Young Evaluators 2014 Yaps Peer Research Review

YAPS Review Carried out by and report produced by the members of Dartford and Gravesham Young Evaluators Project 2013

October 2014

Contents Foreword Background and brief Aims and objectives Challenges and approaches Our findings Course content Delivery and approach Transition Expectations Outcomes & impact Recommendations Conclusion Gallery Acknowledgements

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Foreword Dartford and Gravesham Local Children’s Trust Boards commissioned the current Young Evaluators programme in November 2012. We are a group of 15 young people representing both areas. Our group consists of a mix of those that are less likely to engage or have life challenges which may act as a barrier to their accessing training, as well as those that are already involved in traditional forms of participation.

We undertook an intensive training programme that focused on the principles and practices of peer research during a residential training and teambuilding weekend at Arethusa, Upnor. The training was designed around the needs of the group, where we took a lead role in shaping the programme with regard to delivery and approach.

As young evaluators we know the value of young people's opinions and understand that they are very important in helping to improve young people services Peer research is a principle that engages people of the same characteristics.

Using people similar to those that participate in the project or benefit from it, in the process of designing and carrying out the evaluation, is the best way of making practical recommendations that can lead to more benefits for future service users. By commissioning The Young Evaluators to manage the research process the young people involved in the YAPs Group Brent Children’s Centre are more likely to open up and share their true opinions, thoughts and feelings.

Another additional benefit of using a Peer Research approach to evaluation is that it is a targeted, cost effective tool that will assist to improve a project or service. During the current economic climate where the budgets of Local Authorities have been cut, it is now more important than ever to make the most of the available funds to make sure that all projects and services for young people are the ones that they want and need and deliver the outcomes they were initially set up to achieve.

This is the fourth commissioned piece of primary research that the Young Evaluators have carried out.

This report is an unbiased summary of the findings of the interviews with the young people that took part in the project.

We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all the young people who took part in the consultation and review of the project.

The Young Evaluators Project

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Background The YAP’s project is a weekly group (Fridays 12.30pm – 2.30pm) that is running from the Brent Children's Centre Dartford. This version of it has run since April 2012 and there are several long-term members who have attended at previous venues and when the group was run somewhat differently to how it is now, who have as a result seen quite a turnover in facilitators.

The group was traditionally for parents under 22 years old and their children but, on consulting with the parents in September 2012, they reported that they were not always ready to move on to the mainstream children's centre drop-in groups and would appreciate the age limit being raised which we did and it is now for the under 25's and their children. There are some attendees at the very upper end of that age range but the youngest attendee has been 14 years old although this is certainly not the norm. Our average age of parents attending is about 19-20. There are very few fathers attending and only 1 father who attends regularly. The children who attend the group range from very new babies up to 3.5 years. Parents-to-be to are encouraged to attend but they often find they prefer it when they actually have a child to bring along with them.

Although the group it is held at Brent Children's Centre, parents who are registered at any of the 7 Dartford children's centres are welcome to attend.

Those that attend do tend to be more local to the setting but there is some consideration being given to the setting up of a second group at an alternative venue in the future. Most parents choose to attend on their own accord but there are some that have been encouraged to attend through “Team Around the Family” or “Child in Need Plans” and other that have to attend because it is part of their Child Protection Plan.

The Brief Our research had several aims: To obtain young parents views of the existing provision in order to inform planning and improve service delivery for a specific client group, to enable earlier interventions that can narrow the gap for those most disadvantaged.

This is line with local and national priorities set for Children’s Centre provision: Improving outcomes for young children and their families and reducing inequalities for targeted interventions and provision (Core purpose of Children’s Centres Every child and young person in Kent achieves their full potential in life, whatever their background, (KCC Children and Young People’s strategic plan 2013-16) 4

Aims & Objectives Young Evaluators were asked to help find out what the true experiences were of the young people who took part in the project so that this could help in the refinement and development of the design and delivery of the future programme.

Challenges & Approaches We had to consider what difficulties we may face when carrying out the review and what was the best way to overcome them.

Where members of the group were unable to attend on the day we arranged that for this member to be interviewed over the phone. This way everyone had the opportunity to be involved in the process and made sure that we had as much information as possible for us to make good recommendations based on the experiences of those taking part.

Challenges

Approach

Incompatible interviewer/interviewee

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Ensure wherever possible that the interviewer and interviewee were appropriately matched

A diverse range of abilities

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Verbal interviews used to avoid reading and writing to include everyone Rephrasing of words/sentences which the young people may find difficult to understand Visually engaging tools such as mind maps and graphics Regular breaks and refreshments built into the consultation Provision of a less formal setting – one to one chats The use of incentives to such as Pizza and vouchers for taking part Interview each participant separately in one to one interviews Ensure that each one to one interview took place sufficiently apart from each other so participants could not hear each others answers

• • Focus

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Participants influencing each others • answers •

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Our Findings Course content Some of the research focused on the course content to reflect the key aim of the brief. The young parents had by and large enjoyed and found useful the range of the sessions on offer by the YAP’s project but those that they felt were particularly useful/enjoyable were: advice and assistance around council tax, benefits, sexual health information, children’s first aid course as well as the music group for the children.

“I like being with other mums who are in the same position, making new friends and this helped improve my confidence and was good for my daughter too” There was no one session that stood out as the least favourite or least useful aand those taking part said that the sessions were all pitched at the right level and of the same standard.

When asked what could have been included but hadn’t been delivered to the group so far we were told that it would have been useful to have a session employability, getting a job/job services. They also said that there should be more sexual health information presentations/drop-ins especially where dispensing of additional birth control could be included.

There was also a mention of the staff could do with more support when delivering sessions generally as it was felt that there was often insufficient amount of staff available to meet everyone’s needs at times. In addition it was suggested that there should be something safer and more user friendly for disabled people.

We feel this really shows how much the group value, the information and advice they get from the programme and that they see it as a good place to learn about life, choices and personally develop.

The whole group said that they felt comfortable and safe within the group when sharing their feelings and thoughts openly and honestly. They said that they felt that there was a good level of confidentiality and that they trusted the worker/s to take them seriously and not be judged.

‘I feel very comfortable and feel I am taken seriously, the age range is good too and I don’t get judged by older people, the stigma of young people being parents just isn’t there’ The group commented that it needs to be appreciated that it does take a few weeks for trust to be developed within the group but once it has and time has passed that almost everyone felt that they were in safe place and that for the most part what was said remained confidential.

‘The worker talks privately and brings people in to help which makes you feel welcome and you know she isn’t going to judge you’ 6

Our Findings Delivery and approach As part of our research we looked at the way the project was delivered and the approaches used. The project coordinators were particularly interested in knowing what the impact was on those taking part, of the large staff turnover in the programme.

This subject caused a considerable amount of debate and comment from those taking part. Almost all of those interviewed stated that this did adversely affect them and the group as a whole. The mentioned that it was difficult to build the trust that is needed to feel fully comfortable within the group and sharing personal information, thoughts and feelings that is required in order to develop and grow and gain confidence, if staff constantly moved on.

‘It affects the group as you struggle to adjust to a new person… it causes trust issues ’ When asked about the workers who supported them through the project, the general feelings were positive, stating that they were genuine and trust worthy. We also asked if there was anything that the worker could do that would help make the sessions better and again the majority of the responses were positive. There was a mention that there could be more activities delivered that would get both the older and younger parent members working better together, alongside each other and that this would be good to help promote the group. ‘workers already do such a good job…. They do most of it, they do everything!’’

There were positive responses from the group about the length of sessions and the day and time they are delivered. The group felt that the sessions were about the right length of time and delivered at the right time of day but that they should be more frequent than just weekly.

‘They are convenient as they are straight after nursery and the kids eat here which is a real plus’ We asked the group what they felt about the setting in general. Every participant said they liked the setting, saying that they felt comfortable there but the only criticism was that there was a need to install air-conditioning within the centre to make it just that more comfortable ‘There is a nice vibe and people get on, there are more than enough toys and play stuff…. Perfect as it is close by and safe but needs air conditioning!’

We asked them whether they felt having food provided as part of the project was important to them at all and the general feeling was that having food provided at the sessions was very important as it helped them with making sure that their child ate a healthy lunch and that it was helpful as the meeting time was over the lunch time and before nursery so it was more convenient.

‘It’s important because there is no hassle of preparing lunch for kids and if food wasn’t provided it would change my child’s routine’

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Our Findings We asked those taking part if different centres took turns to have meetings in different places so more parents could attend, whether or not they would still go or only go when the sessions were delivered at the Brent Centre. All those taking part except one young parent said that they wouldn’t attend sessions if they were delivered elsewhere and would only attend at their local centre.

They told us that it would be inconvenient and they feared getting lost if they were to go elsewhere.

‘I would only go here, I found it hard to come in the first place due to lack of confidence and don’t want to start over again’ We asked the group what could be added to the programme and promotional material that would make it more appealing and useful for parents to be and they told us that they felt that trying to mix parents to be with those that were already parents, wouldn’t work in their opinion as they wouldn’t felt like they belonged or could feel out of place.

They also said that it might be useful for face to face promotion of the group and what it has to offer would be useful, such as going to individual homes for a chat first as well as advertising in local newspapers or put leaflets in places that new parents are accessing other services or activities. It was also mentioned that a Midwifes recommendation might have made a difference too and knowing that there would be the right facilities for someone who is pregnant too!

‘People going out to speak to them so that they can feel more welcome and the support worker introduced it earlier on…. Come round to the houses and have a chat and advertise around shops too’ We asked if they had been put in touch with a YAPS parents or been contacted by them before they had thought about joining, would that have encouraged them to have joined earlier and if it would have made any difference to them at all. The majority of the group said that this would have been really beneficial and encouraged them to come earlier and feel confident about doing so.

‘Yes I would like that a lot.. if I knew good experiences it would make me eager to join and make me feel more comfortable and confident’ We went on to ask them at what point parents to be should get information on joining the YAPS group and how was it best to do that. In addition we asked hoe they thought the group could meet the needs of both parents to be as well as those that already have children and attend the group.

‘I think people should come before the child comes along as they get to know the parents, a couple of people already come as they are pregnant and 8 personally I wish I came before, when I was pregnant’

Our Findings We were told that in their opinion it would be better build a relationship with the YAPS worker before giving birth, when a young woman is pregnant so that they can attend earlier and gain confidence as new parents from the experience of others early on. Learning from mothers of newborns and getting to know them would provide better social interaction for both parents to be and parents as well as for children too.

‘It would be good to meet other parents and newborns to learn from each other’ The group told us that there was a real need for more staff to be available to support the group if there were plans to deliver broader services, advice and information.

‘Structure is good but not too much, it is importance to find a balance and structure activities…. I like that it is laid back and there is no pressure coming on to you’ They told us they liked the informal nature of the way the group was run and felt that it was relaxed, well thought out and well planned.

Transition The majority of the group told us that they didn’t like the idea of reaching the upper level age range which would mean that they had to move on and felt on average that this should be raised to 27/29 years so both their child and themselves got the benefits of being part of the group for longer. Many went on to say that by having a mixture of older and younger parents that this gave better opportunity for sharing advice, experience and information that helped them gain confidence in parenting.

‘Most people are near the age limit and it’s a shame as it is sad when people need to leave as a mixture of ages is good due to young people being in need and so they can learn from the older ones and vice versa – we all need support’

Expectations Almost all of those taking part said that the project far exceeded their expectations or that it was different from what they had expected the project to be. They stated that they liked the mixed age range, the non-judgmental attitude of workers and other group members.

‘It exceeded my expectations, it was welcoming and perfect…. It was better than I expected, I expected to be judged..’

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Our Findings Outcomes and impact Generally the programme has had a positive impact on the young people taking part, with individuals experiencing different outcomes. We asked what they got out of taking part and how it had helped them as individuals. The group told us that their taking par has given them the ability to socialise again and to feel less isolated. There were conversations around how it was felt the group would benefit having more young fathers attending. Almost all of the group said that it was helpful being around people with similar problems and that taking part has built their self esteem and confidence as well as helping their children to become more confident and sociable and less isolated too!

‘It has helped me socialise again and I feel less isolated, it is nice to meet people just like you!’

The majority of the group said that they have gained something from the programme, including a better understanding of the responsibilities of looking after a child, raising a family and having responsible relationships, as well as improved confidence and self esteem. All of the group said they felt more confident being with their children which has helped make them a better parent.

‘I feel more confident….being amongst people that are in the same boat as you and wont judge you…it feels like family’ It was clear that from our research that each of the young people felt that there involvement in the project had a positive impact on them in one way or another, leaving them with better chances of becoming more confident and capable adults in the future.

It has helped me feel happy and more confident about leaving my child to go to work and it will make my child know that I am always coming back’ We went on to ask what changes they had noticed in their child since taking part in the group and they stated that their child had become more sociable, happier, more confident, developed better language and speech skills and is not as clingy as they were before.

‘My child is better with other children, doesn’t cry as much when I have to leave her and is more inquisitive and explores more!’

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Recommendations Course content

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• • Delivery and approach

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Transition

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Include a session employability, getting a job/job services.

Include more sexual health information presentations/dropins especially where dispensing of additional birth control could be included.

Staff could do with more support when delivering sessions generally as it was felt that there was often insufficient amount of staff available to meet everyone’s needs at times.

Make sure there is a different activity/info session every week Think about including trips and days out [perhaps with other groups to help encourage them to move on and broaden support networks] Equal balance of young mothers and young fathers in the programme to gain a better perspective and shared understanding of responsibilities in bringing up a child Aim to tackle high staff change over of support workers to maintain continuity of care and trust More activities delivered that would get both the older and younger parent members working better together, alongside each other Install air-conditioning within the centre to make it just that more comfortable Face to face promotion of the group and what it has to offer, going to individual homes for a chat first, recommendations/referrals from Midwifes, as well as advertising in local newspapers or put leaflets in places that new parents are accessing other services or activities.

More comfy seating/bean bags Raise the age limit for leaving the group to 27/29 years so both their child and themselves got the benefits of being part of the group for longer.

Give the option of providing extra support sessions to the group members after they leave to ensure that everything that was learnt and confidence that was gained from taking part is not lost but can be implemented into everyday life.

Try to work with other organisations to see if there are other things that the group can go onto if they want to, so that they have another focus after they have left the group 11

Conclusion The YAPS Project does have a very positive impact on the young people taking part especially to their confidence, self-esteem, attitudes, skill building and improving relationships with others. In our view and in the view of the young people we interviewed, the project is effective and important to their personal development as individuals.

The findings in this review support the fact that peer research is the best approach to evaluation and works much better than standard reviews. Young people talk to young people, they open up to them and they understand each other, so our findings are more honest and will probably be a more accurate view of the young people taking part.

The gallery

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to all the YAPs participants for taking part in the review and sharing your open and honest expereinces, thoughts and ideas with us.

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The Dartford and Gravesham Young Evaluators Project 2013 Project coordinator Juli Dosad of Banter Ltd Email: juli@banter.uk.net Mobile: 07834473384 Twitter: @julidosadbanter Web: www.banter.uk.net This report was co-written by Karen, Sithara, Rajneet and Gurneet