Agenda item

Including a presentation from Family Lives – Lesley Brewin and Caroline Fanshawe

Lesley Brewin, Caroline Fanshawe and Emma Longden from Family Lives were welcomed to the meeting to provide Members with an overview of the performance of the service that had supported new parents and kinship carers in the Central Area over the past three years.

Members noted that the project had been developed from the ground up, and much work was undertaken to make connections in the area.  From July 2019 the first cohort were supported.  However, due to changing government restrictions the service had to adapted as necessary to ensure delivery.  This had included more online communications and also socially distanced work in the open air in gardens.

Through the three-year period the service had received and supported 98 eligible referrals, with 26 of these being from Black and Minority Ethnic Communities.  The service had worked with 81 parents with mental health issues.

The service had made a significant impact in a number of areas, and parents reported improved confidence in parenting ability, a reduction in isolation and loneliness and improved self-esteem.  The service had successfully fostered the development of friendships, and empowered people to access other forms of support.  A community had been established where people who had previously received support were able to then provide support themselves. Members received a number of case studies that highlighted the personal impact of the service.

With regards to supporting volunteers, it was noted that nine volunteer training programmes had been delivered.  51 volunteers had been engaged, of which 48 completed the programme.  Seven volunteers had gone on to college or university and five had secured employment.  Members heard how 15 volunteers continued to support the programme.

Thanks was given to the support provided by the Central Area Council and it was noted that funding had been secured for the service to continue for a further 6 months, delivering boroughwide.   Efforts were also being made to consider other funding sources, and the learning from the project was being utilised more widely within the organisation.

Questions were asked in relation to the potential increase in support required for those fleeing the conflict in the Ukraine, and it was noted that the service was equipped to provide this.  Members heard how the service had experience of using technology to assist those who did not have English as their first language.

In relation to people being referred who were not eligible for the service as they lived outside the Central Area, Members noted that they were signposted to other support, and were also invited to attend larger events.

With regards to the continuation of the service, Members were pleased that the service would remain available and asked that they be kept informed as to how many residents from the Central Area received support.

Those present discussed the volunteering programme, including the rigorous checks undertaken.  The positive impact this had on service users and volunteers was noted.

Members received the remaining Q3 performance reports and case studies.  It was noted that the report was lengthy and contained much detail.  A suggestion was made that quarterly reports be more concise, containing relevant data and a more comprehensive report only be considered by the Area Council once or twice a year. 

RESOLVED:-

(i)           Thanks be given for the presentation from Family Lives and their work in the area;

(ii)          That the Performance Report for Quarter 3 be noted.

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