key elements of the project and this report is based upon the findings in relation to these areas.

Chapter two outlines the aims of the external evaluation, together with details of the design and methodology adopted. Chapter three highlights the most salient features of respondents' views of the 'kick-off' conference in Vienna. The fourth chapter reports on the findings relating to the family centre exchange programme and the local training. Chapter five deals with aspects of the parenting programmes that were delivered in each of the participating countries. The report concludes with a summary and discussion of the key findings.

3 CHAPTER TWO EVALUATION DESIGN

Aims of the Evaluation

The focus of the external evaluation is centred upon the aims and activities of the Daphne-project. However as the principal aim of the project was to work towards reducing the incidence of abuse and violence against children it was recognised from the outset that it is beyond the scope of the external evaluation to determine the extent to which this overarching aim has been achieved. The external evaluation was informed therefore by the subsidiary aims of the project (which are set out in the introduction). To this extent the researchers were interested both in

. examining the extent to which the programme has achieved the desired outcomes from the perspective of the participants; and . illuminating the process in terms of how the project worked in practice.

Design and Methodology

Three central components of evaluation research - objectives, process and outcomes - are suggested in the literature (Goldberg and Connolly, 1982). This model was used as the theoretical basis for the external evaluation as follows:

1. Objectives – in this case, what did the Daphne-project set out to achieve? 2. Process – what means were employed? 3. Outcomes – how successfully were the objectives achieved? What factors indicate success, were there any unanticipated consequences?

The transnational nature of the project placed some unavoidable limitations on the methodology used in the evaluation. For example, budget constraints and time restrictions made it impossible to conduct individual interviews or focus group discussions with participants in the project. To have used such methods would have

4 required a considerably larger travel budget and would have taken a great deal more time to carry out.

Consequently, the researchers adopted a pragmatic approach and devised structured postal questionnaires and data schedules to gather information. All data have therefore been obtained in hard copy by post and email. Other communications with the project co-ordinator and local co-ordinators have mainly been by email as this proved to be an efficient means of disseminating information or obtaining additional information when necessary.

Evaluation Stages The external evaluation contract entailed six stages:

. Participant Feedback from the ‘Kick-off’ Conference . Family Centre Profiles from Co-ordinators . Feedback from Operators on Exchange . Participants’ Feedback 3 months after the Family Centre Parenting Programmes . Final Conference Presentation . Final Report

Questionnaires were sent to all participants in the ‘kick-off’ conference (see Appendix 1) and to all operators on the exchange programme (see Appendix 2). These included both open and closed questions with the aim of gathering both quantitative and more qualitative data on the participants’ experience. The operator exchange questionnaire also included questions on the local training offered prior to the exchange. Data schedules were used to obtain profiles of all the Family Centres (see Appendix 3) involved in the project to set the operator exchanges in context.

5 In order to assist trainers to gain feedback from the participants of the parent training programmes in the family centres a structured schedule (see Appendix 4) was devised to guide discussion with parents three months after the completion of the programmes. The schedule outlined key areas related to the Daphne-project which were likely to be common to the programmes despite the different nature of the groups and included, for example, educational competence, problem-solving, self- assurance. The trainers provided a summary of parents' response in relation to the parenting programme held in their centre. The aim being to explore the participants’ experience of the parent training programme.

The trainers also completed a feedback schedule (see Appendix 5) which examined their views and experience of the parent training programme(s) in their centre and the extent to which they drew upon the ‘kick-off’ conference, local staff training and the exchange experience in informing their practice.

6 CHAPTER THREE 'KICK-OFF' CONFERENCE - VIENNA

The initial 'kick-off' conference, held in Vienna in February 2002, was the first event which brought together a large number of participants from the partner countries. It also functioned as the first training event in the Daphne-project and provided a platform for the local training which was delivered in each of the partner countries. The conference included nine presentations covering a broad range of topics as well as workshops discussing a variety of issues such as 'legal frameworks', 'involving fathers' and 'prevention of violence' amongst others.

This chapter provides details about the delegates who attended the conference, together with their views of the content, organisation and overall value of the conference.

Conference Delegates The 'kick-off' conference was held in the City Hall in Vienna from 10 to 13 February 2002. One hundred and three delegates from the participating countries attended the conference and feedback was received from 68 of these, giving a response rate of 66%.

The respondents were predominantly female (85.3%, n=68) and a mature age profile was reflected with almost three-quarters (73.5%, n=68) aged between 40 and 59 years.

A wide range of professions was represented at the conference demonstrating not only the range of professionals involved in the Daphne-project but also the multi- disciplinary nature of the work undertaken in early years services. Managers and heads of services formed the largest group, accounting for almost one-quarter of those who responded (23.5%, n=68, see Table 1). This was followed by social workers, who also represented almost one-quarter of the responses. Other professionals having a substantial presence included social pedagogues, midwives and nurses. The majority of the teachers present were pre-school teachers.

7 Table 1 Professions represented at the 'kick-off' conference Profession Per cent Manager/Head of Service 24 % Social worker 22% Social pedagogue 16% Midwife/Nurse 15% Psychologist 12% Teacher1 9% 1. Includes pre-school teacher

Reasons for Attending the ‘Kick-Off’ Conference Broadly speaking, the reasons given for attending the ‘kick-off’ conference fell into three categories. Respondents attended either because:

. Their agency was involved with the project and they were part of a delegation, e.g. ‘Because I’m a member of Aosta Valley Daphne Group’ or . They were involved as members of the planning and organisation group, e.g. ‘I was part of the organisation team’ or . They were interested in the topic and keen to learn about how different countries operated in this field, as these three comments illustrate:

‘To hear about parent-child centres in other countries, to learn about new aspects in parent-child work’

‘To exchange each other’s attitudes, to share the common studies, to localise one’s position within the European welfare concept’

‘I was interested in how the work is done in other countries’

8 The vast majority of the respondents fell into the latter category, reflecting both very positive attitudes towards the aims of the project and a high level of interest in the opportunity to be involved in the exchange of knowledge and experience.

Expectations of the ‘Kick-Off’ Conference Respondents held a wide variety of expectations about the conference ranging from 'acquiring introductory information about the project', to 'obtaining specific theoretical knowledge about the topic of violence in families'. Some delegates came with multiple expectations about the role of the ‘kick-off’ conference while others had more modest levels of anticipation.

Predominantly, delegates were very keen to learn about the work and experiences of people in other countries and hoped to obtain information about new perspectives and methods of working to improve their own practice. Expectations about meeting others and making links with professionals from other countries were also high.

The following list encapsulates the range of expectations that respondents reported. These were: . To obtain basic information about the project.

. To obtain information about methods and strategies for preventing or dealing with violence in the family.

. To hear about the work of parent-child centres in other countries and to learn about new aspects of parent-child work.

. To meet people from other countries who are involved in work with families and children

. To develop theoretical frameworks for practice

. To obtain knowledge about violence in families

Although they had a wide range of expectations, the majority of the respondents stated that these were met (96.9%, n=68) indicating that the conference had been successful in a variety of ways.

9 Aspects of the ‘Kick-Off’ Conference that were most helpful Respondents indicated that several aspects of the conference had been particularly helpful and a number of people said that there was a good ‘mix’ of ingredients. In order, the most commonly cited factors that respondents found helpful were:

. The input provided by speakers in their lectures and presentations (including the video presentations).

. The opportunity to meet with, communicate with and learn from people from other partner countries.

. The discussions and exchange of knowledge and experience in the workshops.

. The opportunity to visit family centres in Vienna to see how services were provided.

Aspects of the ‘Kick-Off’ Conference that were least helpful Despite the fact that the majority of participants regarded the presentations and workshops as the most helpful aspects of the conference, a few also found these to be the least helpful aspects.

Details of the respondents' views about the value of the presentations and workshop discussions are presented below.

Presentations There were a number of presentations to the conference addressing theoretical, policy and practice issues in supporting children and parents. These presentations aimed to provide an educational focus and an exchange of knowledge about policy and legal frameworks in the participating countries.

Four-fifths of the respondents (79.1%, n=67) indicated that they were satisfied with the presentations, only a minority did not find them informative (3.0%, n=67).

The following comments from three respondents typify the views of those who found the presentations particularly helpful.

10 ‘The really very good speakers gave us very good information about different aspects of violence in families with very young children.’

‘All lectures were very interesting.’

‘I enjoyed the speakers from the different countries.’

Not everyone found the presentations useful and one respondent thought that time spent on other activities was more beneficial. For this person the aspect of the conference that was most useful was:

‘all the time together with people which not was lectures.’

Some respondents stated that the presentations were not so helpful because,

‘It was difficult to sit still and listen to all presentations in the same day. You get too tired to listen to last ones.’

‘The presentations were too many at one day. I would have preferred a workshop the first day to get to know each other earlier.’

The difficulty of presenting in a language other than the delegates’ first language was also an issue for some participants. This highlights the importance of careful planning about communication issues in cross-national projects.

11 Workshops A series of workshops were incorporated into the programme to allow conference participants to meet colleagues from other centres and to discuss a range of issues arising in work with families. Topics discussed included 'policy', 'legal frameworks', 'involving fathers', 'resource management', 'working with a range of cultures' and 'group-work'. Again the majority of conference participants (71.4%, n=56) were satisfied with the workshops, a small minority (8.9%, n=56) were not satisfied.

The aspects of the workshops that appeared to be most helpful for the participants included the opportunities to hear about new ideas and ways of working and to discuss differences and similarities in each country. One respondent summed it up by saying that the aspect of the conference, which was most useful was:

‘ When we sat in the small groups and discussed the differences and likenesses in our professions.’

Conference organisation The conference was clearly well planned and well organised by the project co- ordinators. The arrangements were highly valued by the delegates, almost all (98.5%, n=66) viewed the organisation of the conference as 'good' or 'very good'. The conference venue and hotel accommodation were also extremely highly rated by delegates. Language is a potential difficulty in a project of this nature (as will be commented on later in the report) nevertheless almost all conference delegates (90%, n=68) were satisfied with the quality of the interpreting services provided.

Some general feedback from the conference delegates suggests that they would have appreciated some pre-conference information about the project and about aspects of the services provided in the different partner countries. In the main, however, the respondents appreciated the ‘mix’ of the conference and found a warm and friendly atmosphere.

12 Summary The 'kick-off' conference was clearly a success and it established a sound basis for the effective and efficient operation of the project as a whole. The vast majority of the delegates had a positive overall assessment of the conference, with 97.1% (n=68) classifying it as 'good' or 'very good'. It is of interest to note that a substantial number of managers and heads of service were present and this could be seen to represent a significant degree of agency commitment to the project. Delegates were provided with a range of valuable presentations, which enhanced their knowledge base. The workshops complemented these and offered a good forum to exchange information and ideas. The conference also promoted formal and informal networking between delegates and partner agencies. The value of the latter feature resonates throughout participants’ comments regarding their experience of this Daphne-project.

The overall success of the conference also represented a solid foundation to take forward collaboration between the family centres and partners in the participating countries.

13 CHAPTER FOUR FAMILY CENTRE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME AND LOCAL TRAINING

Family Centre Profiles Thirteen of the participating family centres (six in Vienna, four in Sweden, one in Finland and two in Italy) provided information to the external evaluators on the organisation, service provision, staffing levels and parent-child involvement. Variations in the family centres in the different countries were identified in relation to three key features:

. Size and Referral system . Services provided . Organisation and Management

Size and Referral System The centres varied in size - some large, some small. Two partners, Aosta and Katrineholm, did not operate from a dedicated physical building during the project. Aosta, for example, formed a specific multi-disciplinary project group and then offered a range of services and training for parents in their region. Some of the centres were well-established catering to large numbers of parents and children, others provided for fewer numbers. The number of staff working in the centres varied from 2 in Helsinki to 15 in one of the centres in Vienna.

The centres also operated different referral systems with some adopting a referral only service while others offered an open-door, universal service. The majority of centres accepted self-referrals from parents as well as referrals from professionals. Only one centre operated a professional only referral system. Services A variety of services are provided by the centres. These include:  Maternity/Baby health care  Parenthood groups/classes  Pre-school care

14  Group work, including mothers and children; fathers and children; pregnant mothers  Practical skills classes  Information and advice

It is important to note that in some instances, many or all of these services were provided in one building, with staff operating in multi-disciplinary teams. In other situations the services provided by the centres were more limited and families had to obtain additional services from agencies located in separate buildings, such as health care.

Organisation and Management Local Authorities (e.g. city councils) funded more than half of these centres. However, a small number were funded by health services, voluntary services or mixed sources.

Aims of the Centres Despite the differences in their size and method of operation, the family centres appear to share a number of common aims, including:

. to support parents of young children, . to provide education about being a good parent . to prevent domestic violence, abuse and neglect of children . to strengthen the communication and interaction in families of small children . to provide a meeting place and strengthen social networks Staff Profiles (Profession, Gender, Age, Ethnicity) The range of professionals employed in the family centres demonstrates the multi- disciplinary nature of much of the work that is undertaken with the service users. The largest group were described as social educators/pedagogues. This is followed by, nurses/midwifes, then social workers, paediatricians, psychologists and family workers. Only two people were described as family workers.

15 From the returns provided (data were missing for 10 of the centre staff) only 7 of the 107 staff employed by the centres were men. Half of the centres had no male staff. In total, only 24 staff were under the age of 40 (only 4 of these aged 25 or less). Only 4 centres employed staff from other ethnic origins. The average profile of the majority of staff employed in the centres, therefore, is:

. Female . Over 40 years old . Indigenous to their area

Service User Profiles (Children and Parents) The family centres work predominantly with children in the age range 0-3 years. Some provide a service to older children aged 4-7 years but these represent only eight per cent of the children overall. An even smaller number of older children aged 8-11 years (approximately 2%) used the family centres. Seven centres provided data on the gender distribution of the children. These data reflected broadly equal numbers of boys and girls.

While the majority of the children were indigenous to their area, there were some variations between countries and centres in the level of use by children from minority cultural or ethnic backgrounds. In one centre, (Helsinki) none of the children were from a minority ethnic background whereas in another (in Vienna) twenty per cent had minority ethnic origins.

The parents that used the centres were predominantly women and the majority of parents (80%-95%) were less than 40 years old. Like the children, the majority of the parents using the centres were indigenous to their area though there were variations between centres in the level of use by parents from minority ethnic backgrounds, ranging from none to twenty per cent.

16 Exchange Experience The operator exchanges were a central feature of the Daphne-project allowing for a free exchange of ideas and experience to inform the development of the parent training programmes in the participating centres. Twenty-seven out of the 30 participants in the exchange programme completed a questionnaire exploring their experiences and all confirmed that the aims of this aspect of the Daphne-project were clear.

Vienna as the city with the most participating family centres undertook the most exchanges representing over two-fifths (44%, n=27) of the visits. Family centres in Vienna were also the most visited destinations with just over one-quarter of visits (26%, n=27), followed by Helsinki (18%, n=27), Verona and Eskilstuna with equal numbers of visitors (15%, n=27).

Reflecting the overall age and gender of the participants in the project the majority of exchange participants were female (89%, n=27) and aged over 30 years.

A wide range of professions was represented in the exchange visits although one third (33%, n=27) were social workers (see Figure 1).

17 Operators were asked to rate their experience as a whole and their returns indicate that they were very positive about the exchange programme. In their overall evaluation almost all operators rated their exchange experience as ‘very good’ or ‘good’ with only one operator defining the experience as 'adequate' (see Table 2 below).

Table 2 Overall evaluation of the exchange (n=27) Rating Percentage Very good 77.8% Good 18.5% Adequate 3.7%

18 Why go on the exchange? There were a range of reasons why participants decided to go on an exchange, some simply by being directly involved in the Daphne project; others volunteered and could undertake the visit at a suitable time. As one operator indicated:

'I put my name forward for the exchange. I was supported by my seniors who gave a verbal reference. I was then nominated.'

Where there were small numbers of staff involved, deciding who was to undertake an exchange was straightforward. In some cases where there were larger staff numbers the exchange participants were selected through team discussion or in some other cases by drawing lots, as outlined by this operator’s response.

'We discussed it in our team. I am working in the family centre and meet the families every week. I was the lucky one to go'.

Expectations of the exchange The two central expectations outlined by operators on exchange were similar to those of the ‘kick-off’ conference. Firstly, the opportunity to gain new ideas and knowledge from the experience of working in another country, as two operators said:

'To get new ideas. It is useful to look above the surrounding of one's own place.'

'Learning about other ‘family centres’ abroad, getting new ideas'.

Secondly, having the opportunity to gain experience of family centres and how services are organised in other countries, as indicated by two operators: 'To get experience in another State and Family Centre. To get another sight from our work'.

19 'I was looking forward to experiencing how another country works in a similar setting to my own'.

Five participants were particularly interested in how the family centres worked with families with specific difficulties or with particular age groups. Almost all of the operators found that their expectations of the exchange programme had been met (96%, n=27).

Operators’ views and experience of the exchange Operators’ views of the usefulness of the exchange to their practice were very positive. Though asked to consider the least interesting aspects of the exchange, the majority of respondents either did not identify anything or specifically said they had not found any part uninteresting a view represented in an operator’s comment below:

'It was all very interesting and helpful for our work'.

Indeed operators identified a range of aspects they had found most interesting and helpful for their work as well as some of their observations of practice in their respective countries. Similarities and differences in the nature and organisation of services in the different countries they visited were considered by some operators, as these two comments indicate:

'Interesting to see that we work quite similar in our countries. They had a very interesting project………...., a project to create meeting places for parents in an exposed area. That is similar with my own project.'

'I got a clearer view (of) what help the families can get after birth, and to see the differences of the midwife’s work in different countries.'

These comments were echoed further when participants were asked to record their general comments. One operator found there were many similarities between the centre she visited and her own home setting.

20 'The social pedagogues are what I would describe as being similar to nursery officers. The welfare officer resembles our social worker. The midwife is likened to our health visitor. All the above, however, are under one roof whereas our families have to go to visit their medical centre for their health visitor'.

Another operator noted that:

'The organisation of the institutions is different but the problems with the clients are similar.'

The organisation of centres and their services, especially in regard to involving parents, were of interest to participants. As two operators noted:

'It was interesting to see how to get the parents in(to) the family-centre. Also interesting was to win (involve) the migrants for(in) the groups in the family centres'.

'There was some other kind of point of view of working with families. There was more including of parents in everyday life of the family centre because of those kind of ‘open’ work (no special groups for special people)'.

Some specific ideas to take back to their home centres were identified by five operators including, for example, taking a more general rather than individual approach to work (as outlined in the quote above); allowing parents to remain with their children in kindergarden; and in working together with other institutions, as one operator said:

'The good model of cooperation with other institutions. The useful way to get time for advising.'

21 As with the ‘kick-off’ conference having the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with other family centre workers and other agencies was described by six operators as the most helpful factor in the exchange for their practice. Two of these operators noted:

'The discussions with workers at the centres, that I visited and also at other places were very giving and interesting.'

'To get a general impression of preventive work in (City) and to go to different places and “interview” people.'

A few participants commented on some minor aspects that were less helpful, two operators for example referred to a visit to a specific facility, which was not directly relevant to their practice. One operator did comment that the exchange centre worked with children of a different age group to their own family centre.

Language was identified as a barrier to communication at times by eight exchange participants (30%, n=27), even when an interpreter was present. Two operators said:

'Despite the interpreter, it is always difficult to communicate; time grows longer, you don’t ask all the things you would like to, sometimes you get imprecise answers.'

'Language. Very few people spoke English. It felt sometimes boring and useless to visit places and not be able to communicate.'

Indeed knowledge of another language on the part of the operators or more interpreters would have been beneficial in improving the exchange.

22 Ideas for improving exchanges A number of ideas for improving the exchanges were suggested by individual participants. These included, for example, ensuring that two operators from the same country always go on exchange together to allow for sharing of experiences. Another suggestion was arranging for there to be a direct exchange or ‘twinning’ of centres in different countries. As one operator said:

'..it would have been useful (to have) an exchange among the same workers, I mean those (that) met in (Country X) could have been the same that came to (Country Y).'

Providing further time to orient to the different structure of the organisations in each country and having the opportunity to talk directly to clients (this operator indicated this had occurred) were also identified as ways to improve the exchange process.

Overall operators valued the exchanges for a range of reasons perhaps best summed up by these three operator’s final comments:

'Exchange gives an opportunity to look and think about your own centre’s work from longer distance and a bit more objectively. Its easier to notice also the good sides of your own work.’

'The organisation of the institutions is different but the problems with the clients are similar.'

'These kind of exchanges help us to get more points of view in working with the same group of families. So they are helpful and should continue.'

23 Local staff training

Local staff training was offered in all the participating countries and has been assessed by the internal evaluation. The topics addressed in the local training are set out in detail in the internal evaluation report. The Edinburgh researchers have also evaluated the impact of the local staff training from the viewpoint of the operators undertaking an exchange and from trainers in relation to the parenting programmes (see Chapter 5). Twenty-four operators on the exchange element of the project indicated that they had undertaken local training prior to the exchange.

The overall average number of hours of local training was 42 (n=21) with the most commonly occurring number of hours of training (the mode) as 34 hours. As with the internal evaluation, more than four-fifths (89%) of operators had found this training to be helpful in their practice.

One of the main themes, which operators found to be most useful in the local training, was related to violence, especially in considering how to communicate and discuss this topic with families. As one operator said:

'To make violence in families a topic, talking about how to make parents sensitive to this problem'.

Developing knowledge about group work methods and the relevance of differing cultural traditions were also identified as of particular relevance. As one operator said:

'For me it was helpful and mind-opening for the exchange to get new aspects in intercultural development of children'.

24 Summary Although there are some variations between the family centres in terms of their size; the way referrals are made; the services they provide; and their general organisation and funding, nevertheless they appear to share several core aims. Principally, the centres' role is to provide support to children and their parents with a view to reducing the risk of violence and abuse within the home.

Predominantly, women aged over 40 years who are indigenous to their area staff the centres. The children and parents who use the centres also are mainly indigenous to their area but there are indications that in some centres the proportion of users from minority ethnic backgrounds is around 10 to 20 per cent. Parents using the family centres are mostly women under 40 years of age. The majority of operators on exchange were female aged over 30 years. However, a broad range of professions was represented in the exchange programme. It is clear that the exchanges appeared, overall, to be very successful although language (in some instances) was a barrier to communication.

Having the opportunity to meet and share experiences was seen as a positive factor particularly in developing their own practice. Operators on exchange noted the similarities and differences in the organisation of centres, in the services they provided, and the characteristics of the families involved. Operators on the exchange programme clearly took specific ideas back to their home centres.

Local training was useful in developing knowledge and in considering group work methods, which would be helpful in future parenting programmes.

25 CHAPTER FIVE THE PARENTING PROGRAMMES

Information on thirteen of the parenting programmes offered by family centres in the partner countries was provided to the research team. This comprised the trainers and participating parents' views of the parent training programme (in 8 cases); the trainers views alone (in 3 cases); and in two cases the parents' views alone. Information therefore was available from trainers in 11 of the thirteen parenting programmes and from parents in 10 programmes.

A wide range of topics, as outlined in the internal evaluation report, was addressed in the parenting groups. The aims underpinning these groups broadly reflected the aims of the Daphne-project focusing on supporting parents and developing their skills and competencies as parents. Providing knowledge of child development and information about local resources to assist parents were also recorded as aims by some of the trainers.

The size of the parenting groups varied from a minimum of six to a maximum of 15 parents (derived from trainers' feedback on 10 groups). The number of sessions in each group varied from five to ten sessions. Each session was generally one and a half to two hours.

The groups were aimed at a wide range of parents caring for infants and young children. The target groups were:

. Future parents and neo-parents (2 programmes) . Parents expecting their second and third child . Parents with pre-school children . New Parents (2 programmes) . Mothers group 0-1 years . Fathers group 0-3 years . Mothers with children up to one-and- half years . Parents of children between 7 and 36 months

26 . Couples with their first child under one year . First-time mothers in their early forties . Fathers group

The specific target groups for the parenting programmes were chosen for a number of reasons. In some instances the groups were organised in response to parental requests. In others the programmes were targeted at recognised priority groups, for example, working with fathers or with couples was seen by some trainers as important issues. One trainer particularly welcomed the opportunity to provide the parenting programme on a multi-disciplinary basis.

Developing the parent training programmes The 'kick-off' conference (Vienna February 2002), local staff training and the operator exchange programme were important elements in informing the development of the parent training in each family centre. However not all the parenting programme trainers had been involved in all these elements of the Daphne-project and some operator exchanges had taken place after the parent training programme had been undertaken in the home centre.

The direct influence of the operator exchange programme on the parent training programmes was mixed. For example one trainer indicated that the exchange had been beneficial for their work in general but s/he had not directly used this experience for the parenting group in their centre. In contrast, another centre had invited their exchange visitors to a group session which had been helpful to the participating parents in understanding families in their countries face similar challenges. In relation to the 'kick-off' conference the opportunity to meet with others providing similar services and planning parenting programmes was valued in developing the individual centres' parenting groups. Some of the specific educational contributions were also found to be useful, one trainer identified the video presentation on involving fathers as an influence on the development of their parenting programme.

27 The value of the local staff training in the development of the parent groups very much reflects the overall evaluations of this training (see Chapter 4). Conflict resolution in families, being more prepared to broach issues of family violence, specific theoretical inputs and group work methods were some of the factors referred to by trainers as useful in the development of their parent training programme.

Involving parents The researchers were interested to explore whether the family centres had tried to involve more 'difficult-to-reach' groups (such as fathers) as well as regular service users; and to illuminate the strategies which had been successful in this process. Three centres indicated they had involved more 'difficult-to-reach' parents and one centre had involved both these and regular users of the centre. The 'difficult-to-reach' parents were primarily fathers and parents from minority ethnic communities (immigrant families).

Several strategies were employed to involve more 'difficult-to- reach' parents. These included:

. Encouraging parents from minority ethnic communities to meet together initially using their own language to discuss relevant issues. . Allocating additional time at the end of mixed group sessions for parents from minority ethnic communities . Actively communicating with parents, especially if they did not attend, to make them feel welcome. . Inviting partners of women attending pre-natal groups . Linking with colleagues in other agencies and encouraging them to actively promote the centre's parenting group to their service users

These examples provide some valuable ideas for future group work with parents and strategies to involve more ‘difficult-to-reach’ parents.

28 Multi-professional involvement As with the exchange programme a broad range of professionals were involved in the parent training programmes. These included:

. Midwives . Child health nurses . Pre-school teachers . Family therapists . Social pedagogues . Social workers . Psychologists.

Two centres did not provide information on this question. Multidisciplinary teams delivered eight of the parents training programmes and three were conducted by one professional discipline alone (social work, nurses, social pedagogues). Two trainers indicated that it would have been helpful to have a specific type of other professional involved to strengthen their programme (e.g. a psychologist). Multi-disciplinary working appears to be a key feature of parenting programmes in this field. However, feedback from one trainer suggests that where this is a new way of working, multi- professional groups need time to learn to work together.

Theoretical models Trainers were asked to indicate which theories or models of parenting were used to underpin their parent training programmes. It was clear from the responses that some used specific theory based models such as: . Early interaction and attachment theory . Network and ecocultural theory . Cognitive learning and psycho-educative theories . Systemic therapy models . Empowerment . Adult attachment and bonding

Others did not articulate a specific theoretical basis for the parenting programmes but described an approach that reflected a broader philosophical view of parenting. For

29 example, seeing all parents as wishing the best for their child and potentially having sufficient internal resources to be 'good-enough' parents. Strategies to manage children's behaviour and discussing with parents the importance of the partner relationship were other aspects reported by trainers.

Trainers views of the parenting programmes

Achieving programme aims Trainers from eight centres reported that they had successfully achieved the aims of their parenting programme. Two thought that their aims had been achieved in part and one reported that it was unclear what parents had achieved from the programmes. Two programmes did not provide responses.

Aspects of the parenting programmes that were helpful to parents Information provided by the trainers indicates that peer support and the opportunity to share experiences and learn from each other in a supportive setting was the factor most valued by parents. For example, one trainer commented that the parents in their group found it helpful to talk to each other about their children and to learn from each other.

Other factors that appeared to be helpful to parents included: . Developing confidence as a parent . Increasing parenting skills (e.g. defining boundaries with their children, problem solving) . Improving partner relationships (e.g. recognising the importance of being a partner as well as a parent) . Increasing awareness of sources of assistance

30 Strengths and weaknesses of the parenting programmes Three key strengths emerged from the trainers' feedback. First, having a structured programme with specific topics and methods (such as discussion, role-play and group work) seemed to work well for parents. Second, delivering the programme within a confidential and supportive environment was seen as valuable. Third, providing the opportunity to share experiences by encouraging an open atmosphere. Alongside these elements other factors were also valued such as cross-professional co-operation, providing parents with pre-course information and offering childminding services to allow attendance at the group.

There were two particular features that trainers described as less helpful. First, some trainers were over-ambitious and tried to incorporate too much information into the group sessions. One group adjusted their programme, introducing role-play and groupwork as well as discussion and formal inputs to address this issue. Second, maintaining regular attendance was a problem for some groups and trying to keep fathers involved on a consistent basis was a particular difficulty identified by two programmes.

In addition to these central concerns there were several other factors that impacted on the programmes. One group highlighted the need for dedicated staff time to run the group and another noted the fact that there were too many group leaders. One of the groups identified the importance of providing an interpreting service in order to encourage minority ethnic families (immigrant families) to attend.

In light of the above critique of their programmes, trainers were able to identify things they would do differently in future programmes. Several highlighted the need for detailed pre-course planning to ensure the effectiveness of parenting programmes. In particular their feedback suggested that trainers would wish to consider tailoring their course content more closely to the needs of specific group(s) and in some cases to arrange groups based on the ages of the children (for example parents of infants aged 0 to 6 months etc.). Assigning clear roles and responsibilities to those involved in delivering the programme and avoiding having too many course leaders were other

31 features trainers would change. Finally, adjusting the timing and frequency of future programmes was a matter that some would wish to consider in future planning.

Parents' views of the parenting programmes In order to assist trainers to gain feedback from the participants of the parent training programmes a structured schedule was devised to guide their discussion with parents three months after the completion of the programmes. The points below provide an overview of the parents' views of the programmes as provided to the trainers. A number of the parents' views echo those of the trainers.

As reported by the trainers, the parents' feedback appeared to be generally positive about the parenting programmes. Parents clearly appreciated the opportunity to meet with others in similar situations to themselves and to share experiences and learn from each other. This emerged as the factor most frequently commented upon. Parents also valued the provision of practical information about the availability of community supports as well as more theoretical knowledge and information.

In relation to future programmes parents suggested that groups or some programme sessions should more tightly focused, taking account of factors such as the age children and the gender of parents. Parents also indicated that the number of participants in the programmes needs to be considered as does the provision of childminding resources.

32 Trainers’ future plans The majority of the centres whose trainers provided data had plans to develop future parenting groups drawing upon their experience of running these programmes. The plans reflect many of the issues, which have been identified above.

Three areas were prominent in trainers' future planning. Firstly, delivering age specific programmes bringing together parents of children in the same age group; or with similar numbers of children in the family. Secondly, targeting programmes at specific categories of parents was considered, for example, single gender groups or groups for vulnerable parents. Thirdly, involving 'difficult-to-reach' parents such as fathers and parents from minority ethnic communities (immigrant families) were specifically mentioned in future planning.

Summary Overall the feedback obtained from trainers and parents suggests that the parenting programmes were viewed positively. The majority of trainers indicated that the aims of their parenting programmes had been completely or partially achieved.

Both parents and trainers commented that the opportunity to discuss and share experiences and strategies for managing their children with other parents was a particularly valued aspect of the project. Improved parental confidence and better parenting skills were also noted as positive features of the programme.

Almost all of the programme trainers had reviewed their parenting group and identified strengths and weaknesses. The majority of the trainers indicated that they had plans for future training programmes and the factors identified in the review of their programmes were reflected in these plans.

Some of the issues for future planning included; considering strategies to involve more 'difficult-to-reach' parents; thinking of ways to target groups more specifically; and the importance of providing childminding to allow parents to attend.

33 CHAPTER SIX SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

This evaluation report is based upon data relating to several aspects of the project. Questionnaire returns were provided by participants in the ‘kick-off’ conference and by operators on the exchange programme. Structured schedules were also used to obtain data concerning the family centres and the parent-training programme.

Feedback from those who attended the ‘kick-off’ conference was very positive and indicates that the participants particularly valued the workshops and presentations. In general, the conference proved extremely valuable as a means of exchanging information and knowledge and was also seen as a useful way of establishing or enhancing networks between the partners. Although a few people indicated that they had some difficulties coping with the difference in language, the interpreter service provided by the conference organisers was effective in overcoming these problems for most. Indeed, the standard of organisation for the conference as a whole was very high and set the benchmark for the quality of all aspects of the project.

Thirteen family centres from four of the participating countries provided useful data concerning the operation and delivery of services in those centres. Though there were some significant variations between them, for example, in terms of size, it was also interesting to find that they shared important core aims and that preventing violence and abuse in families is a key objective in all of the partner countries. The range of services provided within the centres varied considerably, with some adopting a more integrated style of service delivery, incorporating both health and welfare services, while others were less extensive in the array of provision offered. It appears that within Europe there is no single model of service delivery and it would be useful to undertake more detailed evaluative studies of the impact of different models of provision on the experiences and outcomes for children and their parents.

Staff and user profiles of the family centres were very similar in all of the countries. This is clearly an area of service that is dominated by women and the question of how to involve men in child care (both fathers and staff) is a critical issue in each of the partner countries. Additionally, it appears that a significant proportion of service users

34 in some of the countries is from minority ethnic communities (immigrant families) but there is limited evidence of people from these communities being recruited to the staff of the centres. A question is therefore raised about the extent to which these family centres are able to provide diverse, culturally sensitive services.

The opportunity to be involved in the operator exchange programme was clearly valued by those who participated in this aspect of the project. As with the ‘kick-off’ conference, a large majority of respondents indicated that this was a success and they particularly appreciated the opportunity to share knowledge and experience. Moreover, while identifying differences in methods and approaches used in the different countries, they also found that the exchange enabled them to recognise similarities in the issues being addressed and in the work being undertaken. For many, the exchange experience affirmed aspects of their own practice. In several cases it was clear that operators had identified methods or approaches to practice that could potentially be adopted in their own work settings.

Preparation for the exchanges might have been improved if more detailed information about the structure and organisation of services had been shared in advance. However, communication was seen as the most critical factor in optimising the opportunities afforded by the exchange programme. For those who struggled with language difficulties in the host country it was clear that this led to frustration and limited the benefits derived by all concerned. This is a matter that has wider implications for European integration in any field.

The parenting programmes in each of the individual family centres were generally viewed positively. As with other elements of the Daphne project the opportunity for parents to meet together to share and exchange ideas and experiences was particularly valued. There is some evidence that trainers drew upon knowledge and information obtained during other aspects of the project such as the 'kick-off' conference and exchange programme to inform the development and content of the parenting programmes.

The aims of the Daphne-project overall clearly informed the development of the parenting programmes and feedback from parents and trainers appears to show these

35 programmes have gone some way to achieving those aims insofar as they relate to improved confidence, knowledge and skills. The majority of trainers considered both strengths and weaknesses in their particular parenting programme and have used the experience gained from the Daphne-project to identify future plans for parenting programmes taking account of some of these factors. In particular strategies to involve fathers, minority ethnic families (immigrant families) and more vulnerable families were considered.

Conclusion The researchers undertook to evaluate the extent to which the programme had achieved the desired outcomes from the perspective of the participants; and to illuminate the process in terms of how the project worked in practice.

As detailed in this report, there is evidence from the participants' views that parent' skills and knowledge has been improved in a variety of ways and this will surely contribute towards the overall aim of the Daphne-project. The project was well- organised and soundly managed, and the various component parts operated effectively. The project overall allowed participants in the partner countries the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences to support them in improving practice in working with children and families. This project represents a good model for developing policy and practice in the field of early years services in the European Union.