This case study describes how Parent champions were recruited by the LA through a range of services working with families. These parents worked alongside Dingley's and the LA and led their own activities to drive training engagement and develop parent on parent support locally.
Overview
The LA recognised that parents and carers are central to developing an early years inclusion strategy locally. Partnership with parents was vital to ensuring services were developed with as much impact as possible.
A clear aim to support universal inclusion whilst ensuring the best possible support for children was adopted and complimented by the LA being part of the Dingley’s Promise Inclusion project. This meant a huge opportunity for workforce reform as a training package was in place for all early years practitioners locally (the whole workforce working pre-birth to 5).
The approach
Parent champions were recruited by the LA through a range of services working with families. These parents worked alongside Dingley's and the LA and led their own activities to drive training engagement and develop parent on parent support locally.
The LA welcomed and encouraged participation in planning meetings and ideas/actions which resulted in the parents not only driving success in the overall project but also creating a line of accountability throughout.
Online meetings with Dingley’s were structured to enable the sharing of experiences with parents/carers across other areas, and support parent carers to develop their own strategies for change.
Activities
The parent carers proactively drove a demand-led change in encouraging early years providers and schools to take up the free training. They also encouraged parents and carers to take part on the basis that when families know what good inclusive practice looks like they will be empowered to have an informed dialogue with settings. Activities included;
• Visiting early years settings and schools
• Attending and presenting at network meetings
• Presenting at conferences
• Joining the LA meetings to contribute and hold partners to account
• Developing links with local mosques to link to the training
• Celebrating any setting who achieved the Dingley’s Mark of Achievement and
adding a personal thank you note to a presentation pack with the award
• Recruiting other parent/carers along the way to develop parent on parent
support
Outcomes and Learning
1. This approach has led to families reporting they feel part of positive change so on a personal level have reported feeling empowered to help themselves by helping others.
2. Parents also report they have benefited from making connections with other families both within and outside of Kirklees. New friendships have formed and been an invaluable source of support.
3. Kirklees have consistently been one of the highest performing areas taking part in the Dingley’s Inclusion Project reaching over 2000 practitioners with the training at the time of writing (95% of the total early years workforce).
96% of practitioners who complete the Dingley’s training report they can take more children with SEND as a result. The approach to the overall project and engaging parent/carers has without doubt impacted positively on developing and delivering inclusive approaches locally.