CHAPTER NINE: KEY MESSAGES
9.1 In addition to the specific gaps, there are some strong messages coming out of the study. Some are issues that can be addressed by the Early Years Strategy whilst others may have wider implications across a number of related policy areas.
Workforce
9.2 Parents, carers and children judge the accessibility and quality of a service by the way that the staff interact with them. This has implications for recruitment, training and continuing professional development ( CPD) for staff who will work with children and families as either their core area of work or as part of their wider role.
Transport
9.3 Transport is a common issue for families with children living in rural as well as in urban areas. It impacts on their ability to access services across all of the themes of the Early Years Framework and can compound issues of isolation. In common with many groups in the population, families need accessible, affordable, reliable and convenient public transport services.
Joined up information and service delivery
9.4 Families often find it difficult to know what support and services are available to them and where to find them. They want services that are joined up both in terms of finding out about them and also, in their delivery. This cuts across a range of service areas in particular post and ante-natal care, health and parenting and family support.
Safety
9.5 Perceptions and experiences of safety are very important to quality of life. Anti-social behaviour and low level youth disturbance was a commonly cited issues that impacts on the freedom that parents can give their children, for example playing outside and going to the park. It has a detrimental effect on the quality of play parks, shared areas and in the general environment of an area.
Transition points
9.6 There are some important transition points and trigger events where families can benefit from early identification of issues and tailored interventions. These are in the post-natal period, when a child starts school and when parents return to work or training.
9.7 Particular triggers include, for example if the family suffers a bereavement, if there is a serious or longer term illness in the family or if there is a breakdown of the relationship between the adults in the household.
Early education and childcare
9.8 There is often a lack of clarity amongst parents about the difference between early education for 3 and 4 year olds which has as its focus the development and education of the child, and childcare which enables a parent to work or train. This confusion can lead to dissatisfaction with early education provision because of the limited hours.
9.9 In the transition period when a child starts school, the short days for the first part of Primary one causes many families a lot of difficulties where the adult with the main care responsibility works.
9.10 A major message is that the cost of childcare can be prohibitive for many families and acts as a disincentive to work. Even when children are at school, childcare, particularly in holiday periods, can be a significant barrier to employment.
Outdoor activities
9.11 The majority of children talked about how they enjoy being out of doors at school, nursery, in parks, gardens and other open spaces. It is a crucial part of their social and physical development. Access to outdoor areas can sometimes be restricted for a number of reasons around safety, availability in local areas, quality of school play grounds and other play areas and transport to country parks and open spaces.
9.12 Children like there to be a range of play and sports equipment in parks but also, importantly want places they can run and parks with trees and wildlife.
Awareness raising
9.13 National campaigns around health and healthy eating have had a big impact on children in terms of their knowledge and awareness. It is clear from the study how this has transferred in to the choices they make. In addition the consultation with parents and carers suggests that as a result of these campaigns, many children are keen to have healthy food as part of their diet. There are perhaps lessons here for future awareness raising activities.
The importance of choice
9.14 A key message in the study is the importance that adults and children place on being able to make choices about, for example, the childcare they use, whether they breastfeed, when they wean their children on to solids and for children, what activities they do, where they can play and what extra curricula clubs and classes they can take part in.
Children with additional support needs
9.15 We consulted with parents of children with additional support needs and it is clear that they have issues that cut across all of the themes: education, childcare, play and leisure, health and post-natal care. There are structural issues around the services that are provided to children and families in this situation. For example, inadequate supply of appropriate childcare, lack of respite care and a lack of provision of support services for example facilitated play. There are also barriers to using services and amenities for example, not being allowed to keep essential, specialised footwear on in soft play facilities, play areas and parks not having appropriate or accessible equipment and attitudes of staff in some facilities.
Consultation
9.16 Overwhelmingly, parents, carers and children value being consulted on issues and service that affect them. We had a positive response during the study and the majority of participants said that they would like there to be more consultation at local and national levels. Linked to this, dissemination of findings and reporting of information from the Scottish Government and other local and national bodies is critical.
A group of children listening to Charlie's story during one of the group sessions