This case study details how CELT’s civic strategy aims to foster a community response and approach to improving outcomes for children in the mid Cornwall area. To capture this learning an interview took place with Claire Bunting Director of Reach for CELT, led by Ann Van Dyke.
Overview
This case study details how CELT’s civic strategy aims to foster a community response and approach to improving outcomes for children in the mid Cornwall area. To capture this learning an interview took place with Claire Bunting Director of Reach for CELT, led by Ann Van Dyke.
This paper also gives a good example of how schools can support the achievement of Best Start and Family Hub aims.
Background and Objectives
CELT take a broad approach to improving outcomes for children, recognising that children are part of families who are part of communities who are part of society. There is a clear recognition that before children can learn well at school, a range of child and family needs must first be met.
The trust consists of five secondary schools and 11 primary schools based in the mid Cornwall area. All of the schools have welcomed and supported the civic strategy.
Reaching all of the services and support networks that can impact on family life has been a priority with two key areas of challenge identified. Firstly, a focus on 0 to 5 children struggling with speech and language in particular, and secondly supporting parents and young people with post 16 pathways.
CELT are keen to facilitate the locality group, rather than dictate a process encouraging collaboration across the range of different service providers locally who contribute to improving outcomes in the early years.
All primary schools within CELT use Wellcom, which supports EYFS practitioners to make expert assessments of children’s speech and language developmental progress at every step, and then to tailor their provision and planning to meet the needs of every child, prioritising those children who need extra support. All other primary schools in the locality apart from one also use WellCom and all agreed to share speech and language data on entry to primary school and baseline data to support planning work to improve ‘school readiness’.
Implementation
The project first started in one locality with a view to expanding as lessons are learnt. An initial mapping took place to identify all the different service and touch points who may be in contact with families from 0 to 5 years.
The stakeholders were brought together to begin the process of understanding the family’s journey, challenges along the way and how they can better work collectively to identify and meet need. An asset map of the locality was built collaboratively, to ensure that there was a shared knowledge of services available.
A number of challenges were identified at that point including how health services were stretched, our access to speech and language support was limited and that they were opportunities to support universal solutions.
In addition to speech and language development, transitions were also identified as a key gap and as a result common procedures were co-planned, agreed and were rolled out across the area, a single form and best practice ideas shared. Speech and language training was also offered and visits arranged to share best practice and build relationships across the range of early years settings.
Building relationships was critical to ensuring a collaborative approach and through that process mental health issues for children and families were also identified as an area to work collaboratively to support families..
Measures
Whilst it’s early days the stakeholder group is committed to sharing data, including WellCom assessments, baseline data. The voice of parents and carers along with children and young people is also constantly gathered and as a process measure the number of partnership/relationships built is monitored as well. It is hoped that improvements in speech and language will be evident on entry to primary school over time.
Next steps
The mapping of services continues, and in particular, the identification of parent and toddler groups as a key support system that often happens in the very voluntary sector.
The national literacy trust are linking closely with the toddler groups in other areas such as Cambourne and Redruth, and are supporting stay and play sessions and have shared talk to your bump resources county wide through antenatal appointments.
Reflections and Learning
Ensuring that our Trust board and Executive Leadership Team have developed our vision collaboratively to ensure that everyone agrees to the three-year Trust Strategy. Enabling a shared vision at a senior level has been key to this along with being explicit and public about the work (the what the why and the how).
Having a strategy for the work, and business planning for income generation is part of Claire’s post.
Building relationships across the whole system has been critical and taking time to visit, meet and understand the different contributions that the different services make has been key.
Working with the local authorities to compliment as opposed to compete with their strategic remix and plan support also ensures value for money. This also ensures that the work doesn’t sit in isolation but is very much a part of the bigger picture developing both locally and nationally.
Understanding the difference between those with practical resources and services, and the need to plan support strategically has also been a key learning point. Claire has recently been invited to the integrated care board for example, which will help identify early years as a potential participation gap for that group.
The emphasis for the trust has been an open “civic focus” which shows whole system ownership of improving outcomes for children and families.