More families to gain from new parental skills service

The two persones leading a relatively new project run by Appogg, called Programm Ulied Darna, together with a 70-strong group of volunteers, have worked extremely hard, especially over the past year, to make this new project tick. A total of 68 families have already benefited from the service.

Social worker Joanne Bonnici and psychology officer and co-ordinator Beatrice Borg are greatly involved in PUD, a parental skills project for parents who fail to understand fully the needs of their children.

The project was set up with the aim of providing assistance to referred families, ideally supporting and stimulating the development of parenting skills on a one-to-one basis.

Cases are usually referred from other units within Appogg, like the Child Protection Services Unit (CPSU), Child and Family Service, Looked After Children, Community Development Unit (CDU), and Domestic Violence Unit.

Joanne, who has worked for Appogg for the last seven years, the first five of which she spent within the CPSU, told The Sunday Times last week that building a strong relationship with the parents and becoming family friends through both emotional and physical support was what the volunteers hoped to achieve.

Beatrice, a fresh recruit who takes the co-ordination of PUD very much to heart, said the project was conceived as an attempt to offer these parents opportunities to acquire new skills and ideas that led to renewed interests in their children and also to an improved response to their needs.

The idea developed primarily through the many concerns of the social workers at Appogg, who are facing parents with a limited concept of parenting. Some parents still find difficulties to feed, clean and clothe their children adequately. Others don't fully appreciate their children's need for education, play and stimulation or their right to live in a clean and healthy environment.

Moreover, some families whom volunteers deal with still assume and accept corporal punishment on children as a form of discipline. This very often leads to abuse of children and to an increase in number of children with behavioural problems.

A change in mentality may only occur when parents are shown and offered a new, healthy lifestyle together with better methods of discipline that may contibute to the child's social competence and success in life.

PUD incorporates three programmes - Flimkien (Together), Hsibt Fik (I thought of you) and Progett Tereza (Mother Theresa project).

In the first programme, two groups of volunteers offer their time, friendship and practical help to referred families in their homes, according to their needs.

The first group of volunteers deal with parenting issues and provide practical support, like motivating parents to keep a pleasant home environment and helping them cook nutritious food.

The second group of volunteers assists the first together with other professional people working for Appogg and the family itself with its practical needs.

Volunteers are usually introduced to the mother by the social worker who makes the referral. Help is then given to the parents in child-rearing guidance and parental skills. The mother is shown how to provide healthy cooking for the children, budgeting and keeping the house tidy and also to find alternative support networks.

A volunteer helps children with their homework. Another volunteer accompanies the mother to the Housing Department to check whether the family could benefit from a particular scheme on offer. The same volunteer also acts as an advocate for the client.

Another volunteer will provide transport and accompany the mother and children to the CDAU (Child Development and Assessment Unit), based at St Luke's Hospital, where they could meet the psychologist to overcome learning difficulties.

One group of volunteers encourages the development of parenting through example and by working together with parents to address parental concerns; provides practical support to help families meet the physical, emotional, social and educational needs of their children; provides a particular climate for discussion about parenting issues like play, behavioural management and relationships with children; and helps parents gain confidence to avail themselves of other resources within the community which can give them encouragement and support in bringing up their children.

Another group of volunteers provides transport for its clients, accompanies them to court or social services, provides short courses in subjects like cookery or sewing, goes out for a coffee with a lonely parent, encourages clients to make use of community services, and teaches parents/children various topics of interest on an individual basis or even in groups.

Volunteers also provide child-minding services while the parents dedicate some time to themselves. This can also be done by spending time with children and helping them with their homework.

Another service offered by PUD is the Mother Theresa project. Its aim is to provide practical support for families to help them meet their physical needs and those of their children, thus providing them with a better quality of life.

Every day, social workers make several requests to voluntary organisations asking for various white goods to distribute among service users who are facing financial difficulties. Some of the items currently needed include fridges, educational toys, books, car seats, satchels, uniforms, stationery, nappies, sponsorships for food, baby's milk and food, toiletries, fans, heaters, sofas, wall units, double-decker beds, kitchens, cots, linen, and washing machines.

In fact, Appogg recently acquired four garages from the Housing Authority to store white goods and other furniture items which are donated. Those who have items in a good condition may contact PUD to have them picked up and stored.

PUD is also recruiting new volunteers. Those interested are encouraged to call for more information. Those selected will be given professional training for seven weeks starting in September.

Constant support will be given and in-house training will be offered on a regular basis on various topics. Volunteers are also obliged to attend support groups and supervision sessions to discuss and vent out their feelings.

Flimkien

Referred families - 47
Referred individuals - 81
Families who received the service - 20 (a six-month to one-year programme)
Individuals who received a service - 33 (a six-month to one-year programme)
Families on waiting list - 18
Families not accepted - 9
Individuals referred for parental skills support group - 33

Hsibt Fik

Referred families - 84
Referred individuals - 143
Families who received the service - 48
Individuals who received a service - 74
Individuals on waiting list - 59
Child-minding - 16 sessions

Progett Tereza

Donations given - 292
Requests tackled - 281

(These statistics were provided by Appogg and cover the period July 2001 to July 2002)

PUD is at 80, St Monica Street, Guardamangia (tel: 2124-7058).; e-mail : pud@appogg.org.