Consulting Priority Families:
A Needs Analysis

In 2008, Capacity was commissioned by Buckinghamshire County Council to undertake a consultation and needs analysis with families most at risk of social exclusion.

The consultation took place over a five-month period in the spring and summer of 2008 and resulted in contact with nearly 100 service professionals, voluntary organisations and self-help groups and with more than 300 parents.

The study was undertaken to inform the development of children’s centres in Buckinghamshire. By March 2008, there were 24 children’s centres designated within the county.  The families consulted included Travellers families, families living with disability, homeless families, prisoners, Black Minority Ethnic families, teenage parents, families living in small rural parts of the county as well as those living in urban areas.

Key recommendations were:

• In order to engage a wider spectrum of users, opening times and programming should be flexible, incorporating evenings and weekends; centres should be manned at all times

• Centres should explore ways of increasing capacity in respect of play and early learning facilities for disabled children, volunteer driver schemes and links with ethnic minority support organisations
• A model for supported progression to training and employment should be developed and included as a core activity in all centres

3 hour flexible free entitlement in nursery classes in Southampton

Between 2007 and 2009 Capacity worked with headteachers in a nursery school and 8 infant and primary schools with nursery classes in Southampton as well as Managers at 2 Startpoint Centres.  The project helped them to plan and implement a staged approach to introducing the 3 hour flexible free entitlement in maintained nurseries classes.

Capacity developed for each school a local need analysis and prepared a detailed staffing and development planning. The schools involved have all successfully introduced the extended flexible entitlement.

In addition the nursery school and one infant school also introduced full daycare for children from 2 years. Capacity helped both schools to develop full business plans. The daycare in both schools is at or near full occupancy and relationships with the local community are consolidated and strengthened.

Aiming High: Supporting Parent Partnership

Early in 2009, Capacity was commissioned by Buckinghamshire Parent Partnership to work with a steering group of parents to create a structure for consultation for families with children with disabilities. Over the following weeks meetings were convened in grass-roots local areas, providing childcare and help with transport, where needed.

In this way more than 90 parents had the opportunity to raise their concerns about gaps in service or ways in which services could be improved. Many attending pledged their support for and involvement in a newly formed Parent’s forum, together with local reference groups. An Action Plan for the Parent’s Forum has been developed, putting parental voice at the heart of decision making for Buckinghamshire.