Quarriers Ruchazie report - April 2022

Quarriers Family Resource Centre Quarriers Family Resource Centre, a service that provides vital support for families at the toughest times, is facing significant challenges. In its 20 years, the service has changed countless lives for the better, and is truly the heartbeat of the local community.

Whole lives, generations of families and communities are transformed.

But now, the people of Ruchazie need your support.

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Reduced funding and changes to referral procedures are putting pressure on the centre.

Hundreds of families could miss out on vital support and early interventions.

Expectations of service delivery have increased while resources have been reduced.

If the centre were to close, it would leave a hole in the local community. It is in Glasgow’s interests to support the centre.

Support us to find a sustainable funding model, offer the benefit of early intervention by expanding referral routes, and explore further grant funding options.

Why we need your support Reduction in funding and changes to referral procedures now require to be re-thought.

• The Community Planning Partnership has changed and reduced its funding.

• A new cost and volume funding arrangement introduced by the city has made it harder to access the service and reduced the level of funding available.

• Staff are now under significant pressure and while they continue

to deliver an exceptional service for the families we support, this is unsustainable.

• Changes to the referral system have eroded the principle of early intervention, meaning that families now have to navigate complicated routes to access vital support that is provided on their doorstep.

Funding sources 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

2019/20

Family support

2020/21

Education

2021/22

CPP

• Nursery referrals have decreased and family choice is being eroded.

Three-point pledge to support the centre We are asking you to help secure the future of Quarriers Family Resource Centre through:

£

1 2 3 sustainable long-term funding

widening access to enable early intervention

partnership working and building positive relationships

A service built on partnership and collaboration Quarriers Family Resource Centre started in a small community flat in Ruchazie just over 20 years ago. Since the very beginning, its positive impact in the area was plain to see, and following consultation with people we support and other agencies, the service moved to its purpose-built centre.

Quarriers Family Resource Centre

The service is the very embodiment of the principles of the Christie Commission: a centre that serves its community at a local level through partnership and collaboration.

Initiatives offered at the centre have always been shaped by what families tell us they need, not what we feel we should offer.

The service’s support includes nursery

provision for children aged 0-3 years; parenting support (e.g. Solihull); parent/child activities and school holiday programmes; baby massage; counselling; and an extensive groupwork programme including women’s groups, relaxation sessions, a dads’ group and Seasons for Growth.

Through grant funding, we have been able to provide additional support including our Maternal Wellbeing Service, which scored very highly in an independent evaluation by the University of Stirling. Donations from local businesses have provided resources like play equipment, clothing and waterproof jackets.

We support the principles of The Promise

Service delivery focuses firmly on embedding the principles of The Promise, Glasgow City Council’s priorities for families, as well as Scottish Government family wellbeing strategies.

Sarah’s story

Why it matters

When my son was only eight weeks old, I was diagnosed with cancer. After months of treatment, I had lost all of my hair and I had little energy to care for my baby. Seeing how much I was struggling, my health visitor advised that I get in touch with Quarriers.

The centre matters because early intervention works.

With a simple referral, I was introduced to Rhonda, who made me feel very welcome, and she suggested a nursery placement to support my family while I continued with radiotherapy.

Early intensive interventions can be provided in-house with a person-centred approach that fully supports the needs of the families. This keeps children in their own homes, within their own community and consequently reduces the need for statutory intervention.

The centre matters because it is an ecosystem, a cycle of support, growth and giving.

Parents are more confident, resilient, better equipped to face challenges and provide for their children, who are in turn supported to learn, achieve, and be happier and healthier. This confidence drives people to help others in the community. Mums who have been supported by the Maternal Wellbeing Service come back to talk about their experiences and help others. One mum who initially came to the service for support with post-natal depression now volunteers as a massage therapist to give other mums time to recharge. The dads group turned a derelict woodland

area into a safe place where children can play and families, many of whom don’t have gardens, can enjoy the benefits of spending time in nature.

The centre matters because it offers true connection.

Our staff get closer to people than even the best community nurses or social workers. Having one of our team refer to a local social worker, GP or psychiatric nurse can bridge the gap to formal support. Having a community presence gives people in crisis somewhere to turn. Without the centre, where else could they go?

The centre matters because it changes lives.

For more information, contact us on hello@quarriers.org.uk

When I was feeling able, I attended the weekly Wellwoman group at the centre. I met other women who were experiencing difficulties in their own lives, and we talked about everything and anything. I also went to a baby massage group to help me bond with my son as so much time had been spent attending hospital appointments and going through treatment.

The nursery support my son received was fantastic and set him up for moving to a state nursery. When he moved on, I felt that I no longer needed support from the service. Then last year, I discovered that abuse had taken place in my family. My whole world fell apart.

I had no idea who to turn to, and then I remembered Rhonda. And I sent an email saying I needed someone to talk to.

The following day, we met for a cup of tea.

Rhonda listened without judgment and suggested I receive specialist counselling.

She also sought support for my family.

Hope, warmth, love and understanding is what all the staff at Quarriers Family Resource Centre provide. With the added pressures of illness, poverty and mental health problems as a result of the pandemic, services such as Quarriers are relied on more and more. Imagine if the support provided by Quarriers wasn’t there for those who need it most.