The next workshop we took part in was the ‘Strengthening Families’ Programme by Liz Higgins, Strengthening Families Coordinator for North Lanarkshire. It is an 8 week programme held on Wednesdays from 5-8pm at Coatbridge Community Centre. The programme provides transport for participants, as well as a crèche for younger siblings being available, and is targeted at 10-14 year olds.
The aims of the programme are to reduce alcohol and drug use, reduce behavioural problems in adolescence, and to strengthen the parent/child relationship. It encourages interaction, participation, working together and having fun in group sessions. Rewards gained for excellent participation are not materialistic and are instead something like a night in with some friends or getting to choose what dinner to have. Children really come out their shells and compared to the first week they come in and are shy or uncomfortable, by the end of the programme lots more confidence is instilled into the young people.
The programme helps young people to avoid problems with drugs and alcohol, resist peer pressure, and communicate better with their parents.
The programme hopes to: continue to build on the learning and development of family relationships through an inclusive and holistic approach to working; support young people and their families to overcome any barriers to their learning, allowing them to build confidence in their growth and development, enabling them to reach their potential by returning into mainstream social activities; and help the families in utilising all of the skills that they have learned from the Strengthening Familes Programme and ensure that they recognise the importance of consistency.
The speaker finished by talking about the government’s approach to the programme. As a result from the Government Joint Services Inspection for Children and Young People in North Lanarkshire Report 2014, the Strengthening Families Programme was one of the projects that was upheld for best practice, which made it possible to ditch the “so what” attitude surrounding the programme.
The programme was very nearly lost due to a lack of funds, however it was luckily noticed and recovered by Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership, with extra funding being transferred over into the programme once more, and now ties into the Pheonix and Futures Partnership and Barnardo’s Axis Lanarkshire under a three year term with the hopes that after the short time period, the view that the programme is essential and beneficial to families will be adopted and funding will continue for the programme.
