Termly Feature
Facts and Figures!
The team recently did an improptu audit of our data over the 12 month period February 2009 to February 2010 and came up with some fascinating facts - well, we think they are fascinating!!
During this period we had 215 female and 16 male parents complete our programmes.
There were 20 foster carers on our courses.
These parents had 451 children between them.
The age range of these children was:
0-2 = 129
3-5 = 151
6-8 = 67
9+ =104
Also we worked with over 90 children whilst running the Whole Class Dinosaur Schools.
Where in Sheffield are these parents from?
S2 = 23
S3 = 3
S4 = 1
S5 = 34
S6 = 32
S7 = 2
S8 = 27
S9 = 3
S10 = 1
S11 = 1
S12 = 24
S13 = 12
S14 = 13
S17 = 1
S20 = 23
S26 = 1
S35 = 25
Who were the referers of these parents?
Self referrals = 101
Schools = 73
Social workers = 37
Othere (CAMHS, Family Support, Children's Centres etc) == 25
Health visitors = 10
These figures show that 44% of our referrals are self-referers. We have obviously broken down any negative stigma attached to parenting classes. We are not aware of any other similar courses around the world that can boast such a positive uptake without any inducement other than the quality we provide.
Reflections on having children........
Welcome to Holland
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, Michelangelo, Gondolas in Venice etc - it's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland!?!? you say. "What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place - full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books and also learn a new language. You will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower placed than Italy - less flashy. After you have been there for a while you catch your breath, you look around......and you begin to notice Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But, everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy....and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there; and, for the rest of your life you will say, "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
The pain of that will never ever ever ever go away....because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But.....if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things..... about Holland.
By Emily Kingsley
Thoughts about the future.
Incredible Years has had a very good success rate for many years working in all areas of the city. We believe that our programmes, particularly when we run our parallel Dinosaur courses with children of the parenting groups can have a massive impact. This is an area that we feel really needs to be developed.
We are also finding that we are having a rapid increase in fathers attending our courses, which is really reassuring. Many children rarely encounter good male role models. Healthy emotional development in early childhood ideally needs father figures who can provide this dimension.
This significant increase in male attendees, we believe, is down to a number of features:
- The grapevine - Most of our referrals are self-referrers! The high quality of our courses over many years has meant that any stigma traditionally associated with parenting programmes has dissipated. I guess it is now pretty cool to attend a parenting course.
- High quality staff - The nature of the relationship developed between our team and the parents is critical in supporting the parent to implement the programme strategies.
- Programme fidelity - There are a number of studies that show a positive connection between measures of fidelity and the level of success. We deliver the programme as it was designed, with all the right protocols and techniques.
At Incredible Years, we firmly believe that we can attract more fathers as well as other minority groupings. Having said that, the number of fathers attending has increased by 100% over the past 12 months. our groups are stigma free and provide an effective learning environment. Parents, regardless of gender, who are seeking the best outcomes for their children will naturally want to attend.
Are you a parent? Are you a carer? Have you any thoughts you would like to share with us on parenting? What do you think about running groups in the evening? Would we get more couples coming along? What do you think about groups for couples only? What about groups for just dads?
If you have any thoughts about any of the points raised here then please get back to me at:
Tel: 0114 2331189
Fax: 0114 2331042