Engaging parents in the
transition in and through work
Celine McStravick
Director
NCB NI
NCB’s vision is a society in which children and young
people contribute, are valued and their rights respected.
NCB’s mission is to improve children and young
people’s experiences and life chances, reducing the
impact of inequalities
NCB achieves its mission and
aims through:
•Policy
•Proof
•Practice
•Participation
•Partnership
Content
What does employability mean ?
Rationale for careers guidance?
What does the evidence tell us?
Can we re-frame service delivery?
Can we re-frame policy?
Challenges?
Employability
• Ability to gain employment
• Ability to maintain employment and make effective
transitions between jobs
• Employability assets
– Knowledge (what)
– Skills (how)
– Attitudes ( why)
Careers guidance rationale?
• Linked to employability assets
• Abilities are required
–
–
–
–
Career management skills
Job search skills
Strategic support
Demonstration of employability assets
External macro
factors
Effective Intervention
Careers Guidance?
Individual
Employability assets
•Knowledge
•Skills
•Attitudes
=
Personal
circumstances
Employability
What does the evidence tell us?
•1.16 million
What does the evidence tell us?
•48,000
•21.4%
What does the evidence tell us?
• ATTAINMENT
– By the age of 18 45% of those with no reported qualifications
had spent more than one year as NEET
– http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/building-engagement-buildingutures.pdf
• DEPRIVATION
– 16 year olds with free school meals more than twice as likely
to be NEET than peer group
What does the evidence tell us?
• Children's life chances are most heavily predicted on
their development in the first five years of life- (The
foundation years : preventing poor children becoming poor adults frank
fields)
• Gaps in the attainment of richer and poorer children
can open as early as 22 months and can have
implications for achievement in adult life. - (The
foundation years : preventing poor children becoming poor adults frank
fields)
What does the evidence tell us?
• Some employability skills include;
• Team working, communication, flexibility , initiative,
motivation, self awareness.
• School Readiness and skills development
• Impact of family
What does the
evidence tell us?
•Heckman (2000) argues that
children who develop well at
earlier ages and are ready to start
school are in a position to elicit
interactions and experiences
that accelerate their subsequent
development and facilitate their
achievement
Can we reframe service delivery?
• Where does careers guidance fit in the young
persons pathway to employment?
• Young NCB – “too late”, “my parents tell me the best
options for me”, “all the school cares about is results”
The Colin Area
•
•
•
•
Poleglass
Twinbrook
Lagmore
Kilwee
Largest deprived area in Northern Ireland with a total population
of 30,000. Same population as Newry City and Larger than
Coleraine with Large Town Status.
Deprivation
The Colin Neighbourhood Renewal Area has:
•The highest percentage of under 16s, 36% compared to 26% the average
across the 36 N.R. areas.
•Highest percentage of lone parent households with children, at 30%
compared to the average of 17% across the 36 N.R. areas and 6% in non
N.R. areas.
•KS2 - % Achieving level 4 or above Maths 2009
Colin area 69%, Non NR Areas 84%, N Ireland 82%
•School Leavers (2009) 5+ GCSE (A-C) Inc. Eng & Maths;
Colin area 41%, Non NR Areas 62%, N Ireland 58%.
•54% of those claiming Job Seekers Allowance are in the 16-36 yrs age
groups.
Some progress…
•
•
Strong, vibrant Community Neighbourhood
Partnership
Child and Family Support programmes
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Footprints Women's Centre
Ionad na Fuiseoige
Fathers development
SureStart
Roots of Empathy
Mellow Babies
New Parents Project with Health Visitors
BUT… What about Key Indicators;
Education, Health and Employment
% Achieved At Least 5 GCSE's grades A*-C (or equiv)
80
70
Colin
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
N Ireland
2004/05
N Ireland
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
Colin
2008/09
2009/10
Previous interventions have not
fundamentally changed outcomes within the
Colin area.
A different approach is required to break
the cycle of disadvantage.
The Early Intervention Strategy offers a
different and innovative approach.
Early Intervention Community in Colin
What is it?
• Where community Leaders understand
and lead the
development/implementation of Early
Intervention programmes
• Generates a positive vision for change
• Has Inter-agency support and
commitment
• Reflects local need/gaps
Colin Early Intervention Community
Vision:
Children, young people and families of the Colin
community will have the best possible lives where
hope will flourish.
Partners
Partners
Outcomes
Five cross cutting themes:
•Health and Well being
•Education and Training
•Parent support and Engagement
•Provision and Delivery of services
•Community Change/ Empowerment
The theme of Child Development was
integral to all outcomes and outputs
Outcomes
Health and Well being
•
There will be a reduction in rates of suicide and alcohol
and drug use in young people and adults.
Education and Training
•
Children will be better able to manage school
transitions
Parental Support and Engagement
•
There will be improved communication within families
Investment Principles
•
User Involvement
•
Evidence based
•
Sustainable
•
Connectedness
•
Evaluation, Tracking and Outcomes
Our Journey – the programmes/projects
School
Counselling
Parent
Support
Mellow
Babies
Mellow
Parents
Time to
Read
Roots of
Empathy
Incredible
Years
Speech and
Language
Can we reframe service delivery?
• Public Health Agency
– Family nurse partnership
– Roots of empathy
• Atlantic Philanthropy children and youth programme
– Social and emotional learning, resilience, parenting, literacy
and numeracy
Can we reframe policy?
• To develop effective career decision makers leading
to increased and appropriate participation in
education, training and employment”- Preparing for
success http://www.deni.gov.uk/microsoft word-preparing for
success implementation report march 2011.pdf
• “There is a particular challenge in promoting a
culture of expectation and aspiration among
pupils, their families and community and to
recognise the value of education”
Can we reframe policy?
• Pathways to success http://www.delni.gov.uk/pathways-tosuccess-consultation-document.pdf
– Planned actions
• A. Information
• B. Interventions
• C. Prevention
Challenges
• Investing the best possible support at the most
appropriate time
• Learning from our experience- what does the actual
evidence tell us?
• Targeted interventions with those most in need
– “in my experience parents are largely left to their own
devices which means that pushy, articulate middle class (it
literate) parents are in a far better position to support their
kids”
• Building connectivity amongst services and
sectors.
Final thought
• Are we listening?
• Are we learning?
• Are we changing?
NCB Northern Ireland
2nd Floor, Albany House
73-75 Great Victoria Street
Belfast BT2 7AF
Tel : 0208 9089 1730
Email : ncbni@ncb.org.uk
Web : www.ncb.org.uk