Aberlour’s National Parenting Development Project (NPDP) is based in Edinburgh and provides support across Scotland.
It was established in 2002, originally through Youth Crime Prevention Funding. From the outset, demand to the Project has highlighted the need for local development of a continuum of parenting services, from universal to targeted and from early years to young adulthood. Originally driven by requirements underpinning the legislation for Parenting Orders, the need for such services now has central importance in the implementation of Getting It Right for Every Child and in the development of the Early Years/Early Intervention Framework.
Parenting is subject of a wide range of national policy and legislation. It also sits at the junction of adult and child services. All of NPDP’s work seeks to assist local development in line with this complex national context.
Project objectives:
• To improve parenting skills, supervision of children and communication between parents/carers and their children, in order to assist children and young people attain their full potential.
• To improve strategic planning of parenting services by local authorities and other agencies and increase services, particularly for parents of teenagers
• To improve practitioners’ skills in working with parents
• To disseminate information and research findings on best practice in working with parents
The Project undertakes work in 4 distinct but interlocking strands:
1. Parenting Development and Co-ordination
2. Consultation and Advice on Strategic Development of Parenting & Family Support Services
3. Training
4. Research, Evaluation and Dissemination of Information
1. PARENTING DEVELOPMENT AND CO-ORDINATION
(a) NPDP works in partnership with others at local level to assist in the direct delivery of parenting programmes and piloting of parenting work especially with “hard to reach” parents. This is done through Parenting Coordinators based in 4 Local Authorities (East Lothian, Moray, Borders and Midlothian) and one centrally-based, working with the Scottish Prison Service in HMP Cornton Vale.
(b) NPDP also facilitates a National Group for Parenting Co-ordinators, which includes representation from 12 local authority areas and seeks to promote exchange of learning and best practice.
2. CONSULTATION AND ADVICE ON STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF PARENTING & FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES
NPDP has worked, on a commissioned basis, with 12 local authorities in
(a) undertaking audits of parenting services offered across all disciplines within their areas and
(b) assisting in the formulation and production of Multi-agency Parenting & Family Support Strategies for Local Authority areas.
3. TRAINING
Training Rooms for Hire
Training is delivered, frequently by commission, across all local authorities in Scotland, linking to Audit recommendations and Strategic development where these have been undertaken.
Training staff have also been commissioned to develop & deliver training by Health Boards, Independent Fostering Organisations, Children’s Hearing Training Unit, Voluntary Organisations such as Enable and Homestart and Multi –disciplinary groups from local authorities across Scotland
NPDP co-ordinates parenting related training by other agencies and individuals such as Dan Hughes, Trust for Study of Adolescence, Child & Family Training
The full, current Training Brochure can be accessed here
Training and Meeting Rooms:
The Project has, at its office base, a suite of Rooms available for hire in an accessible, central location.
4. RESEARCH, EVALUATION and DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION:
-NPDP holds a large Resource Library for professionals. This includes parenting materials, tools and research information.
-The project has also produced a Critique of Parenting Programmes.
-We organise Conferences and Seminars promoting the learning from all aspects of our work. Most recently these have covered:
• “How to Develop a Parenting Strategy”
• “Parenting Work with Women Prisoners: A Partnership Approach”
• “Early Intervention and the Parenting Agenda”
-Project staff are involved in local area development of information for parents, including web site development and Parent Information Points in schools.
-Stirling University was involved to April 2008, in research and evaluation of all NPDP’s work. The Project also seeks to develop self-evaluation frameworks for both direct practice and the process of partnership working.