1. Beyond the Project Cycle: Keeping Connected and Keeping Going
Norma Cameron, Rachel Tainsh and Amanda Muir

2. Common Themes Relationships User Involvement Accessibility
Mentoring and Peer Support

3. Securing the Future: Mellow Futures Toddlers
A new programme to support parents with Learning Disabilities with key life skills to strengthen relationships with their toddler, other parents, services and their wider community

4. Keys to Life Strategic Outcome
A healthy life, enabling people with learning disabilities to enjoy the highest attainable standard of living health and family life.

5. Context
It is estimated that between 40% and 60% of parents with a learning disability have their children removed from their care due to being assessed as unable to provide adequate standard of parenting
(Wilson et al 2013 quoted in IRISS Insights Parents with Learning Disabilities 2017)

6. Mellow Futures – increasing accessibility for Parents with Learning Disabilities
Mellow Futures Perinatal (Bumps and Babies) Programme
Mums experienced: increased confidence, increased skills, increased social support – Tarleton and Turner 2016
Cost-benefit analysis calculated reduced support costs of between £1287 -£4237 per family – Bauer and Williams 2015
Mellow Futures in Glasgow prevented placement and enabled a family to stay together

7. Why Mellow Futures Toddlers?
Some parents with learning disabilities require support to develop ‘good enough’ parenting skills
Mums completing the Mellow Futures perinatal programme asked for continuing help to adjust their parenting to the changing demands of living with toddlers.
Part of the nature of a learning difficulty is a poor flexibility in response to changing demands
Mellow
Futures
Toddlers
Manual

8. Who will benefit?
Parents will have increased understanding of the changing needs of their toddlers
Parents will receive support for themselves as people while prompting parenting skills
Children will benefit from stronger relationships with their parents and access to other community supports and opportunities to develop as active citizens.
Children who attend will become more “nursery ready” and that this will ultimately support preparation for school.

9. Who will benefit?
The group facilitators will share their learning as well as supporting and strengthening families who require additional support to parent.
The volunteer mentors will learn new skills and enable families to access wider community supports.
The local authorities will benefit from a refreshed delivery approach and opportunity to support some of the most vulnerable parents in their area.
Reduce the cost of more intensive ‘emergency’ family support that is sometimes required and support a reduction in the number of children on the child protection register and ultimately in foster care.

10. What did we do? Research Steering Group Topic and Activity Trials
Created Top tips
Created a film of a Mum and her toddler
Created a cartoon story
Created a new Parents and Toddlers programme
Connected with services and parents
Refreshed existing Futures programme

11. Mellow Mentors
Mentors are essential to the successful running of a Futures Toddlers group
Practitioners and mentors meet before the group
Introduce them to the family at a home visit
Every week, let mentors know how the group went and what topics were covered
Every week check with mentors how the home visit/community activities went before the next group

12. CANTRAY CREW CONNECTS

13. Structure/Key Elements Events
Initial Idea
Structure/Key Elements
Events
Committee
Clear Identity
Staffing
Sustainability

14. Challenges Accessibility Identifying/Meeting Individual Needs
Dynamics of Group

15. Successes Connected People Expanded Networks Project Ongoing Committee
Feedback
Fun!

19. Scenarios What would you do?
Challenges of re-establishing a group that has ended what are the particular challenges for parents with LD – what could mitigate this. Challenge of recruiting expectant Mums life gets in the way increases in CP concerns complex situations – poor housing how can services be responsive. Realistic to achieve in the time scale.

20. Keeping Going: Future & Beyond Staff Facilitation Committee Facebook
Events

21. Keeping Going: Equal Say and Stepping Stones
Partnership working
Training
Groups planned
Evaluation
No quick fix, capturing all the benefits of 14 weeks, takes time for changes to imbed. What has made the change.

22. Thank you for listening Any Questions?