Working as part of a team under the direction of the centre manager, the role is threefold:
- - To ensure all families, including fathers and parents-to-be, are aware of the services available at the centre and have access to the support they need. These may be early years provision, health and family support and employment advice.
- - To facilitate groups within the centre and at other community venues. The focus of the groups comes under the Every Child Matters outcomes: Be Healthy, Enjoy and Achieve, Stay Safe, Make a Positive Contribution, Achieve Economic Wellbeing.
- - To provide outreach support to all families with children from birth to five years and parentsto-be, including those at risk of social exclusion. The FSOW makes home visits to families who cannot, or choose not to, come to the centre, to provide important information and access to the centre services.
Where families have complex needs, the FSOW works with the social care service, community nurse, specialist health service or substance misuse service. Families may have financial or marital problems, abuse of drugs or alcohol, a parent who is in hospital or in prison, and a lack of parenting skills.
The FSOW works a flexible 37-hour week and may need to be available at times when the family is together. Attendance at evening and weekend meetings is occasionally required. Accurate record-keeping is essential, with adherence to relevant policies on confidentiality and information sharing.
Working with families in distressing circumstances, or clients who are hostile, can be emotionally demanding and regular supervision is given to enable the FSOW to reflect on difficulties.
TRAINING
A Level 3 qualification in early years or social care is required, along with a recognised parenting programme qualification. An applicant should also have significant experience of delivering a range of support services to children and families and of developing positive working relationships with users.
The CWDC has developed the Families Going Forward course specifically for FSOWs whose existing qualification does not cover working with parents. This represents one unit of the Level 3 Work with Parents qualification. It is delivered in nine regions, and the programme will end in March 2011.
The 30-hour training programme is delivered by experienced tutors. Guidance is given on obtaining accreditation at Level 3 to meet the Work With Parents assessment criteria. There are 25 hours of post-course study, giving time for gathering evidence and referencing coursework to ensure accreditation. Practitioners can undertake further units (not funded) to gain a full Level 3 qualification.
FSOWs generally need a full driving licence, and have to undertake driving assessment before being allowed to use the centre transport; or, they should have access to public transport across the catchment area. Good literacy, numeracy and IT skills are needed, including an ability to use databases. An enhanced CRB check is essential.
CASE STUDY
Laura Parker 
'I am part of a small team at Little Oaks Children's Centre, located in the grounds of Romsey Primary School, Hampshire. We cover Romsey town and surrounding rural villages. Our team includes the centre manager, admin worker, finance officer and myself. Ours is a graduated programme and our catchment area has 1,100 children under five.
'I facilitate some groups at the centre and some at community venues. When we use community venues, we take all our equipment with us in the car and set up when we arrive. We then welcome families, chat to them about our service, get them registered and hand out our current What's On Guide. We have an outreach plan, where I go out and visit all local groups in the community. These can include pre-schools, parent and toddler groups, baby clinics, the library and so on. I am currently supporting one parent and toddler group in a rural village. They have no art and craft activities or messy play, so I go in once a month to provide this. The children really enjoy it.
'At our monthly Dads' Club, we provide a Stay and Play session for the first hour, then have a brunch. Afterwards, we have structured activities that have included trampolining, African drumming, soft toy making, singing, cooking and arts and crafts.
'Recently, I have supported Booktrust to help promote the Rhyme Challenge 2010. I have visited local parent and toddler groups and pre-schools. This involved a 30-minute session singing traditional nursery rhymes. We used musical instruments to help make this fun. I also promoted the benefits to parents and carers, especially the value of singing rhymes for children's speech and language development.
'I work with referred families on a one-to-one basis, normally within their homes. Families have different needs and my aim may be to reduce isolation, raise confidence and self-esteem, provide opportunities for play, offer links with parenting programmes, promote positive relationships or help with managing multiple under-fives. Family referrals generally come from the health visitor, although other agencies refer and some families will self-refer.
'I sometimes work at weekends. During the summer, for example, we had stands at the Mayor's Picnic and at the Romsey Sports Fair, where we handed out information and ran some activities for children.'
FURTHER INFORMATION.