Skillshare Report

Evaluation report
The SkillShare Project:

providing training for parents and carers
a Staffordshire Parent Partnership Service project

supported by the Big Lottery Fund
Deb James
Consultant and trainer
Charities Evaluation Services
June 2012
Contents
1. Introduction --- --- --- --- p1

1.1 About the SkillShare project
1.2 Project context and background
1.3 SkillShare aims and objectives
1.4 SkillShare values and principles
1.5 About this evaluation
2. Methodology and sample --- --- --- p7

2.1 Evaluation methods
2.2 Sample and limitations
3. Findings performance --- --- --- p9

3.1 Skills workshops, support groups and partnerships
3.2 Delivering accessible, needs-led services
3.3 Engaging with parents and carers
3.4 User satisfaction
4. Findings outcomes --- --- --- p27

4.1 Increased parental resilience and capacity
4.2 Improved parental and family wellbeing
4.3 Increased local support for parents and carers
5. Discussion --- --- --- --- p42

5.1 Learning from the projects successes
5.2 Learning from the projects challenges
5.3 Learning from parents and carers
6. Conclusion --- --- --- --- p48

6.1 Revisiting the need for the SkillShare project
6.2 Conclusion
7. Appendices --- --- --- --- p52

7.1 Evaluation process
7.2 Evaluation sample
7.3 Project partners
8. Notes and references --- --- --- p55

1. Introduction
1.1 About SkillShare

The SkillShare project is one of several managed by Staffordshire Parent Partnership
Service. The Parent Partnership Service is a statutory service funded by Staffordshire
County Council. It operates independently as a support service for parents and carers
of children with special educational needs, offering them information and advice,
training and networking opportunities.
SkillShare was established in November 2007, with a five-year grant from the Big
Lotterys Reaching Communities Fund, to offer community-based training and support
for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities
(SEN).
The need for the project was established after a consultation with parents, carers and
service providers across Staffordshire, and a pilot parent training project. The pilot
involved delivering large, whole-day training events in urban centres between 2005-07.
Four events were held a year and each event was heavily oversubscribed,
demonstrating a clear need and demand for parent and carer training.
At its most basic, what parents were saying to us was that it made no
sense that everyone else involved in their childs life gets training apart
from them and yet they were the ones really dealing with the issues
every day, the ones who most needed it. (Parent Partnership Service
Manager)
Parent and carer feedback following the pilot project revealed high levels of demand
for more training sessions covering more topics, and at the same time highlighted
some frustration that holding the events over a whole day, and within urban centres,
made them less accessible to those with limited access to childcare, and to the many
parents and carers living in rural parts of the county.
The Parent Partnership Service, like other service providers working across the whole
of Staffordshire, faces particular challenges in ensuring good county-wide coverage
and equitable access to support for parents from all parts of the county. Staffordshire
is a large rural county covering 2713 sq km, and although the majority of its population
live in large towns and smaller market towns, there are issues of hidden deprivation in
more remote rural areas of the county, particularly in terms of access to services
areas where service provision is patchy or non-existent, and where the population is
ill-served by public transport.1
As well as the need for training, feedback from parents in contact with the service
suggested a further need for more locally-based peer support; for more opportunities
for parents of children with SEN to support and empower each other in a potentially
longer-term, more ongoing way. Although a number of parent-led support groups exist
in Staffordshire, in 2007 there were clear gaps in such provision in some rural areas,
Charities Evaluation Services page 1

and in coverage of some SEN conditions. In addition, feedback from the services
various voluntary and community sector (VCS) partners identified that they were
struggling to support parents because of a lack of capacity: a lack of the necessary
resources, skills and contacts to respond to what appeared to be a growing need for
support, particularly in more rural areas.
The Big Lottery Fund grant was therefore intended to enable the Parent Partnership
Service to develop a project that would address these three core needs: to offer
accessible parent training opportunities; to extend the network of both informal and
formal self-help and peer support opportunities available at the local level; and to work
with appropriate VCS partners to develop their capacity to reach and support more
parents.
1.2 Project context the needs of parents of children with SEN

National data on the incidence and prevalence of childhood disability and SEN is
inconsistent and not entirely reliable, not least because the existence of thousands of
disorders and conditions makes it difficult to quantify categories, while many children
have no official diagnosis at all.2 What is generally accepted, however, is that levels of
SEN among children and young people seem to be increasing.
The Department for Education has recorded an increase in identified and/or diagnosed
SEN from 19 per cent of the school age population (1.53m pupils) in 2006 to 21 per
cent (1.67m pupils) in 2011.3 In Staffordshire, similarly, an increase has been
recorded over the past five years, with the Staffordshire School Census of 2012
reporting there are at currently at least 18,354 children of school age in the county with
some kind of special educational need.4
Being the parent or carer of a child with SEN or disabilities brings challenges that vary
depending on the parents capacity and personal situation, the level of disability of the
child, and the resources and support available. Several national research studies
have shown, however, that such parents share in common a distinct set of
experiences (irrespective of the childs diagnosis) that set them apart from parents of
children without disabilities.
The evidence of these studies suggests that they are more likely than other parents to
experience poverty, relationship stress and breakdown, and general health and mental
health issues.5 Several national parent surveys have further evidenced the strain of
raising and caring for a child with SEN and how this can affect the wellbeing of parents
and families in an ongoing way, often leading to a damaging crisis or breaking point.6
Four themes that emerge strongly from this body of research are that parents and
carers of children with SEN and disabilities commonly experience:
Feeling isolated and unsupported for instance, lacking informal (friend and
family) support options, having poor access to childcare or respite opportunities,
and experiencing difficulty in receiving the amount and/or quality of support they

need. There is some evidence that this is worse for parents of children with
particular conditions (generally those that are not as easily diagnosed or where
there is a co-occurrence of conditions or co-morbidity). Delays in recognition and
diagnosis of a childs condition can leave parents isolated, struggling outside of the
system, and thus even less able to access the support they need for themselves or
their child.
Feeling undervalued and judged a recurrent theme in surveys of parents with

children with SEN and disabilities is that they often feel undervalued, that
professionals involved in their childrens lives do not listen well to their concerns or
take them seriously, and do not respect their expertise about their own child. Many
such parents feel judged not just by professionals, but also often by those around
them whose first response is often to assume that a childs difficulties are a result
of poor parenting.
Low confidence and lack of self-belief in parenting abilities parents of

children with SEN and disabilities often report a lack of confidence in their own
expertise and their ability to cope with their parenting role. This is reportedly
exacerbated for some by assumptions made by others around them, including
professionals, that they are somehow to blame for their childs difficulties and/or
lacking in true understanding of their childs condition.
High levels of stress and stress-related illnesses in common with other carer
groups, parents of children with SEN and disabilities often experience a high level
of stress which can manifest itself in conditions such as anxiety and depression.
This stress can negatively impact on their own but also their childrens and wider
familys wellbeing and family relationships, and is generally attributed to a lack of
information and support; lack of opportunity for discussion with, and sometimes
conflict with, professionals; dealing with the emotional and physical impact of the
childs condition; difficulties in balancing the needs of the child with those of
partners and siblings; a lack of sleep, time for oneself or respite; and feelings of
sadness, loss and guilt.7
Understanding of this common experience of parents of children with SEN informed

the Parent Partnership Services planning for the SkillShare project. This
understanding shaped the focus of the project and is reflected in its intended aims (the
differences it planned to make in the lives of parents and families).

1.3 SkillShare aims and objectives
The core aims of the SkillShare project were to build the confidence and skills of
parents and carers and to increase their ability to cope with the challenges of their
role; to reduce their isolation and stress; and ultimately to contribute to improved
mental wellbeing and family relationships. This was to be achieved both through direct
provision of activities for parents and carers, and through capacity-building with
parents and VCS partners to increase levels of support available for parents from
other sources. The table below summarises SkillShares planned activities
(objectives) and targets, and the changes the project hoped to bring about in the short-
term (intermediate outcomes) and in the longer-term (end outcomes).
End outcome 1: End outcome 2: End outcome 3:
Improved parenting Improved parent and More local support

resilience and capacity8 family wellbeing options for parents
Intermediate outcomes
Increased confidence as Reduced isolation An expanded network of
a parent self-help initiatives
Reduced stress and offering peer support
Increased knowledge improved mental
and skills in providing wellbeing
Increased skills,
for childrens needs
Improved family knowledge and reach of
Increased awareness of relationships voluntary and
and ability to access community-based
support available support providers
Objectives
Parenting skills Parenting skills Parent support groups
workshop events workshop events
VCS partnership work
Provision of information Parent support groups and capacity-building
and signposting
Targets
8-10 workshops a year 40 workshops to reach 4 parent support groups to
over 5 years (40 in total) to 2100 beneficiaries engage 40 parents and
reach 2100 beneficiaries carers as volunteers and
4 parent groups to be
100 as beneficiaries
Service information to be supported (3 condition-
shared at each workshop specific and 1 generic
10 VCS organisations to be
SEN)
involved in the planning
and delivery of workshops

1.4 SkillShare values and principles
As well as committing to the service delivery targets outlined above, the Parent
Partnership Service also identified in the design of the project some important values
and principles that it wanted to embed within its delivery. The project was committed
through all its work to ensuring that its activities should be:
Accessible and needs-led

The project would bear in mind the common barriers to accessing services faced
by parents of children with SEN, and intended to be proactive in addressing these
barriers. For instance, paying due regard to the location and timing of sessions,
and the financial constraints and childcare support issues facing many parents,
particularly within the Staffordshire context of rural isolation and lack of access to
affordable and accessible services in parts of the county where need was known to
exist.
Developed in consultation with parents

The projects vision was that services should be developed in a partnership with
parents, maximising opportunities for parental involvement at whichever level
parents felt able to participate from consulting them about what should be
delivered, to involving them in the planning and delivery of the project as
volunteers. This was felt important so that the project could ensure it was being
responsive to need, and at the same time demonstrate that it valued and wanted to
empower a group of parents whose experience often leaves them feeling
disempowered and undervalued.
Developed in partnership
SkillShare planned to work in partnership with both statutory and voluntary
agencies so as to add value to and not duplicate existing provision, and, in the
case of VCS providers, to work in such a way as to enhance the capacity of small
local organisations to deliver more, for more parents, in the future.
1.5 About this evaluation

Charities Evaluation Services (CES) was commissioned by the Staffordshire Parent
Partnership Service in April 2012 to conduct an independent evaluation of the project
in its fifth and final year. The evaluation had four main objectives:
To assess the achievements of the SkillShare project, particularly (though not

solely) with reference to its original objectives, targets and guiding principles
To assess the outcomes of the projects work for its beneficiaries parents,
families and local service providers
To identify learning from the project that might usefully inform future planning and
enable the Parent Partnership Service to build on its successes and sustain what
works well

To engage key stakeholders in re-assessing need and demand, thereby improving
the services understanding of the current and potential future need for the project.
The following questions were identified as the most important for our evaluation.
Performance, outputs and effectiveness: Has the SkillShare project achieved

what it set out to do? How successful has it been at meeting its targets? How
satisfied are stakeholders with the projects activities and the way these have been
delivered?
Outcomes and impact: What outcomes have been seen for parents and carers
and their families, and for local provision; what difference has the project made,
and to whom and in what ways has it made a difference?
Process and learning: Has the project worked in the way it hoped to (that is, in
line with its original principles and vision)? What factors have contributed to any
identified success in achieving goals and outcomes, and what has been learnt from
the experience (for example, about what works well) that could help shape the
future direction of the project?
The future of the project: Has the need for the project changed? Is it still
needed, and, if so, what evidence is there of this?
In the next section of this report we describe how we conducted our evaluation and
who was involved, before focusing on our findings within the four broad areas of
performance; outcomes; learning; and the future of SkillShare.

2. Methodology and sample
2.1 Evaluation methods

Our evaluation has been based on a multi-method approach. We used the following
methods:
Analysis of existing project data

A review and analysis of project documentation, output and outcomes data (eg,
from attendance records, evaluation forms, consultation questionnaires, funders
reports, publicity and promotional materials) to enable us to explore the projects
performance and achievements.
A survey of service users (parents and carers)

An online survey open to all parents and carers who had attended SkillShare
activities over the past five years to assess their views on the quality and
usefulness of the workshops, learning and outcomes, and the impact on theirs
and/or their families lives (if and how beneficiaries have gone on to use what they
have learnt for the benefit of themselves and/or their families). The survey was
also intended to support our assessment of need and to explore parents and
carers ideas about the future of the project.
Qualitative interviews with SkillShare staff and volunteers, service users and
project partners
A programme of 20 qualitative, semi-structured telephone interviews to enable us
to explore satisfaction with the programme, outcomes for beneficiaries and learning
in more depth from a range of stakeholder perspectives. All interviews apart from
Parent Partnership Service staff interviews were to be conducted by telephone as
we had identified this as a more convenient method for the client group, for whom
we understood attending face-to-face interviews would be difficult for practical
reasons (notably barriers in relation to transport and childcare commitments).
Our data collection processes and methods of analysis are described in Appendix 1.
2.2 Sample and limitations

In total the evaluation involved 96 project stakeholders as summarised below.
Evaluation activity Individuals

Survey of parents and carers 80
Interviews with parents and carers 10
Interviews with partners 9
Interview with staff 2
Total 101*
* Note five parents interviewed had also completed the online survey, making the
total of individuals involved 96, not 101. More information on the profile of our sample
is included as Appendix 2.

Survey of parents and carers
We hoped to achieve a sample of 100 parents and carers but received only 80
responses to our online survey. Though not as large a sample as we would have
liked, an analysis of respondents profile (see Appendix 2) revealed that we had
nonetheless reached a good cross-section of parents with children with different SEN
conditions, and participants from all quarters of the county. Participants who had
attended three or more workshops were slightly over-represented in our sample. We
therefore revisited our sampling for the qualitative interviews to include a higher
proportion of parents and carers who had attended only one or two workshops. Men
were under-represented in our survey sample, though this made for a sample fairly
representative of the overall take-up of SkillShare activities, where men are likewise
under-represented.
Parent and carer interviews

We interviewed ten parents and carers of children with SEN, eight mothers and two
fathers. Four had attended only one workshop event, two had attended two, and the
remaining four had attended three or more workshops. Two had also attended parent
support groups set up by SkillShare. A further four parents were involved through
interviews with partners, as the respondents were both partners (staff or volunteers
within VCS organisations) and themselves parents of children with SEN, though only
three of these had attended workshops as parents, with the fourth attending as a
presenter.
Staff interviews
The project has been delivered from the beginning by a part-time Project Co-ordinator.
Unfortunately, however, the post-holder left her job just before the evaluation started
which meant we were unable to interview her. We did, however, interview two
managers from within the Parent Partnership Service who had been closely involved in
the development and management of the project from the outset, one of whom was
the SkillShare Co-ordinators line manager throughout the life of the project, and we
were given full access to the Co-ordinators files and records (with due regard to client
confidentiality) from the beginning of the project.
Partner interviews
We interviewed nine representatives of partner organisations, including leaders of
parent support groups set up with SkillShare support. Our partner interviews gave us
additional insights into SkillShare workshop events from those involved in parent
support groups (three) who had attended workshop events not just as supporters or
presenters, but also as parents of children with SEN. This led to three longer
interviews where we were able usefully to explore the respondents experience and
views from both perspectives.

3. Findings - performance
In this section of our report we consider the SkillShare projects performance and
effectiveness, how far the project has achieved its delivery targets, and to what extent
it has delivered in accordance with its original vision and guiding principles.
3.1 Performance against target
Has the project delivered to plan and met its service delivery targets?
SkillShare has met or exceeded all of its delivery targets: by the end of the project it
will have delivered 101 workshop events on a wide variety of topics in 51 different
venues around the county, and achieved more than 2,800 attendances at these. It
has helped establish and sustain four new parent support groups, and undertaken
partnership work and/or capacity-building activities with 21 voluntary and community
sector organisations.
Workshop events
The project had an original target to deliver at least eight to ten workshop events a
year over five years, that is, between 40 and 50 in total. This target was increased
after the first year when it became clear that the need was greater than anticipated,
with workshops oversubscribed from the very beginning of the project, and when the
project co-ordinator identified that more could be delivered for more parents within the
resources allocated. (This was thanks in part to partner in-kind contributions, for
example, venues and staff time.) The final agreed target was to deliver 55 workshop
events in total. SkillShare has exceeded this target, delivering 94 workshops of
varying lengths by the time of our evaluation, with a further 6 workshops and a
learning event/celebration planned and bookings already coming in. This means that
at the end of the project 101 events will have been delivered.
Year of project Events target Events delivered Whole day equivalents

Year 1 (2007-08) 8 15 8
Year 2 (2008-09) 11 16 13
Year 3 (2009-10) 12 32 19
Year 4 (2010-11) 12 23 18
Year 5 (2011-12) 12 15 13
Totals 55 101 71
An analysis of workshop records revealed that the 101 events equate to some 71
whole day equivalents an average of 14 days provision a year. Events have varied
in size from small targeted local events for up to 25 participants to larger events and
conferences attracting up to 120 participants. The timing and length of the events has

varied depending on the topic and focus, and parental preference. Some have been
one-off, full-day or half-day workshops, others a series of half-day or shorter
workshops, or courses varying between three and six short evening sessions.
Most of the half-day and full-day events have followed a similar model of expert
presenters (sometimes just one, sometimes two or three per session), presenting on
different aspects of a topic with regular breaks for round table discussions and
questions and answers from parents. Opportunities for informal networking between
parents have been built into all sessions via the round table arrangement, regular
breaks and, for all day events, lunchtime and/or end-of-event networking time.
Many of the presenters used were not only specialists in their field but were also
individuals able to combine practical hands-on knowledge as well as theoretical or
academic expertise. Some were themselves parents, carers or educators of young
people with SEN. An extra dimension was added to several events by the inclusion of
others with first-hand experience of SEN, including parent-presenters and/or adults
who themselves have conditions such as high functioning autism, dyslexia or
dyspraxia.
Whats different is that SkillShare always makes sure theyve got

someone there whos credible, who knows from first-hand experience
what theyre talking about. When you get so used to hearing
professionals speak professional speak, its refreshing to hear a take on
things thats more real world. (parent)
The workshop I went to there was a young man with high functioning
autism talking about his experience that worked really well and
provided great insights into our sons world. (parent)
They choose their speakers carefully; they are very knowledgeable and
practical. (VCS partner)
A small number of events (one or two a year) have involved children as well as
parents or have taken a different approach to the more usual workshop or conference
structure. These have included delivery of, and/or support for, relaxation days for
parents, input into family fun days organised by various partners, and family homework
skills sessions (two short courses supporting parents of children with SEN, who
themselves also have SEN, to work together to improve family literacy and numeracy).
These initiatives have been seen as useful opportunities to try different ways of
working to respond to parent or partner requests and identified needs, and at the same
time opportunities for SkillShare to meet new parents and promote the project.
The table below shows the diversity of topics covered in the workshop events, though
it does not do justice to the actual range of issues and concerns covered for instance
any one workshop on a particular condition might have covered a range of issues
including behaviour management, rights and entitlements, accessing support, or
methods and techniques for managing anxiety or stress. Within the workshops we
have categorised as generic, topics covered included behaviour management,

dealing with transition, relaxation and stress management, moving and handling,
supporting siblings, family homework skills, building self-esteem, building family
harmony, and an overview of the SEN system.
Event topic/theme Number of events

Autism (incl. 2 on co-morbidity) 30
Generic SEN 25
Dyslexia 19
Dyspraxia 7
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 6
Support group skills 5
Hearing impairment 4
Downs syndrome 2
Attachment disorder 2
Global development delay 1
Total 101
Provision of information and signposting

One of SkillShares key objectives was to provide information and signposting for
parents. From records of events, evaluation forms and parent feedback, we found
evidence that SkillShare maximised opportunities to share information about issues,
services and opportunities for consultation at each workshop. This was done variously
through the facilitators presentation, displays and leaflets on relevant projects and
services, and inviting partner organisations to bring along information and/or attend in
person to raise awareness of their services and activities. We also found some
evidence that if parents asked for information not available at the workshop, the Co-
ordinator recorded this, followed it up and passed on this information as part of her
post-event action, making follow-up calls or writing to participants as needed.
Parents were asked in event evaluation forms if they had had time to look at the
information resources (leaflets, books etc.) on display at the event. Our analysis found
a high return rate of evaluation forms (upwards of two-thirds of participants at most
events). A majority of those who filled in forms said they had taken the opportunity to
access the information/resources. Both survey respondents and interviewees
mentioned the value of having relevant service information available at the events.
Everything that parents raised, he [the facilitator] would suggest places

to go for further help or websites or organisations. It was so useful. I not
only had his slides, but I also took five pages of notes! (parent)

Theres always useful information to find out or take away and you get
the notes from any presentations which is good. (parent)
Parent support groups

The SkillShare project had a target to set up four new parent support groups to
promote self-help and peer support among parents, increasing the number of groups
in the county from eight to twelve overall. This target has been achieved with four
groups established and supported, and the project is in the process of liaising with a
parent volunteer wanting to set up a new support group for parents of children with
dyslexia in North Staffordshire addressing an identified area of unmet need. If this
group successfully takes off as hoped, following a planned summer workshop, this will
mean the original target has been exceeded. The groups established with SkillShare
support are as follows.
New parent support groups Part of county covered
Tamworth dyspraxia group Burton & Tamworth

Stafford dyspraxia group Stafford & South Staffordshire
Staffordshire ASD group County-wide but meeting in Stafford
Whits-end ADHD group Cannock and Lichfield
The vision was that holding workshops in local venues would be a good way to bring
parents together with others in similar situations in their area, and that this would
increase the likelihood of parents wanting to, and being able to, stay in touch with and
support each other on a more ongoing basis after the event. This proved to be the
case, with all four support groups starting from ideas suggested at workshops or kick-
started with a workshop event. The process of developing a fifth group has also been
the result of a parent suggestion following a workshop event.
Often the trainer will say you can stay behind after and network and
chat, and at this one the parents did stay behind and thats how we
started the group, with [SkillShare Co-ordinators] support. Thats what
got it going. (parent volunteer with support group)
Id like to set up a group and Ive been trying for a while then after a
workshop I spoke to [SkillShare Co-ordinator] and she said she was
planning to set up a parents workshop to do with dyslexia in our area
and were hoping on that basis then I can set up a parents group, that
the day will pull people in and lead to something. (parent)
For each group the support was tailored to the needs of the parent volunteers involved
and the stage of development of the group. We were able to identify four main types
of support given:

Help to develop the confidence and skills to run a group, including support and
advice from the SkillShare Project Co-ordinator and training sessions for parent
volunteers wishing to lead the group
Brokering links with others who could support the group for instance, introducing
parent volunteers to professionals and other groups who could input into group
activities and/or share learning from their own experience
Provision of information and resources (practical and financial) to establish and/or

sustain groups
Practical help to promote the group and recruit parents, to tackle problems along
the way (such as a drop in membership), and ultimately to become self-sustaining.
Our interviews with the volunteers running the parent support groups provided useful
insights into the work undertaken.
She [SkillShare Co-ordinator] put forward the idea of someone taking

over and running a group after one of the workshops. I took it on and we
had several meetings and chatted about how to get it running and she
put me in touch with a co-ordinator from the Dyspraxia Foundation and
met with us both. . She got the ball rolling and then she was just there
for me if I needed her, like shed come to one of my group meetings with
the parents as well to see how it was going and to give me feedback
from it.
When we first started we ran a series of workshops that she [SkillShare

Co-ordinator] organised for us and that helped us gel as a group.
She helped us buy books and resources from a special needs catalogue
to bring to the meetings so that parents could find out more about whats
available and borrow them because theyre not easy to find or can be
really expensive.
There has been more hands-on involvement with three of the groups, as one, the
ADHD group, has from the outset been more strongly parent-led. For both dyspraxia
groups, there has been more intensive work as they hit problems with declining
membership after two years. At this stage the Co-ordinator was actively involved in re-
energising and re-establishing the groups. This work including identifying and
supporting new group leaders and parents able and willing to take on a more active
role in running the group.
The group started off as a kind of workshop but then branched off into a
support group then we hit a period when the number of parents
seemed to disintegrate so there was just me and one other lady that
attended so [SkillShare Project Co-ordinator] encouraged us to take
it over and helped us get it up and running again. (parent support group
volunteer)

In the fourth year of the project, the main focus of the work was to increase the
independence of the groups from SkillShare so that they could become more truly
parent-led. This work included: training and one-to-one support and advice for group
leaders; holding transitioning meetings with parents and volunteers to encourage and
enable them to take on more of an active role at the point at which a reduction in
SkillShare support was planned; and promoting sharing of learning between the
groups for instance, introducing a parent support group volunteer from one
successful group to visit another group to share her learning.
VCS partnership work and capacity-building

In its development of partnerships with VCS organisations, SkillShare has exceeded
its original delivery target. Over the life of the project some 21 VCS organisations
have been involved in the planning and delivery of workshops, double the original
target of 10. A list of the VCS partners involved in workshop events is included as
Appendix 3.
Our analysis of project reports and interviews with a sample of these organisations
reveals some variety in the level of joint work undertaken and support given. Some
have been involved in the planning and delivery of events, others involved in both
workshops and delivering support to newly established parent support groups, a few
only in feeding in ideas about workshops through consultation with their members and
then promoting them. Fourteen of the organisations involved in the project are
relatively small, often volunteer-led local organisations or networks, while seven are
branches of larger national organisations.
For the smaller, local organisations, the emphasis of the joint work has been more on
capacity-building and skills development as originally intended within the project plan,
whereas for the larger ones the emphasis has been more on joint working to improve
the reach of both organisations (SkillShare and the partner organisation) and/or to
increase the amount of information available to parents about activities and support
available to them. Those representatives of larger organisations we interviewed
acknowledged that they did not feel they needed capacity-building support, but had
still been keen to work with the SkillShare project in order to raise their profile, or to
enhance their reach and the range of activities they could offer.
For us it was more about staying in touch and sharing information about
each others work. I wouldnt say we needed support beyond that.
She consulted us and our parents on what was needed and we worked
together on a couple of events that we felt were needed.
We found the projects partnership work involved the following broad areas of activity.
Regular contact and sharing of information between the organisations, and

consulting with members of partner organisations to establish or verify need in local

areas or in relation to particular SEN conditions.
Working together on one-off or more regular events to meet the needs of members
of the organisations. This involved planning, promoting and delivering workshops
and other activities.
Offering advice, support and training to the staff and volunteers of smaller
organisations and local groups, including putting them in touch with other agencies,
brokering partnerships, to help those organisations better meet their overall aims.
She [SkillShare Co-ordinator] came and met with me and really it was
about asking me what I felt parents needed so I asked the parents and
fed that back to her and then the workshops were developed so that was
really good, being consulted and having the chance to say what they
should be doing, and now I get their emails and I can then send these on
to the parents so they know whats going on, which is beneficial. (VCS
project partner)
We jointly organised several events. It was a very good experience .

It was a really good partnership working together we both wanted to
get information to or from parents and it worked well. (VCS project
partner)
They did a workshop on counselling and giving help over the phone that
I went to and then weve also received advice and information regularly
after that and could contact them if we needed to. (VCS project partner)
3.2 Reach and accessibility
Has the project reached the numbers of parents it planned to, and how far has
it provided services that are accessible to those most in need of support?
By the end of the project there will have been c.2,862 attendances at SkillShare
workshop events by perhaps as many as 2,000 parents and carers. The four new
support groups have exceeded their target to engage with 100 parents, with
approximately 250 members on current lists, at least 80-100 of whom could be
classed as having been active since the groups started. Proactive work to provide
truly accessible services has resulted in the project being accessed by some of the
parents and carers most in need of support in Staffordshire.
Numbers of beneficiaries
Our analysis of the attendance data from workshop events suggests that by the end of
the project SkillShare will have achieved its revised target of 2,835 total attendances,
as indicated in the table below. (The original target was 2,100 but this was increased
as the project began to offer more workshop events from its second year onwards.)

Target Achieved
Total attendances at workshops 2,835 2,862
Reported membership of newly

100 250
established parent support groups
Note - Our total attendances achieved figure for workshops is not a definitive figure
as it includes estimates of attendance for the remaining six workshops. However, we
can safely forecast this final figure as these are informed estimates based on previous
levels of bookings for the topics and type of events, the capacity of the venues, and
the current state of advance bookings for the four that have already been publicised.
Note - Membership figures for the four support groups are approximate because the
volunteer group leaders we interviewed could not all be precise about numbers, which
have fluctuated over the past five years. The figure of 250 relates to all those on the
groups current contact lists. However, in each instance, the number of regular
attendees at group meetings was significantly smaller than the overall membership,
particularly where groups have established large online (Facebook) networks. Group
leaders estimates of those actually attending meetings over a period of a year would
reduce this figure to currently closer to 80 across the four groups. If we consider all
those who have attended the groups across the five years of the project, this would be
more than 80, and closer to the original target of 100 beneficiaries.
It should be noted that SkillShares record-keeping system has not allowed it to easily
maintain records that would enable the project to differentiate between the numbers of
attendances and the number of actual individual parents who have benefited from the
workshop events. We did, however, review the projects attendance records and
consider the size of the SkillShare mailing list (people who have attended workshops,
but also others who may not yet have been able to attend, as well as professionals
and other agencies). This analysis has allowed us to generate an estimate that the
2,862 attendances equate to somewhere in the region of 1,900-2,000 individuals.
Promoting accessibility
When we asked parents and partners how far they felt SkillShare had provided
accessible workshops, all felt that the project had tried very hard to do this with some
success. There was widespread praise for the variety and choice of locations and the
timings of workshops and the fact that they were free all of which respondents linked
to making the events accessible, though several mentioned that many parents would
still experience difficulties with travelling to venues and making weekday daytime
sessions because of their caring and/or work commitments. (The majority of sessions
have been delivered as weekday half-day or short day events, ie, having regard to
school times and school run commitments.)

These comments from parents and project partners capture common perspectives on
accessibility issues generally, and the projects attempts to ensure good accessibility.
Id say theyve done a good job and gone into as many areas as they
can but youll never please everyone because Staffordshires such a
difficult county to cover. (VCS partner)
The timing has been a good thing but even with a shorter day it can be
difficult and sometimes you cant stay for the whole thing. Its just how it
is for us. (parent)
Because we have a car it wasnt a problem for us, but for others I could
imagine it would be because you cant just get a bus. The problem is
that in Staffordshire the populations are either end and then theres just
very rural in between. (parent)
There are other workshops around but not locally and for everything
else Ive seen you have to pay. A lot of people like me wont have the
money to pay, so thats been important, to make sure we can benefit too,
its not just for those who can afford to pay. (parent)
My only negative would be that I wish they had more sessions not on
weekdays. I work and it means my wife could go but I cant. Ive only
managed to get to one workshop. Youd get more fathers going if it
could be weekends or evenings, especially Saturdays would be good.
The project has taken steps to promote the workshops very widely and used a
range of methods including:
Promotion in newsletters including Parents in the Know (the Parent Partnership

Newsletter), the Childrens Disability Services newsletter and partner newsletters
Promotion to members of other organisations and groups via distribution of
information and/or visits and talks
Community outreach visits and stalls at open days and community events
Fliers distributed to schools, libraries and GP surgeries
Promotion via a dedicated page on the Parent Partnership website
Press releases.
Because the project has not routinely monitored how people have heard about the
workshops, we are not able to make an assessment of the contribution of each
specific method to increasing awareness of and accessibility of the workshops. The
general perception of parents and partners, however, was that the project had worked
hard to make as many parents as possible aware of the workshops, though a few felt
that more could be done to promote signposting and referrals from health
professionals and schools.

We always get the information and pass it on. They seem very
proactive to me about making sure people know whats going on. (VCS
partner)
I know theyve done a lot but theres a lot of parents out there I think
wouldnt be aware. Perhaps they could have more information in
schools and libraries, shops, that kind of thing. (parent)
Its by chance you hear, or you contact Parent Partnership and they tell
you, so I think a lot wont know still. There ought to be more signposting
from the professionals, maybe when you get your diagnosis, or more
information in schools that they could pass on. (parent)
Reaching parents in most need

We wanted to understand, over and above general questions about the accessibility of
the projects activities, who has accessed SkillShare activities and why; what their
situations and needs were. In terms of those most in need of support, we were
particularly interested to explore SkillShares success in reaching the following groups:
parents who lack access to information and support because of the area in which
they live
parents who lack information and support because there is less available for the
particular condition(s) their child has and/or their condition is less straightforward or
less easily diagnosed
parents who experience additional stresses over and above their caring role, for
instance, being socially isolated, a single parent and/or living on a low income, or
parents who themselves have some kind of educational, language or
communication support need.
Reach to parents in isolated and/or under-resourced areas

Overall our analysis suggests that SkillShare has achieved considerable success in
reaching parents who are isolated from other support because of where they live. The
workshops have been held in more than 20 well-considered locations, both urban and
rural, giving a good spread of provision across the county, as illustrated below.
County area Events Attendances

Burton & Tamworth 37 731
Stafford & South Staffordshire 35 1,113
Newcastle & Moorlands 15 533
Cannock & Lichfield 14 485
Totals 101 2,862

Workshops have all been well-attended with the project achieving over 90 per cent
take-up of the available spaces. Most of the workshops have actually been fully
booked but there has been a small drop-out of parents at the last minute, which the
project staff have considered a reflection of the difficulties of committing in advance to
time away from family responsibilities when caring for a child with support needs or
disabilities. About 90 per cent of the sessions were actually oversubscribed, with
waiting lists, which sometimes led to repeats of a session some time later to respond
to obvious parental demand.
Though the project has not maintained a central database with postcode records that
we could analyse, we know from our interview with project staff and feedback from
parents that the majority of participants in workshops, by virtue of their circumstances,
were relatively local to the area. (Every parent we interviewed mentioned the
difficulties of travelling too far for workshops, some because of transport difficulties but
all also because of childcare commitments which meant they could not be too far away
from home or their childs school. Only two of our interview respondents said they
would travel, and indeed have travelled, some distance (over an hour) to go to an
event where they felt it to be really needed or valuable in some way and not on offer
locally; both at the same time acknowledged that they felt fortunate to be able to do
this and that they felt this was probably uncommon.)
Our day starts from the point the child gets on the school bus and ends
when they get back on the school bus, thats the time we have so its
been great to have something close enough you can actually go to for a
change. (parent)
With the SkillShare project it meant they could do so much more, go

around the county and be available to local communities rather than
having to have one thing centrally because parents would struggle to get
to those. Its been the variety of workshops and the variety of places.
When youve got children with difficulties you havent got that time to
drive from one end of the county to another Its really important that
theyve been accessible and local to communities and that they can
focus on what that particular community needs. (VCS project partner)
We had to leave early as we just cant not be there when school

finishes. A lot of people would be in that situation I think. When I told
him (presenter) we had to leave, he commented on this and everyone
just got it, they exactly understood how it is. (parent)
Reach to parents of children whose condition is less well understood,

recognised or supported
Our interview respondents were all agreed that prior to the SkillShare project,
provision was lacking not just in some geographical areas, but also for particular SEN
conditions. Parents and partners we spoke to felt that some conditions are generally
better catered for in terms of awareness, services and support, leaving some parents
outside the (SEN) system (for instance, because they do not have a diagnosis or

receive a late or complex co-morbidity diagnosis, making access to support more
problematic).
Our fieldwork and analysis suggests that SkillShare has had considerable success at
focusing its activities where most needed, so as to redress this imbalance and reach
such parents. Workshops have covered a broad range of topics in response to
demand and need, with regard to under-served topics such as dyspraxia, dyslexia and
autism, global development delay, attachment disorder, and co-morbidity of conditions.
Our interviews with both parents and partners highlighted a perception that the
workshops have been well-targeted to reach parents who would otherwise be less
likely to have access to support through statutory or mainstream sources.
What we seem to find is that some disabilities are better catered for, the
parents have very good support networks for some disabilities,
particularly for parents of children who are in special schools because a
lot of support comes along with that. If youve got, for instance a child
with Downs Syndrome or hearing impairment, often then youll have
been in the system a long time so the support is there, but I think for
other issues, like autism or things that are often diagnosed much later
and particularly if your child is in a mainstream school, then the issues
are quite different, the need is very different and I feel thats often been
reflected in the topics parents put forward that SkillShare has then taken
forward and focused on. (VCS project partner)
I think its great that theyve covered dyslexia and dyspraxia. Theres
very little other support out there for these issues in the way there is now
for things like autism. (parent)
Id never even heard of global development delay until our daughter was
diagnosed, theres no help out there for it, and even after she was
diagnosed it wasnt until I went to the workshop that I realised its not
actually even a condition as such. (parent)
They just said go away [at diagnosis] and youre absolutely at a loss,
theres just nothing out there. I get nothing for my son because its a
rarer condition. Even with autism, theres this assumption things are
there for you the knowledge is there more now but the support isnt
there. This [SkillShare] is the only thing Ive found to help me. (parent)
Reach to parents facing additional challenges (eg, social isolation, educational

or communication problems of their own, poverty or single-parenting)
The project has not routinely monitored details about parents attending events, in large
part because of a desire not to make initial contact overly bureaucratic with form-filling
and data collection (something parents of children with SEN commonly complain about
in relation to statutory service provision). However, we found powerful evidence in the
words of the parents in our survey and those we interviewed, that the project is
reaching parents who are socially isolated and struggling without other support.

Almost all respondents said that before attending a SkillShare event they had felt
isolated and unsupported, with several recalling their first workshop and using the term
lifeline or lifebelt to describe what it represented to them after a period of feeling
incredibly isolated. Four respondents specifically mentioned feeling that single parents
were well-represented at many of the workshops (something we have not been able to
verify). However, several also shared concerns that there were others out there that
the project might need to reach out to with respondents mentioning specifically
young parents, and those who had just received a diagnosis, pinpointing this as the
most difficult time for many parents and the time when support might be most needed.
It was a lifeline I cant explain how much difference it made. (parent)
You get some parents come and theyre in a state absolutely

desperate, no-one around them to turn to for help, and most of us know
what thats like because weve been there too. I remember the first time
I went to a workshop . My child had been diagnosed, my marriage
was breaking up, I had no-one, I was in tears when I got there. (parent)
Id say the majority of us that go are single parents. Youll find thats
really common in our situation. The pressure is just too much and so a
lot of couples just go under . Its why these kinds of events are even
more important because so many of us are struggling on our own.
(parent)
In terms of who most needs it, well we all do, but things are different
now than when my son was diagnosed and theres less available so I
think the only thing Id say is they should make sure they keep trying to
get those people who arent quite in the system yet. (parent)
I think there are probably a lot of parents out there who dont know how
to access these workshops. (parent)
Its the young parents, theyre the ones I really worry about, I dont know
if theyre reaching out to them or even how they would but they concern
me. Im in my 40s and Im struggling, I have no idea how someone in
their early 20s, say, would manage. (parent)
I wonder a bit if youre to some extent preaching to the converted .

Youve got to be an interested or motivated parent to go to a certain
extent, so are you reaching the hard to reach? I think some people
wont go to things on their own you need a certain level of confidence
to go along to start which isnt something SkillShare could necessarily
address. Yes, theyre friendly events, very welcoming, but you wouldnt
know that till you got there. (VCS partner)

We found evidence of the project grappling with these issues, and particularly the
issue of making sure that activities were not only accessible to parents who were
already in the loop or relatively well-supported by other services. For instance, as the
SkillShare mailing list was developed, for a while this was used as a primary route for
mailing parents information about workshops. After reflecting on attendance patterns,
the project then decided that this could potentially give places to parents who had
already attended, or who were in the information loop, to the exclusion of parents who
had received no support from SkillShare to date. They therefore decided to stagger
publicity methods, using community and media promotion first, and only then
promoting to parents on existing mailing lists. This proved successful in ensuring a
wider reach to isolated parents and engaging more who were new to the project.
The project has also made an offer of childcare and help with travel costs for parents
to address these potential barriers to attendance, though in fact take-up of this support
had been relatively low. The Co-ordinator was proactive in offering support to parents
contacting the service who were anxious or lacking in confidence about attending a
workshop for the first time, or who needed support and encouragement to attend for
instance, offering to look at finding a car-sharing option, or arranging for someone to
attend with them.
We also found evidence that the project had considered how to reach out to groups
facing additional disadvantage. For instance, when alerted to a need among Asian
mothers of children with autism, excluded by reason of cultural and language barriers
from attending other provision, the project set up workshops with an interpreter in a
community setting to meet their needs. Later in the project, when approached by two
schools concerned about parents with their own literacy and numeracy problems
struggling to support their children with their educational support needs, they set up a
series of family homework support sessions aimed at both parents and children.
Another approach from a school concerned about parents struggling to manage their
childrens behavioural problems also resulted in a tailor-made and targeted event to
engage these parents, whom the school assessed as unable or highly unlikely to
attend a larger workshop in an unfamiliar setting.
3.3 Listening to and engaging with parents and carers
Has the project lived up to its commitment to deliver in partnership with

parents and carers?
The project has worked closely with parents, carers and parent groups to identify
what is most needed locally and help shape its activities. Consultation and feedback
processes have been ongoing and levels of parental involvement have been high.
The service has been highly responsive to the views and needs of parents and
carers, and is perceived as being highly responsive by both its clients and partners.

The primary methods the project has used to ensure that parents views and needs
inform its activities are:
offering consultation and feedback opportunities
creating and supporting volunteering opportunities
governance opportunities as members of SkillShares management group.
The table below shows the number of parents and carers who have been involved in
having a say in shaping the project over the past five years via these routes.
Type of parent and carer involvement No. involved

Consultation and feedback opportunities
(evaluation forms, consultation questionnaires, and 1,830
meetings with partners and support groups)
Volunteering
52
(32 running support groups, 20 contributing to events)
Governance
5
(SkillShare management group)
Totals 1,887
Note - the numbers of parents consulted (1,830) is an approximation based on

numbers of completed questionnaires and evaluation forms and references to
consultation visits/meetings with partners and support groups. We analysed
attendance records and records of evaluation forms completed over a two-year period
and found that an average of two-thirds of participants completed these. Based on
this finding we have estimated that some 1,830 will have completed the forms and/or
surveys over the projects life to date.
The projects overall target was to involve 40 volunteers in the running of the project.
This target has been exceeded, with 57 involved in different ways. Five parents were
supported to make presentations at SkillShare workshops, 15 were involved in helping
out at various events, five in the project management group, and 32 involved in
delivering parent support group activities.
We found good evidence within project documentation and planning documents to

show that parents views were not just collected but also acted on, with changes and
improvements made to sessions based directly on parent feedback (for example,
changes made to the length or focus of the programme, presentation content and
style, or structure of particular workshops). This assessment was confirmed in our
interviews with partners and parents who consistently described the project as one
that both listened to and responded to parents views.

They [workshops] have been very well organised, very much coming
from what the parents wanted rather than planning something in a
vacuum - it was always coming from what theyd identified in terms of
the topics which I thought was really good. (VCS project partner)
They always ask on the feedback sheet, you always get asked ideas for
other workshops and [the project co-ordinator] was very proactive about
asking and encouraging us to fill that in. She used to say I dont know
what you want unless you tell me, and I always thought that was very
good. The variety of workshops shows it I think. (parent)
They do evaluations and listen to those and put on what parents want
and tweak sessions to what parents want and what theres a need for
because theyve listened and theyve gone back and repeated things
because parents have asked for them, so its definitely been about what
the parents want and need. (support group leader and parent volunteer)
3.4 User satisfaction
How satisfied are stakeholders with the projects activities and the way these
have been delivered?
The SkillShare project is rated very highly by the parents and carers who attend its
activities and by its partners. This high satisfaction level is primarily linked to the
quality of provision, how the project treats and values parents, and the high value
parents place on opportunities given (and otherwise rare) to meet other parents in
similar situations.
Workshop evaluation forms showed consistently high ratings for workshops in regards
to venues, content, delivery and relevance. Some 95 per cent of our survey
respondents said that the workshops met their expectations and 98 per cent of our
evaluation sample as a whole (VCS partners and parents reached through survey and
interviews) said that they would recommend attending a SkillShare workshop to other
parents.
When we explored what could be improved about the project, a majority of

respondents struggled to suggest anything beyond asking for more more sessions,
on more topics, in more locations or on different days or times. Only seven
suggestions were made about changing the way sessions were actually delivered.
These were, to make sure time for speakers and parents was well-balanced (3), to
make more time for networking with other parents (3), and to make more written
information available during sessions (1). Nine further suggestions were made about
promoting the sessions further afield and/or to different groups (particularly the newly
diagnosed).

The four elements that emerged as most strongly linked to these high satisfaction
ratings were:
Good organisation and high quality, accessible venues
Good quality and expert speakers
The friendly and welcoming nature of sessions
The way sessions are structured to allow lots of interaction with other parents.
The following comments from participants in our evaluation reflect the value placed on
these different elements within their overall high satisfaction ratings.
It was a refreshing change to hear someone clearly enthusiastic about

the subject, with a sense of humour, showing you that maybe you can
survive this too because he has. You get this sense of recognition when
hes talking and its just the best feeling. (parent)
All parents in our group whove attended SkillShare workshops have

given glowing reports about them. Everyone said they were very well
presented and contained comprehensive information which led to a
greater understanding about their childs condition and how to cope with
it. The workshops were available free of charge at a number of
venues which aided accessibility for most parents. (VCS partner)
Its not just because theyre the only thing out there. Ive tried
everything, trawled the internet, read all the books, battled with
professionals, been to other workshops from other places, and the best
thing out there for me has been SkillShare. Its everything, the speakers
who have the knowledge but also a sense of humour about things, the
chance to meet other parents and realise youre not alone . (parent)
They cover a lot and they do it well. I couldnt see how to improve it
because it just works. The bookings system works, the communication
works. Its very user-friendly. (VCS partner)
Project partners were similarly positive about their engagement with SkillShare, and
praised the Project Co-ordinator for the quality of her work and commitment.
Working with them has been an excellent experience. I dont feel any
improvements need to be made. Communication was very good and
our opinions and suggestions were sought and valued. (VCS partner)
She was always there for me, a lifesaver, I could depend on her. I
couldnt have done this much without her. (parent and support group
leader)

Interestingly when we explored parents satisfaction with the service in our interviews,
several linked it strongly to feeling valued, one of the projects core values.
Commenting on the quality of the provision, four parents specifically talked about how
it made them feel to attend something they perceived as high quality.
The workshops and events are professionally organised, in comfortable

settings in pleasant surroundings where you feel valued. (parent)
The fact theyre in such nice places, its not meaning that we only care
about those sorts of things but you have to understand how rarely we get
out, what it means to be treated so well like that, it sends us a message
at SkillShare that were worth something. (parent)
youre not just stuffed in a drafty old community hall with polystyrene
coffee cups and some tatty old biscuits its so important that parents
feel valued, so to have a nice cup of coffee and a nice biscuit and a
comfy chair to sit in, is really important so the venues they choose
theres a lot of work goes into it to make sure it works for the parents, not
just any old place. (parent and volunteer with support group)

4. Findings outcomes
In this section of our report we consider what difference the project has made through
its activities and the way it has delivered them. This section is based on a combined
analysis of existing data on outcomes (evaluation and feedback forms) and our
fieldwork. We have relied heavily on parent stories as perhaps the best way to bring
to life the difference SkillShare has made for them.
4.1 Increased parental resilience and capacity
Has the project increased parents confidence, knowledge and skills and their
awareness of where they can turn for support?
The project has achieved its intended outcomes of increasing the confidence
knowledge and skills of parents and carers in relation to their childs condition and
how best to support their child, and increasing awareness of how and where to
access support, with a majority of participants reporting one or more of these
outcomes.
Increased confidence
We found evidence that many parents participating in SkillShare activities gained in
both personal confidence and self-esteem, and confidence and self-belief more
specifically in their role and abilities as a parent. Gains in confidence were highly
valued by parents, with many respondents sharing the negative effects on their
confidence of having a child with SEN. This reduced confidence prior to attending
SkillShare events was attributed to various sources, including having to give up jobs
and feeling deskilled, feeling overwhelmed and sometimes patronised by professionals
involved in their childs life, and also blaming themselves for what they perceived as
shortcomings in their parenting abilities
Nearly three-quarters of the parents and carers we surveyed (72 per cent) reported
increased confidence as a result of attending SkillShare events. We explored different
facets of increased confidence within our survey and found that 83 per cent felt more
confident in how to meet their childs needs and 60 per cent more confident in dealing
with professionals in their childs life. In our parent interviews we found similarly high
levels of increased confidence, with no significant difference between those who had
attended only once and those who had attended three or more times.
After working all my life, I had to stay at home for the last six years to
look after my son. Id lost all confidence in talking to other people.
SkillShare has increased my confidence, self-esteem and self-worth.
You learn more and you grow more in confidence, particularly when you
get to realise you know more than you thought you find you do know
things after all you can share something with other parents

From a personal point of view its given me a big confidence boost after
just that one session. Id always worked but I havent been able to and it
just takes away your confidence, especially being isolated with a special
needs child, so personally it did give me a massive boost.
SkillShare has given me support and help over the years - years which
were very difficult and upsetting at times. Im now a confident parent
able to face any challenge, but this cannot be achieved without support.
Better knowledge and understanding of their childs condition and how

best to support their child
Within our survey 84 per cent of respondents said that they felt they had learnt more
about their childs condition and 82 per cent said they felt better informed about their
childs needs. Our interviews also revealed a strong and direct link between
attendance at SkillShare workshops and increased knowledge and understanding. A
strong theme that emerged in both interview and survey responses was an increased
sense of empathy with their child as a result of new insights gained at the workshops.
The acquisition of knowledge of practical tips and techniques for supporting their child,
both from presenters and from other parents, was frequently mentioned as one of the
most important benefits parents experienced from attending workshops, with survey
respondents specifically feeling they understood better:
how to communicate with their child (74 per cent)
how to manage their childs behaviour (75 per cent)
how to support their childs learning (65 per cent)
how to build their childs confidence and self-esteem (75 per cent).
The Introduction to Autism event helped me to understand the way my

child thinks and behaves. I learnt not to worry about what other people
think of the way I deal with my child as long as my child is calm, safe and
happy, thats the most important thing. I learnt that my child is not
naughty but has very high stress levels and his thought process was not
the same as a neuro-typical person. I can now manage everyday tasks
with my child just by telling him what we are doing and exactly how many
shops we will be visiting. Sounds simple but it works.
Ive learnt how it is to be in my son's shoes and think about things

differently.
Now with more understanding of how they learn I feel more able to help
her.
In fact being told that your child is not naughty but starts every day with
very high stress levels and is unable to cope with the smallest of
changes to a routine made me feel empathy

It gave me very practical ideas on how to manage behaviour anger
and anxiety at school, and using things like visual timetables. it was
wonderful to find ways to calm your child and ways to de-sensitise
them to things so if they dont like cleaning their teeth we learnt you
can just get them to buy their own toothbrush and take it out of the
packet so this might take weeks, but taking slow steps it would build
their confidence . Its already making a difference.
Better knowledge and understanding of the support available

More than two-thirds of our survey respondents (68 per cent) reported that they felt
more aware of the support available for them and/or their child, and just over half (51
per cent) reported that they felt they had a better understanding of how SEN systems
work. Respondents attributed their increased knowledge and understanding to
signposting from speakers, the provision of written information about services (fliers
and leaflets), and from other parents. The value of other parents views on services
was particularly appreciated and had contributed not just to better knowledge of
services, but valuable insights into the reality of accessing them. Several parents also
pointed to the usefulness of joining the SkillShare mailing list and thereby receiving
copies of the Parent Partnership Service newsletter, which has a dedicated SkillShare
page. This was also rated highly as a way of keeping people up to date and informed.
When my son was feeling very low and I was informed that I can refer
him to MIND and not have to go to a professional. I've never used it but
it was reassuring to know they were there.
They [workshops] have helped me be more aware of the help and

services on hand.
I got to know where to look for help and guidance on issues.
You learn a lot from the other parents that go and people know about
different services and have different things theyve done to get support.
its [the newsletter] is packed with information about where to get

help, advice and support.
Improved parenting skills and abilities

We were able to identify a number of areas where parents felt they had improved their
skills and abilities as parents. For the most part this related specifically to the topics
covered in workshops attended, but we found common areas of learning and skills
development across all parents irrespective of workshops attended, in relation to
coping with difficult situations, skills in managing conflict and aggression and reducing
childrens stress and anxiety, and ability to act as a better advocate for their child.
It has given me the answers to why I don't get the results I should and
now I know what I have to do to get them.

I did a statementing workshop and that was just invaluable and it was
very much as a result of that I got my child statemented. Without that I
wouldnt have got it. It gave me the skills to fight for him and to know
what Im talking about as well.
I feel I know more than some professionals in the system, but now I
have the knowledge and confidence to communicate with them and to let
them know I know more than they do. Im a better advocate for my son
because of this.
At one event there was some musical intervention and we introduced

this once a week and its really helped the children with their self-control.
I know how to calm her down when shes getting anxious, how to avoid
the situation arising in the first place, there are so many things I learnt
and tried that worked for me.
Has the project increased parental capacity and resilience?
We cannot confidently say how many parents are adapting and coping better with
their parenting role as a result of the increased confidence and skills they gain
through SkillShares support, but we can confidently say that for some, particularly
those who attend several workshops, Skillshare has significantly enhanced their
ability to cope with parenting in the most challenging circumstances.
Resilience can usefully be understood as achieving relatively good functioning in a

challenging role or situation,9 or the capacity to cope with adversity and to successfully
adapt to challenging circumstances. From the evidence of our survey and in-depth
interviewing with parents we can confidently assert that for some at least the
confidence and skills developed as a result of SkillShares workshops is resulting in an
improved ability more generally to adapt to and cope with the challenges of parenting
a special needs child.
The stories parents shared with us evidence that many are not just learning new things
and developing new awareness, confidence and skills, but putting what they have
learnt into practice, with the result that they are coping better with their parenting
responsibilities and challenges and feeling more positive about their parenting role.
Several specifically talked about feeling more empowered as well as more capable as
a result of the workshop events and/or attending support groups. Parents who had
attended three or more workshops were more likely to report increased ability to cope
and feelings of empowerment than parents who had only attended one or two.
Its made me feel worthwhile as a parent. I can see the future better
than before.

SkillShare has made a difference to me and my family because I have
used the advice and tools from the course to handle stressful situations.
To have that kind of understanding, it made a huge difference to me, to

know just things like thats why he cant clean his teeth and thats why he
keeps spilling things and thats why clothes drive him crazy, thats why
he hates wearing shoes, thats why hes always covered in bruises. For
me now, when he spills a drink now I dont shout. It makes a massive
difference to you and that child. It takes the pressure off you. You
having that understanding makes a huge difference.
My little boys very sensitive to noise and lots of people in a built-up

space so he couldnt go out some places and he just kept melting down
then at a workshop I realised the reasons why he wasnt co-operating
it was all to do with overload, it was the movement around him
making him anxious. The strategies they put in place for me were
interesting because they said just try and visit the place more than
once, maybe three or four times, and Ive done that and its worked
brilliantly, and Id never have thought to have done it before. There are
lots of things like that you pick up that help you cope with these things.
Due to Skillshare events I have confidence and knowledge and most of

all strength to carry on bringing up a very disturbed son with autism
Skillshare makes you feel more empowered to cope with the daily
challenges I have more confidence and also know there are many
other parents and carers like myself going through similar stresses and
also now celebrating their achievements!
4.2 Improved parental and family wellbeing
Has the project reduced parental isolation and stress?
Social isolation and stress affect a high proportion of the parents and carers using
SkillShare services. Many of those who attend workshops report that they help
reduce their isolation and stress levels, with better outcomes for those parents who
attend three or more workshops and/or who attend support groups as well.
Reduced isolation
One of the benefits most commonly identified by parents attending SkillShare events
was the relief in meeting others in similar circumstances, the reassurance of realising
that they were not the only one, not alone. While only two-thirds of our survey
respondents (64 per cent) said that they felt less isolated as a result of attending
SkillShare events, almost every survey and interview respondent mentioned in some

regard feeling socially isolated, and the value and impact of meeting other parents in
the same situation.
Perhaps unsurprisingly those who had attended more workshops (three or more) and
those who also attended support groups, were more likely to talk about how their
participation had helped them feel less isolated, with a majority mentioning how they
had swapped numbers and stayed in touch with parents they had met at events and
how important this had been for them, leading to stronger networks of social support
and, in some cases, lasting friendships.
The reality for many parents, as pointed out by several interview respondents, is that
even after attending a workshop, they still have to cope with their role on a day-to-day
basis in circumstances that leave them socially isolated. The stories of some were
particularly poignant on the issue of social isolation, and made a strong case for the
value of events like the SkillShare workshops as opportunities for parents who
otherwise often do not go out and have what they themselves describe as normal
social interactions. For instance we heard from those whose children not only have
behavioural problems but such high levels of anxiety or even agoraphobia that they do
not leave the house, may even be home-schooled, leaving the parent virtually
housebound for much of the time.
My child was diagnosed when he was five . I was devastated, so

upset, I knew nothing about autism, and was surrounded by parents who
had no idea, and teachers who had no idea why he was doing what he
was doing. I contacted the Parent Partnership and asked if they could
help and I went on a workshop and it was a lifeline for me at a time when
I was absolutely alone and very desperate. Before now Ive gone in
crying and pretty distraught about the situation and Ive come out
thinking actually there is someone on my side, youre not alone, there
are 50 other people in this room in the same boat.
SkillShare has been invaluable to me as a parent. However, generally I

feel quite isolated and misunderstood as a parent of a child with SEN in
a mainstream school.
In this situation you cant socialise, going out to do even normal things
that everyone else probably takes for granted can be near impossible,
even if you go to the shops it has to be a mad dash, so these
opportunities are so important.
The most important thing for me has been because everybodys so

judgemental from the supermarket to the professionals and it doesnt go
away and its like you go along and you hear someone else saying about
not being able to take their child to the supermarket and your child
doesnt like the noise and lights and he reacts thats been the thing,
feeling like youre not the only one, the relief in a way.

We talked to other parents there and it just made us realise were not
alone because for six years weve felt completely isolated with no help
from anybody, so just to go there was just an absolute lifeline. Ive now
got numbers and emails of some of the people we met and I feel more
positive than I have in a long time. For me realising youre not alone
was the key.
The biggest thing its changed, the best thing, is that the fact that my
son who is dyslexic and dyspraxic now has a best friend. He was very
isolated before this and so was I. Its amazing, and that me and his
mum are best friends now and thats through SkillShare and the support
group.
Reduced stress
A majority of our interview respondents and almost two-thirds of survey respondents
(62 per cent) reported that they felt better able to reduce their stress levels as a result
of SkillShare events. Those parents who reported that SkillShare events had helped
them feel less stressed linked this in part to feeling more confident and having
developed new skills. When talking about stress, parents revealed the following main
sources of stress and shared how SkillShare had helped them deal with them and thus
reduce their stress:
lack of sleep
behaviour and conflict
their childs own stress or distress
feeling judged.
Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep was raised by four parents we spoke to in interviews as a source of
stress, and in three cases, parents felt being able to get more sleep had helped them
feel less stressed.
It was actually about getting my son out of my bed and getting back to
sleeping normally. Hed slept with me since he was four and then he
was ten or eleven and I hadnt had an unbroken nights sleep, ever!
During discussion at the workshop someone suggested I buy a double
bed for him and at the same time it came up about changing his
environment, as some children cant stand high things in their room. So,
I took the wardrobe out, made sure all the things are level, bought a
double bed, and he chose the colours which is what they discussed in
the workshop, and it was just things that Id never have even thought of
before, so he went off to a respite and when he came back he had a new
bed, Id painted the room, there was no wardrobe, nothing up high so no
shadows, it was all at eye level, and he came out of my bed and he
never slept with me again. Now he loves his room and I dont have a

pubescent child in bed with me which is what I was really worrying about
It had started to take over my life, I was so tired and so stressed.
That was a huge change that would never have happened if I hadnt
attended that workshop.
Managing behaviour and conflict

Behaviour management and conflict management were identified as common sources
of stress for many parents accessing SkillShare services. In helping them learn how
to deal with these issues, several parents reported this has reduced their own (and
their childs) level of stress.
We have learned how our son's conditions affect him so this has eased
our frustration and stress considerably.
I would get incredibly stressed about the whole thing of going out, and
sometimes getting him off to school was just so difficult, Id be
exhausted. Now we have better routines and I know how to make him
feel more at ease about things and the result is Im not getting stressed
out nearly so often.
Weve learnt to very much pick our battles with [our daughter] because
she can be quite aggressive . There were lots of different suggestions
he [the presenter] made about activities that are good to get rid of pent-
up aggression and tension, like trampolining and throwing balls. We
tried the trampolining idea it worked a treat, and it did get rid of the
situation and stopped it escalating into an aggressive one because she
got rid of her frustration in a different way we ended up all laughing
together instead of getting all wound up.
Dealing with a childs own stress or distress

Several parents reported their own childs anxiety and stress as directly linked to their
own, and so, being able to reduce their childs anxiety as a result of techniques learnt
at workshops then indirectly helped them reduce their own anxiety and stress.
One of the things that really helped me help my daughter was this
communication passport idea. They make like a little book like these
are the things I like, these are the things that upset me and this is what
might happen if I get upset its like a quick assessment and they or
the parent can give it to someone who hasnt met her before .. I just
thought what a brilliant idea and so simple and why havent I thought of
that before? Its just a little help for her in new situations or with new
people so we used it when she changed schools and it was really useful
and made things much easier, less stressful all round.
Its focused my thoughts on what self-esteem is and especially what my

son is good at and what is good about him, so I now praise him a lot
more to bring his self-esteem up and reduce his anxiety and stress .

I used to find a trip to Tesco for the weekly shop a nightmare, it was so
stressful I dreaded it, but after attending the course I put the advice into
practice and things have really changed. Previously, my son would
want to choose something from the sweet section. We would stand and
look at various items until it all got too much and my son would cry and
couldnt make a decision. This would escalate when I said if he couldnt
decide wed have to leave without buying anything. The technique I
now use after attending the course is brilliant and so simple. We have a
picture of either a milky way or a fudge and thats all he has to choose
from. He can find the correct item in five minutes and we can complete
the shopping without him, or me, getting upset.
Not feeling judged

Being judged by others was mentioned by a majority of parents interviewed as a
difficulty they encountered in their everyday life that contributed to their feeling anxious
and stressed. Though SkillShare could not tackle the day-to-day experience of being
judged for parents, many appreciated the opportunity whether just once or more often,
to be with people who did not judge them, and to feel reassured that their problems
were not their fault. Several felt this had contributed to reduced feelings of stress.
Ive learnt its ok to do things differently to the rest of society and it's
really not our fault that were experiencing difficulties bringing up our
children.
The most important thing was being told that it's not my fault. It was
such a relief and I started to feel better from then on.
Having that space where you can feel normal, like youre not the only
one, and no-one thinks youre a bad parent, just lifts a weight of worry off
your shoulders.
Has the project improved parents emotional wellbeing and contributed to

improved family relationships?
By reducing parents social isolation, improving their coping abilities and reducing
levels of stress and anxiety, SkillShare has contributed to greater feelings of
emotional wellbeing amongst many of the parents who attend its events and support
groups. Some parents stories also point to significant improvements in family
relationships and in family life more generally as a result.
Taking improved confidence, reduced isolation and reduced stress as indicators of

improved emotional wellbeing, we might argue that parental wellbeing has been
maintained in some instances and improved in others as a result of SkillShares
activities. In their own words parents were able to easily identify ways in which what
they had gained from SkillShare events improved their own and their familys
wellbeing, including relationships with their child and other family members.

As a result of attending the workshop with me my mother has now at
last accepted that he has problems, and that theyre not our fault. Thats
been a huge step forward for us.
I have something to look forward to with the group meetings, the next
ones not till July and already I cant wait. I feel so much better since I
started going and I really look forward to them.
If I didnt have the group Id probably need counselling or some other

sort of therapy.
Our communication with our son is so much better now there are
definitely fewer fallings out.
After the autism event last year we had our best Christmas ever.
This came about by reading a handout that was given to me entitled No
Surprises Please. Every Christmas Ive been out and bought lots of
surprise presents for my children to open as I love to see their faces.
However, our son has never responded to this well: he usually opens his
presents, neatly puts them to one side and asks do you have the
receipts so that I can return them tomorrow? This was very
upsetting to us and some of our relatives even felt that he was ungrateful
and this was distressing for me. The leaflet highlighted how upsetting
and scary surprises can be, so this year we went shopping together. I
explained that we were shopping for him and he selected the things that
he would like; I only wrapped the things that were easily recognisable
that he would remember, and the other things I left unwrapped which we
gave him over the course of the day. This meant he was able to enjoy
each item without being overwhelmed. We have put lots of hints and
tips into practice and [the talk] made me realise what it was like for my
child through his eyes. Things at home have improved tremendously.
We are far more positive and able to cope with certain behaviours and
able to plan to manage changes that cause the least disruption to us all.
The SkillShare Project has helped me greatly to understand my sons

needs and also to help his younger brother feel just as important and not
left out. Without the workshops Id find it increasingly difficult to manage
certain situations.

4.3 More local support available for parents
Has the project increased levels of mutual and peer support between parents?
SkillShare has contributed to a significant increase in peer support, enabling and

empowering parents to share their knowledge and skills both during and after
workshops, as they make new friends and stay in touch with each other. Establishing
support groups has further enhanced levels of mutual support for hundreds of
parents, but though these are now running as parent-led groups, they may still
continue to have resourcing and support needs in order to be truly sustainable in the
longer-term.
A key facet of SkillShare workshop events has been the promotion of mutual support
between parents and carers. The events have been timetabled and structured in such
a way as to balance expert input with parental input, and this has resulted in high
levels of support and shared learning between participants during sessions. Indeed a
significant number of our respondents suggested that some of their most invaluable
learning has been from other parents attending the events.
You learn so much from each other, we share information in the breaks
about services . I met someone whod been through the statementing
process and that was fantastically useful.
Because weve all got different ages of children you can learn a lot from
those parents with children who are older, and then when yours are
older you can help the ones with younger children. I ended up giving
advice to a couple about whether or not to fight to get their child into a
special school because the school think he should be in mainstream. I
went through exactly the same process.
Over and above this mutual support within workshops, some parents have maintained
contact with others to continue offering each other moral support or practical support
and advice, in some cases forming close friendships. A majority of respondents within
our interview sample said they had kept up some kind of contact with other parents
after the events, though the degree of mutual support offered post-event varied
considerably and for some it was just about just having the reassurance of knowing
theres someone on the end of an email or phone if you need it, who you just know will
get it.
SkillShare workshops have been a tremendous support to me and my

whole family. I have also been able to disseminate my new found
knowledge to other people who have or know children or adults with
varying degrees of autism.
Now people contact me all the time because they know about me and
Ive become quite vocal, people want my advice and thats why Im
thinking we need a group.

I see people swapping telephone numbers and email addresses and it
means theyve found someone they can gel with and it means they now
have someone to support them, that they can support each other long
after the session is over. (VCS partner)
The most significant increase in mutual and peer support, has, however, come through
the establishment of the four support groups. Over time these groups have become,
though with varying degrees of success, increasingly parent-led, and though
membership has fluctuated through the life of the project, all four now have an
established core membership, and, thanks to online networking, a far larger virtual
membership giving and receiving support and advice. Between the four groups more
than 250 parents have gained access to a mutual support network (either in person or
virtually) since the project began.
Though she helped set it up, but by the time she stepped back the
Facebook page was up and running and were doing it all now. Its very
much parent-led. Everything we do is all done through the parents so
like booking meeting venues we all try and sort out when well meet
and that kind of thing.
You get so much support off other parents if people have a problem
they bring it along and then we try and sort them out.
Our remit was primarily to look at whether not SkillShare had increased the
amount of support available for parents via support groups, and not to look in-
depth at the outcomes of that self-help, as those groups have evolved to
become independent entities, and not, strictly speaking, SkillShare services.
However, those parents who had taken on an active role in running the groups
did report a range of positive outcomes both for those attending and for them
suggesting perhaps the way in which the mutual support model of the groups
benefits both the helper and the helped. That is, parents gain not just from the
receiving of support but from giving support to others.
Its a lot of work but there are times that I sit there in that group and
listen to the parents and it gets very emotional and I think, Im so
glad I did this, when I see them talking about my child does this, and
you could try this or well, I did that. Its such a relief for them. Its
been amazing and people are so thankful its there. The whole thing has
helped build my confidence and made me feel like Im making a
difference too.
Theyve enabled me to use the knowledge Ive learnt and help other
parents which feels great.
One concern that emerged within our interviews with support group leaders was
sustainability of these self-help initiatives in the longer term: worries about how to
sustain the parent support groups that have been established, particularly without
ongoing support from SkillShare in the future. Though one of the groups is strongly

parent-led and has not needed much support, the other three have needed support,
not just at the beginning but at times when they hit problems with attendance or even
difficulties concerning the dynamics and relationships within the group.
It has not been a smooth developmental path for all four groups, and the SkillShare
Co-ordinators support has been much appreciated, including her support to help the
groups become ultimately self-sustaining. However, the three groups most supported
all voiced concerns about their sustainability linking this sustainability to ensuring
access to resources, having back-up support, and ensuring the active involvement of a
core group so that not all the work falls to one or two parents. In one group in
particular, a parent volunteer who took over the role of co-ordinating the groups
activities in the fourth year of the project is doing much of the work herself, and she
has not yet been able to build a more active core of members to share in the work.
Group leaders and several VCS partners mentioned how difficult it is to maintain high
levels of activity and commitment amongst this group of parents and carers because of
the other demands on their time, which can make regular attendance at meetings or
offering time to run activities very difficult to commit to. They felt this can make
organising and running a group for this particular client group particularly challenging
and time-consuming.
My worry is that since were no longer getting that support our numbers
have gone down and I worry we cant afford to do as much as wed like.
We dont have any money so it all depends on parents contributing to
refreshments, to everything, and a lot of people cant afford it.
There was something good about being seen as almost a SkillShare

group, if you like, that weve now lost as weve taken it on between us.
You start these things and it takes a while and people also have to get
more involved and run things because I cant do it all . Im a single
parent with two children . Ive suggested things, but people still arent
stepping forward much yet, though Im hoping that will change.
We cant charge for membership and Im not sure about going down the
route that [named group] has, with a secretary and a treasurer and all
that because theres a lot of work in that, so thats a challenge for us in
thinking about what we do next.

Has the project increased the capacity of VCS providers to meet parents
support needs?
Working alongside SkillShare has brought a number of benefits to small local service
providers, including increased confidence and skills, better engagement with parents,
and the ability to offer and/or deliver a wider range of opportunities to parents.
However, other external factors outside of SkillShares control, including funding and
resourcing for local VCS providers, will inevitably affect the sustainability of these
outcomes in the longer-term.
The original intention of the project was to build the capacity of VCS organisations
through working in partnership and involving them in the planning and delivery of
SkillShare events. We identified three key outcomes for partner organisations as a
result of working in partnership with SkillShare:
Better reach to more parents. Engagement in the delivery of workshops and

mutual promotion of each others services has enabled some of the organisations
working with SkillShare to achieve an increased reach to parents in their area, or to
parents affected by the condition which is the focus of their work.
Increased responsiveness to parents needs. SkillShares VCS partners

reported that the project has helped them better meet their members needs, by
consulting with them and then working together with them to meet those needs
through workshops and other activities.
Increased confidence and skills of staff and volunteers. A small number of

staff within smaller and volunteer-led organisations said that they felt involvement
with SkillShare activities and support from the Co-ordinator had helped build their
confidence and skills in engaging with parents of SEN children. However, this was
not attributed as much to involvement in workshop planning (as originally
envisaged) but more to advice and support directly from the Co-ordinator and from
specific training courses.
They have supported the people our group supports by putting on

sessions that our parents need. We support them in a different way so
theyve complemented what we do and we do work together, and Ill
often get calls from them to work on a particular issue so we ring each
other up and vice versa and we all signpost on to each others services
and that means the parents get better services.
Working with SkillShare has brought us into contact with more parents
in the county. Our telephone queries have increased, as has our
physical contact with parents, carers and professionals of children and
young people with dyslexia.

I attended the SkillShare Counselling and Telephone Helpline Skills
Training workshop along with a parent from our group. We had been
feeling that the role of manning a helpline without some form of training
and guidelines was somewhat daunting. The workshop superseded
expectations. It was presented in two very interactive and thought-
provoking sessions. The end result was the necessary knowledge
required and increased confidence.
We have been notified of all of the SkillShare workshops and have been
then able to forward details of them on to parents on our mailing list
accordingly. This has helped us to achieve one of the aims of our
organisation which is to signpost parents for further help and
information.
Its always good to work alongside other organisations, as sharing ideas

and experiences improves the outcomes of the workshops for the
parents and thats what weve found.
I have developed my ability to organise and delivery high quality

workshops. Its increased my confidence. It was very rewarding to work
alongside other partners and the SkillShare project and as a parent I
was able to work as an equal partner with statutory and voluntary
organisations.
Though there have been some increases in knowledge, skills and confidence of the
staff and volunteers within SkillShares partner organisations, much of the benefit for
these organisations has been linked directly to the value of ongoing contact and
communication with the project, and opportunities to work together to do more for the
parents and carers they work with. The organisations concerned face the same
resourcing challenges as many others in the voluntary and community sector, which
inevitably makes it uncertain that the other beneficial outcomes achieved from working
together (increased reach to parents and ability to offer more in partnership) will be
sustainable in the longer-term if the SkillShare project is no longer around to engage
with.
I hope theyll just continue. It would be awful if the service stopped.

Weve seen real benefits from working together and a lot of parents we
work with will lose out .. Its hard times for all of us at the moment with
funding pressures and still so much need out there to meet.

5. Discussion success and learning
The main aims of our evaluation were to identify the achievements of the SkillShare
project, and to assess and describe the difference the project has made to parents,
carers and other key stakeholders. We were also interested, however, to identify
learning about what has worked well and what has not worked so well during the life
of the project. In this section of our report we consider what can be learnt from
SkillShares successes, from its challenges, and from listening to the views of the
projects beneficiaries.
5.1 Learning from successes

Our evaluation revealed that SkillShare reached or exceeded its core delivery targets,
achieved extremely high levels of user and partner satisfaction, and directly
contributed to many positive outcomes for parents and families. We have identified
three factors as key to understanding this success:
Depth of understanding of parents and carers needs and experiences

Nature and quality of engagement with parents and carers
Location of the project within an established parenting support service.
Depth of understanding of parents and carers needs and experiences

The projects activities, and the way they have been delivered, reflect an in-depth
understanding of the challenges facing many parents of children with SEN, of their
needs and their experiences. A particular strength of the project has been in its
ongoing dialogue with parents and those who work with and support them, to keep
abreast of what is most needed and to identify any new or unmet needs. Considerable
thought has gone into ensuring that services are based on what parents of children
with SEN really need, and delivered in a way that works for them. It is this
commitment to delivering truly parent-focused services that has played a large part in
the projects success in reaching and positively engaging with so many parents and
carers, and in making significant differences to their lives.
Theyve been very proactive about finding out whats needed and then
responding to that. Ive been very impressed by them. (VCS partner)
Learning point 1
A major contributor to the projects success has been its in-depth understanding of
the needs, experiences and challenges faced by parents and carers of children with
SEN. Ensuring that parents views have been gathered and considered in an
ongoing way throughout the projects life has increased the projects effectiveness
and enhanced the outcomes achieved.

Nature and quality of engagement with parents and carers
SkillShare workshops have been structured and delivered so as to enable parents to
feel safe to contribute, to share their experiences and learning, and to come to value
their own skills and knowledge. The workshops have been informal, welcoming and
inclusive, and facilitators and staff have encouraged a highly participatory approach
that has been much appreciated by parents. They report that this has helped them
feel listened to, taken seriously and valued. The interaction between parents at
workshops and the levels of mutual support and encouragement offered, have made a
significant contribution to the positive outcomes reported by participants.
You dont feel judged, you can say how youre feeling and what you
think. . You learn so much from other parents. (parent)
Learning point 2
Treating the parents of SEN children as valued partners with much to offer as well as
things to learn, has enhanced project outcomes and contributed to a growing culture
of mutual support and self-help between parents.
Location of the project within an established parent support service

The SkillShare project has benefited from being located within, and identified as a part
of, an established and well-regarded Parent Partnership Service. Feedback from our
evaluation participants suggested that the Parent Partnership Service is very well-
respected and is regarded as an independent champion for parents, at arms length
from statutory services, and therefore trusted. SkillShares ability to access parents in
most need of support, and to engage with a wide range of partners, can be attributed
in part to having access to the existing contacts and networks of the Parent
Partnership Service. The projects credibility with parents likewise, though related in
large part to the quality and usefulness of the services offered, is also in part related to
its being strongly identified as a part of the overarching Parent Partnership Service.
Id worked with the Parent Partnership Service before so I found it easy

to get involved in SkillShare activities. The link was already there. (VCS
partner)
Its difficult to get information you can trust with the school for
instance, theres this hidden agenda because theyll have financial
considerations, but with the Parent Partnership, theres no agenda.
(parent)
Theyre good because they do tell you what youre rights are, theyre not
part of the system and theyre really fair, theyre kind of in the middle
between the parents and the local authority. (parent)

Learning point 3
Locating the project within a trusted and well-networked service has enabled the
SkillShare project to be more quickly established, to reach and engage with parents
and carers most in need of support, and to develop effective partnerships to support
its work. It has also contributed to the projects credibility with its stakeholders.
5.2 Learning from challenges

There is also useful learning that can be identified from some of the challenges that
emerged during the life of the project. We have identified the following challenges
faced by the SkillShare project from which useful learning can be gained:
Ensuring accessibility to those most in need of support

Using monitoring systems to assess the projects reach to those most in need
Ensuring that services developed are sustainable in the longer-term.
Ensuring accessibility to those most in need of support

The SkillShare project has been proactive in ensuring that its activities were
accessible to as many parents as possible. Good partnership working and using a
variety of methods to promote the service have both helped it ensure a good reach to
parents most in need of support. However, the view of a significant number of
stakeholders was that there are still many parents who are not aware of the project
and therefore not benefiting. They voiced concerns about the need to continue to try
and reach some of the most socially isolated and those newly diagnosed who may be
most in need of support, though many also acknowledged the difficulty of this.
Just because youre on the list with Parent Partnership and you get the
information, doesnt mean you dont need help just as much, its only that
I feel for those who arent in touch theyre missing out. (parent)
The problem is not just making sure people are told about the project
when theyre diagnosed, but also sometimes people in that situation just
arent in the right place to accept help. They can be in chaos, too upset,
lacking confidence a lot will be in denial. Weve had parents who just
dont want to accept the SEN label, theres a lot to take in and a lot of
stigma attached . How do you help them? (VCS partner)
Learning point 4
It can be a challenge to reach and engage the parents most in need of support,
particularly those who are isolated or have recently received a diagnosis. A
proactive, ongoing approach is needed and the following factors can help: flexibility
about where and how services are delivered; a willingness to try new ways of
working; using a wide range of publicity routes; and close work with both statutory
and VCS partners.

Using monitoring systems to assess effective reach to those most in need
The SkillShare project found it a challenge to establish a user-friendly monitoring
system that would allow the routine collection and analysis of information on those
who attend, how they hear about the service, and patterns of attendance. Some of the
challenge lay in working with a client group who report high levels of dissatisfaction
with services that involve bureaucracy and form-filling. Also, the project was aware
and aimed to be sensitive to the fact that many parents of children with SEN also
themselves have problems with literacy and numeracy. However, a better data
capture and reporting system would have enabled the project to more easily and
systematically monitor and report on its work, including on individual beneficiaries,
their profile and needs, and the relative merits and effectiveness of different
promotional methods for reaching parents.
Im not good with words. My son has dyslexia so do I. I think a lot of

us are the same because some of these things do seem to run in
families in some way. It makes it hard for me with lots of things like
paperwork and the email and internet. I just dont like them I feel very
uncomfortable. My daughter does a lot of that for me. (parent)
Learning point 5
Data on service take-up and outcomes for service users can be invaluable for
improving project effectiveness and ensuring that it is reaching those most in need of
support. There is a value in understanding not just who uses a service but how,
particularly in relation to understanding what achieves the best outcomes for service
users. A robust and user-friendly monitoring system is needed, but it needs to be
one that balances the need for data collection with a desire to remain un-
bureaucratic, informal and welcoming.
Ensuring that services developed are sustainable in the longer-term

The projects vision for ensuring that its services might be sustainable in the long term
was via two main routes. The first was that more VCS partner organisations would
have the capacity to take on delivering workshops, and the second that a stronger
network of parent-led self-help initiatives would offer ongoing support and learning
opportunities without the need for additional support from SkillShare. The project has
found both these options a challenge.
The funding climate for the VCS has notably worsened over the past five years, and
none of the partners worked with report now being more able to take on delivering
workshops in precisely the way SkillShare has. Indeed those few who do offer training
opportunities have had to start charging for any workshops they can offer, something
that parents we spoke to described as problematic, with many simply unable to pay for
these opportunities.
The project focused its efforts in its fourth year on how to ensure the sustainability of
the parent support groups it had helped establish: working more closely with the

groups to expand the active membership base, and to build the skills and confidence
of those able to take a more active role in running the groups. Despite this work, the
challenges inherent in the day-to-day reality of parenting a child with SEN or
disabilities poses a threat to the sustainability of self-help initiatives for this client
group. This is something that support group leaders were very much aware of.
Everything else thats coming up at the moment you have to pay for. I
dont work, I cant, Im on income support. . The workshop was 30
but I only get 40 a week and Im a single parent, ... lots of us are. Its
just not possible to pay. (parent)
A lot of us have got the knowledge and we might want to do it but its the
lack of time, thats the problem, and thats why we set up the Facebook
option. Its not as good as meeting up face-to-face but it still helps a lot
for those who cant make it to meetings. (support group volunteer)
Learning point 6
Service providers working with parents experiencing high levels of socio-economic

disadvantage face challenges in maintaining free, accessible services that do not
exclude those most in need of support. Furthermore, developing sustainable self-
help groups is not easy for those who have the dual role of parent and carer.
Projects aimed at supporting parents of children with SEN need resourcing levels
that recognise these two challenges if they are to continue to meet the needs of
those most in need of support and promote a stronger culture of self-help.
5.3 Learning from project stakeholders
The SkillShare project has aimed to be responsive to learning from both parents and
its project partners. An important element of our evaluation was therefore to involve
both groups in discussion about what they felt the project should do in the future. We
asked all stakeholders involved in our evaluation what they felt SkillShare should do in
the future to best meet the needs of parents and carers of children with SEN and
disabilities in Staffordshire. The ideas and suggestions below summarise the views of
the 94 local stakeholders who shared their ideas with us as part of our evaluation.
Over and above a strong desire that SkillShare should continue to offer more of the
same, in more venues, for more parents and carers, the following ideas and
suggestions were made in regard to the projects future. It should be noted that some
of the suggestions made were things that the SkillShare project is already doing, or
has already tried in some areas, but some parents and project partners were just not
aware of this. We have still included these ideas in the list below.

Accessible opportunities for learning
Consider delivering workshops in schools - as a way of reaching more parents in
their local area, and potentially engaging school staff who have important things to
learn from listening to parents and understanding their perspective.
Include a variety of presenters including professionals from health and education,

people from support groups, parents, and adults or older young people affected by
particular conditions.
Offer occasional workshops that also involve other stakeholders as participants

including teachers and other professionals, and children.
Deliver some workshops that are structured in a series - to allow for better learning,
practising and feeding back on new skills between sessions, and the stronger
possibility of mutual support and friendships developing between parents.
Offer some events on weekends and evenings as a way to reach more parents
particularly more fathers and those who work or have other weekday commitments.
Promoting access to the service

Promote the service more widely particularly in places like schools, GP practices,
libraries and other community-based venues, but also make sure staff in such
settings understand how to promote and signpost parents to the service, and who
to refer, so that information really reaches those who need it.
Work more closely with those giving diagnoses - so that parents at the point of
diagnosis more routinely receive information about, and signposting to, the support
that is available.
Help parents organise and access lift-sharing/other shared transport arrangements.
Information and signposting

Provide practical resources and directories or leaflets about services that parents
could take away and keep at home.
Provide regular email updates between workshops.
Opportunities for mutual support

Look at developing more online forums and facebook-type networking
opportunities - as these may be more realistic ways of engaging large numbers of
parents who would find meetings or events difficult to attend.
Continue to offer help to support groups to get started (eg, an offer of time-limited
support and/or training with a starter pack for parent volunteers containing
information on the benefits of support groups and checklists of what to consider
and how to do things).

6. Conclusion
6.1 Revisiting the need for the SkillShare project

We were asked to consider within our evaluation whether or not the SkillShare project
was still needed. A full needs assessment was understood to be outside our remit, but
we did explore the issue of need for the project in our discussions with both parents
and partners. We already knew that there was a high demand for SkillShare support
as we found workshops have been regularly either fully booked or oversubscribed
throughout the life of the project, but we wanted to further explore with stakeholders
what they felt parents in their situation most needed, their views on if and why the
project was still needed, and if they felt they could access the support they got from
SkillShare from other sources what they would do if the project was not there.
Parents and VCS partners overwhelmingly felt that the project was delivering the right
kind of service (focused on the right issues for parents and carers, and delivered in a
way that worked well for them), and also that it was still very much needed by them,
and by others in similar situations. Respondents gave three main explanations for why
they felt the SkillShare project was still needed:
New parents receive diagnoses every day, and are often at their most isolated and
unsupported at this important time
Parents of children with SEN need ongoing support through their childs life and
may have two or more children with different SEN problems and/or disabilities
There is a lack of alternative accessible provision locally that helps parents develop
their confidence and skills and increases their ability to cope in the way that
SkillShare does.
New parents receive diagnoses every day, and are often isolated and
unsupported at this important time
There was an overwhelming consensus among those involved in our evaluation that
there will always be a need for the kind of support SkillShare offers for this group of
parents and carers, because new children are being diagnosed all the time. Some
also felt that if anything numbers of children with SEN are increasing, thus creating
even more need for support for parents. (This perception would be in line with both
the national and Staffordshire trend over the past five years). A majority of our
interview respondents felt that there was insufficient support for parents receiving a
diagnosis, and/or less support available now than in the past, and all bar one of the
parents we interviewed reported that they had been isolated and unsupported at the
point of diagnosis.
Youve got new parents being diagnosed all the time so its definitely still
very much needed. (parent)
When I was diagnosed 15 years ago we used to have support nurses

and I didnt know they dont have them anymore, so now you go out with

your diagnosis in your hand and you go home. I wouldnt have survived
if I hadnt had help when I first found out because youre just in shock.
(parent)
There isnt anything else. When you get the diagnosis, you might get
information on services for your child, if youre lucky, but no-one tells you
how to get support for you. SkillShare is a lifeline for so many parents.
(parent)
Id hate to think of other parents going through what I went through all
those years with no-one to talk to, thinking I was doing it all wrong, my
confidence was at an all- time low. No-one should have to go through
that. (parent)
Parents of children with SEN need ongoing support through their childs
life with a range of issues, and often for more than one child with differing
needs
In our discussions about need, a strong theme that emerged was that parents felt most
parents of children with SEN and disabilities would need ongoing support as their child
developed over the years and their needs therefore changed. This was confirmed by
the parents of older children we spoke to who felt strongly that the need for support
and training does not go away, but just changes over time. In addition, there are many
parents who have a child with more than one condition or disability, or more than one
child with a SEN or disability (often different conditions for each child), which means
that attending just one workshop or course would not meet their needs. In fact, almost
a quarter of our survey respondents (24 per cent) were caring for two or more children
with two or more different SEN or disabilities.
They should carry on doing what theyre doing because ultimately

children change in two years time we might have different issues .
Its never not going to be needed because there are new families with
new diagnoses, but also the children that have already been diagnosed,
their needs change as they hit puberty or they go to high school so
youre coming across new challenges all the time.
The support needs to be there because when they change you need to
develop new skills and learn new things.
Theres a serious lack of information and people are desperate to get

support. We live with disability every day and every day raises new
problems.

Lack of alternative provision that meets parents needs in the way
SkillShare does
Both parents and VCS partners talked about the lack of other provision, and/or the
inability of what does exist, whether statutory or voluntary, to meet parents support
and training needs. We asked parents in our survey to identify the three most useful
sources of support that they had accessed to support them in their role. SkillShare
was ranked in the top three sources by the majority of respondents: with 60 per cent
ranking the project in their top three, 50 per cent mentioning support from other people
in similar situations and 41 per cent mentioning the internet.
Only a fifth of respondents (20 per cent) said they were aware of another provider
offering training on SEN issues and how to parent a child with SEN. Those
respondents who were aware of other training providers described how these differed
in significant ways from SkillShare. Notably they raised three significant differences:
other providers mostly make charges for their training; they do not offer local training
but only courses or workshops based in city or town centres or even outside of
Staffordshire; and/or they offer more generic training which does not have the
advantage of addressing the needs of parents who want to know more about specific
conditions. We reached the conclusion that without SkillShare many parents would
not be able to find a suitable alternative source of support either because it does not
exist, or if it does, it either doesnt meet their needs or is not accessible to them.
Theres the internet and its been incredibly useful to me, but it isnt the
same as actually hearing from experts, getting your questions
answered and meeting other people in the same situation as you.
(parent)
Ive seen things that I think look interesting and then you see theyre in
Brighton or London which is no good to us. (parent)
Most parents have nowhere and no-one to turn to for help, especially
due to cuts in NHS funding and resources. I meet and speak to parents
every day who have no understanding of their childs conditions due to
lack of resources from [named mental health service]. My own
experience was a long waiting list for diagnosis and then being left to get
on with it. Without the workshops a lot of parents with SEN children,
especially those with challenging issues, would be left without any
support, feeling very depressed and isolated. I know because Ive been
there. (parent)
6.2 Conclusion
The Big Lottery Fund grant has enabled the Staffordshire Parent Partnership Service
to develop a highly valued service for some of the countys most socially isolated and
disadvantaged parents. On the evidence of our evaluation and stakeholder feedback
the project is not only very much valued, but also still very much needed. The project
is meeting a clear, otherwise unmet, and potentially growing need.

SkillShare has proved to be a lifeline for many parents and carers of children with
special educational needs, and a valuable partner to other voluntary and self-help
organisations with similar goals. The projects targets have been largely met or even
exceeded, and our evaluation has revealed very high satisfaction levels amongst
project stakeholders.
Through its learning events, and its promotion and support of both informal and formal
self-help networks, SkillShare has made an important contribution to improving the
confidence, skills and knowledge of parents and carers, and increasing their resilience
and capacity to cope with the challenges of their role. The project has also contributed
to reduced parental isolation and stress, improved emotional wellbeing, and improved
relationships between parent and child, and within families.
It was beyond the scope of our evaluation to consider the longer-term impact of the
SkillShare project on children and families, but there is a growing evidence base that
recognises that timely support for parents; initiatives that reduce parental isolation; and
parental capacity-building are key contributors to achieving better outcomes for
children with SEN and their families, and to reducing the incidence of family
breakdown.10 Many participants in our evaluation certainly felt that the project was
making an important contribution to improving the lives of children and families, and
talked explicitly in these terms about the projects work.
Id say theyve probably saved some families falling apart.
Lots of relationships crumble under the pressure, and because theres

just not enough help available. Thats why services like this are so
important. Look at all the children in care who have these problems
their parents couldnt cope . Parents need support to stop this
happening.
There are a lot of caring parents who are desperate for help, knowledge
and support for their children. Were doing our best to survive each day,
so help and support is paramount for us all. If we help ourselves to learn
as much as we can to support our children, then we help our families.
Our evaluation has clearly demonstrated that the SkillShare project has developed a
model and an approach that has improved the quality of life of many parents facing the
most challenging circumstances. In so doing it may well have made a significant
contribution to achieving better longer-term outcomes not just for parents but for
families and children with SEN, in ways that may only become apparent over time.

7. Appendices
Appendix 1 Evaluation process and analysis
We undertook desk research which involved an analysis of project documentation to

assess the projects performance in relation to its outputs, targets, and outcomes for
project beneficiaries. The documentation included both primary and secondary source
materials attendance records, project publicity, workshop programmes, various
project reports as well as evaluation and feedback forms, testimonials, case studies
and completed consultation responses.
Our online survey combined both closed and open questions, was piloted with a small
group of parents, and then made available online and via a more user-friendly paper
version. Our aim was to reach a random sample of at least 100 parents who had
attended SkillShare workshop events. The survey was open for responses for a
period of three weeks and was promoted by the Parent Partnership Service to all
parents on their various mailing lists, including the SkillShare mailing list. At the same
time an invitation to participate in the survey was sent out to local parent support
groups and other project partners for distribution, and the survey was promoted on the
SkillShare webpage. The survey responses were analysed using the online providers
software package, with qualitative data from open responses analysed thematically
alongside interview data.
We conducted 20 interviews (one with two Parent Partnership Service staff, ten with
parents and carers, and nine with VCS partners who had been involved with
SkillShare). From a list of 30 parents and carers who had given consent to be
involved in an external evaluation we created a random stratified sample so as to
involve a cross-section of parents from different geographical areas, of different
genders and dealing with children with different conditions. We contacted 15 parents
and this resulted in ten interviews taking place between May and June 2012.
Interviews lasted between 20-30 minutes. The interviews were transcribed and the
data analysed, and important themes identified, using thematic content analysis.
We used purposive sampling to identify project partners for interviews, prioritising from
a list of 19 potential participants, the ten with whom the project had worked more
closely. Invitations to participate in the evaluation resulted in nine telephone
interviews being conducted. This interview data was also analysed using thematic
content analysis.

Appendix 2 Sample
A total of 96 individuals were involved in the evaluation.
88 parents, carers and guardians of children with SEN

Three quarters of participants were caring for children with Autism/Aspergers (73%),
nearly a quarter for children with ADHD/ behavioural difficulties (23%), just over half
for children with either Dyspraxia or Dyslexia (54%), 5% for children with a hearing
impairment and 1% (one parent) for a child with Downs Syndrome. 25% were caring
for more than one child and dealing with two or more conditions/disabilities.
Levels of engagement with the project varied, with parents who had attended three or
more events over-represented. 27% had attended only one workshop, 21% had
attended two, 18% had attended three, and 34% had attended more than three. (This
over-representation was less surprising when we considered that a quarter of
respondents had more than one child and were dealing with more than one condition.)
Participants had attended a wide range of workshops. Between them they had
attended workshops on all the topics covered during SkillShare events except two (we
did not survey or speak to anyone who had attended the Increasing Family Harmony
workshop, nor anyone who had attended BSL sign language sessions.)
Six parents had attended one of the support groups set up by SkillShare as well as the
workshop events. The 88 in the sample included three parents who were actually
interviewed as partners involved in VCS groups or organisations, but who had also
attended SkillShare activities as a parent, and who therefore shared with us their two
perspectives - as both parent and project partner.
Our sample included only four men (though as some survey respondents remained
anonymous, this might be slightly higher). Because of the lack of data on the total
population of parents who have benefited from SkillShare workshops, we cannot
confidently assert that this represents a representative sample for instance, we do
not have a definitive number of the men attending workshops, or of the proportion of
parents who are supporting children with more than one condition or disability.
However, we were happy that we achieved a sample that included a broad cross
section of parents from different areas, who were supporting children with a range of
different support needs, and who had varying levels of engagement with the project.
Nine VCS project partners

We interviewed nine of the projects VCS partners. These came from smaller local or
county-wide organisations rather than national organisations. The sample included
seven individuals who had worked very closely with SkillShare on a number of events
and activities and two who had worked less closely (for example, only on one or two
events). One partner represented a generic SEN parent-led network, three
represented SkillShare parent support groups, and the remaining five represented
organisations working either with parents and carers of children with a specific
condition (three) or parents of children with any SEN (two).

Appendix 3 SkillShares VCS project partners
List of VCS project partners involved in SkillShare events
Staffordshire Umbrella Network

Staffordshire Parent Action Network
Contact a Family
Generic SEN and
WINGS
family support
Special Matters
Young Mind
Relate
National Autistic Society

Autism Autism West Midlands
Jigsaw
Lighthouse
ADHD Options
Whits-End
Dyslexia Action
Dyslexia Dyslexia Association of Staffordshire
Dig-It
Dyspraxia Foundation West Midlands

Dyspraxia Staffordshire Dyspraxia Parent Support Group
The Dyspraxia Association
Hearing impairment South Staffordshire Deaf Childrens Society
Downs Syndrome Downs Syndrome Association

8. Notes and references
8.1 Notes
1 Staffordshire County Council (2012) Staffordshire County Council Strategic Plan 2012-17
2 National Academy for Parent Practitioners (NAPP) (2009) Good practice in working with
parents of disabled children 2009
3 DfE (2011) Special Educational Needs in England: January 2011
4 Prevalence of SEN in Staffordshire (School Census Reports 2007 and 2012)

School Census 2007 School Census 2012
School Action 9,607 10,376
School Action Plus 4,425 5,365
Statement of SEN 3,435 2,613
17,467 18,354
There are currently three levels of support for children with SEN:
School Action - If the school thinks that a child has a SEN, they may require additional
support termed School Action. This means they will be given extra help within school to
meet their needs.
School Action Plus - If a child continues to make little or no progress over a long period
of time, additional specialist help may be required. The school may need to seek
advice/support from specialist services, including if a child has significant emotional or
behavioural difficulties/needs requiring regular specialist support/advice.
Statement of SEN - Children with significant and complex needs may need a Statutory
Assessment. This could lead to a Statement of SEN, which describes a child's difficulties
and sets out the appropriate educational provision they need.
5 For example, Prime Ministers Strategy Unit (2005) Improving the Life Chances of Disabled
People; Barlow et al. (2006) Psychological well-being among mothers of children with cerebral
palsy; Gordon et al. (2000) Disabled Children in Britain: A reanalysis of the OPCS disability
survey; DWP (2008) Exploring disability, family formation and break-up: reviewing the
evidence. Research and surveys referenced in NAPP (2009), op cit.
6 Contact a Family (2011) Forgotten Families - the impact of isolation on families with
disabled children across the UK; Mencap (2006) Breaking Point families still need a break.
7 E. Bennet (2009) What makes my family stronger?
8 Resilience is defined as a capacity to deal with challenges and adversity. An often-quoted

definition indicates that resilience may be seen as the process of, capacity for, or outcome of
successful adaptation despite challenging circumstances. (Masten et al, 1990) quoted in Hill
et al. (2007) Parenting and Resilience.
9 Hill et al. (2007) Parenting and Resilience
10 NAPP (2009) op cit. HM Treasury/DfES (2007) Aiming High for Disabled Children: Better
Support for Families

8.2 References
Bennett, E. (2009) What makes my family stronger. London: Contact a Family

URL: http://www.cafamily.org.uk/pdfs/wmmfs.pdf
Contact a Family (2011) Forgotten Families - The impact of isolation on families with
disabled children across the UK London: Contact a Family
URL: http://www.cafamily.org.uk/pdfs/isolationreport.pdf
Department for Education (2011) Special Educational Needs in England: January

2011
Hill, M., Stafford, A., Seaman, P., Ross, N., and Daniel B. (2007) Parenting and
resilience. London: Joseph Rowntree Foundation
URL: http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/parenting-resilience-children.pdf
HM Treasury/Department for Education and Schools (2007) Aiming High for Disabled
Children: Better Support for Families
Mencap (2003) Breaking Point: a report on caring without a break for children and
adults with severe or profound learning disabilities. London: Mencap
Mencap (2006) Breaking Point families still need a break. London: Mencap
National Academy for Parent Practitioners (2009) Good practice in working with
parents of disabled children. London: National Academy for Parent Practitioners
Slade, Z., Coulter, A., and Joyce, L. (2009) Parental Experience of Serivces for
Disabled Children: Qualitative Research. Department for Children, School and
Families Research Report DSCF-RR147
Staffordshire Childrens Trust (2009) Better Lives for Staffordshire Families -

Staffordshire Childrens Trust Parenting Strategy 2009-11
Staffordshire County Council (2012) Staffordshire County Council Strategic Plan

2012-17
Staffordshire County Council School Census Reports 2007 and 2012

URL: http://www.staffordshireobservatory.org.uk

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Evaluation report

The SkillShare Project:

a Staffordshire Parent Partnership Service project

1. Introduction --- --- --- --- p1

2. Methodology and sample --- --- --- p7

3. Findings performance --- --- --- p9

4. Findings outcomes --- --- --- p27

5. Discussion --- --- --- --- p42

6. Conclusion --- --- --- --- p48

7. Appendices --- --- --- --- p52

8. Notes and references --- --- --- p55

1.1 About SkillShare

Charities Evaluation Services page 1

1.2 Project context the needs of parents of children with SEN

Charities Evaluation Services page 2

Feeling undervalued and judged a recurrent theme in surveys of parents with

Low confidence and lack of self-belief in parenting abilities parents of

Understanding of this common experience of parents of children with SEN informed

Charities Evaluation Services page 3

End outcome 1: End outcome 2: End outcome 3:

Improved parenting Improved parent and More local support

Charities Evaluation Services page 4

Accessible and needs-led

Developed in consultation with parents

1.5 About this evaluation

To assess the achievements of the SkillShare project, particularly (though not

Charities Evaluation Services page 5

Performance, outputs and effectiveness: Has the SkillShare project achieved

Charities Evaluation Services page 6

2.1 Evaluation methods

Analysis of existing project data

A survey of service users (parents and carers)

2.2 Sample and limitations

Evaluation activity Individuals

Charities Evaluation Services page 7

Parent and carer interviews

Charities Evaluation Services page 8

3.1 Performance against target

Year of project Events target Events delivered Whole day equivalents

Charities Evaluation Services page 9

Whats different is that SkillShare always makes sure theyve got

Charities Evaluation Services page 10

Event topic/theme Number of events

Provision of information and signposting

Everything that parents raised, he [the facilitator] would suggest places

Charities Evaluation Services page 11

Parent support groups

New parent support groups Part of county covered

Tamworth dyspraxia group Burton & Tamworth

Charities Evaluation Services page 12

Provision of information and resources (practical and financial) to establish and/or

She [SkillShare Co-ordinator] put forward the idea of someone taking

When we first started we ran a series of workshops that she [SkillShare

Charities Evaluation Services page 13

VCS partnership work and capacity-building

Regular contact and sharing of information between the organisations, and

Charities Evaluation Services page 14

We jointly organised several events. It was a very good experience .

3.2 Reach and accessibility

Charities Evaluation Services page 15

Total attendances at workshops 2,835 2,862

Reported membership of newly

Charities Evaluation Services page 16