Fammily Support and Community Development

This essay will outline how community development approaches can contribute to family support objectives and practice in the community. It will explain what community development is and will outline community development approaches. It will also attempt to highlight the benefits of such an approach to community based family support work. A practice example from Lifestart in Leitrim, which is a family support service for parents and their children, will be used to help demonstrate the benefits of such an approach. One of the definitions of Community Development is “a developmental activity composed of both a task and a process. The task is the achievement of social change linked to equality and social justice, and the process is the application of the principles of participation, empowerment and collective decision making in a structured and coordinated way” (Local Community Development Programme Guidelines, 2011).

This paper will outline how principles of empowerment, participation and collective decision making were used in the development of the Lifestart parenting support project in County Leitrim.

Community Development Policy in the Irish and European context

Over the past twenty five years community work has become more intertwined with the state by policy and financial dependency. The Community Development Programme (1990) merged with the Local Development and Social Inclusion Programme in 2010. The outcome of this was that every county in the Republic of Ireland had a Local and Community Development Programme (LCDP). The government’s response to tackling identified social problems and this solution cut social spending. It set the framework at local level to implement through education, training and employment programmes. Moreover, making efficient use of existing resources and much needed local knowledge. (Local Community Development Programme Guidelines, 2011). The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) replaced LCDP in 2015. This is funded by the Irish government and the European Social Fund until 2017. In addition, the Youth Employment Initiatives are allocated additional funds from Europe (in line with their anti-poverty legislation) as they have been identified as a marginalised group (SICAP, 2015-2017). Furthermore, the government require community development to work in partnership with other agencies both statutory and voluntary services i.e. Family support.

Family Support historical Irish context

In Ireland, child welfare and Policy were implemented by Family Support services administered by the church, voluntary and statutory services. The enactment of Childcare legislation in 1996 emphasised the promotion of child welfare and that the “child is best placed with their family unless there is risk of sufficient harm” (Childcare Act, 1991). In addition, European legislation requires the state to take positive action against discrimination and to promote the rights of the child. It highlights the family as the core group in society and the ‘natural environment for the growth and wellbeing’ of all, especially children. (The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989). Moreover, child protection is everybody’s responsibility including all members of the community (Children First Guidance, 2011). The term ‘family support is used as an umbrella term under which clusters a broad range of family focussed services and programmes’, this includes parenting support. (National Guidance & Local Implementation, 2013).

Definition of Family Support: “both a style of work and a set of activities which reinforce positive informal social networks through integrated programmes. These programmes combine statutory, voluntary, community and private services which are generally provided to families in their own homes and communities. The primary focus is on early intervention aiming to promote and protect the health, well-being and rights of all children, young people and their families, paying particular attention to those who are vulnerable or at risk. (Pinkerton et al., 2004). Subsequently, ten practice principles of family support followed.

Family Support Aims

The national policy for children and young people commits to achieve five key outcomes for children. The government have committed to lift seventy thousand children out of poverty by 2020. (Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, 2014). Also, ‘one of the six transformational goals to realise those outcomes is to support parents’, (High Policy Statement, 2015). The parents support strategy adopted an integrated service delivery model, linking up ‘both internal and external services that have children’s wellbeing as their focus at all levels of need’. Furthermore, it required services to work in partnership with parents in the design and delivery (National Guidance & Local Implementation, 2013). Family support work ‘occupies a significant place within an array of care and welfare interventions’ (Dolan, P., Pinkerton, J., Canavan, J., 2006). Family support is ‘about mobilising support in all the contexts in which children live their lives’ to counteract the effects of poverty and harm (Gilligan, 2000, p.13). Therefore, the community context is a vital protective factor. However, there can be risk factors too and it is these that can exacerbate the problems faced by vulnerable families (McKeown, 2000). It is evident in England, that family support and childcare services strengthened their use of Community development principles and approaches. (Barclay Report, 1982)

Theoretical concepts

Community is recognised as being of key signifance in family life. Family support principles are underpinned in the ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), that sees the family in a system where key functions are facilitated but ‘do not exist in isolation are both and influenced by their surrounding environment’ (Jack, 2000). The interactions of these social systems play a key role in the outcomes for children and their life chances (Jack, 2007). This theory links to Social Capital in relation to the levels of family involvement across the eco-system, building up capital in the community. Social capital is active in bridging and bonding, leading to ‘relationships based on trust, social cohesion and solidarity’ (Bagley, C., Ackerley, C, L., 2006). In communities struggling to get by, solidarity can be developed to enable them to get through it. Family support aims to ‘create or enhance local supportive networks to build bonding social capital‘(Jack, 2000). According to Putman, ‘those who are engaged in civic society will be