FAST OverviewFAST Overview

03/10/12 1

Evidence-based Parenting Programmes and Social Inclusion

20th September Middlesex University

What is FAST?

History of FAST

• Created by Prof. Lynn McDonald in 1988

• Universal programme

• Early intervention/prevention strategies

• Family group approach

• Cross agency collaboration

03/10/12 3

03/10/12 4

School

Community-based agencies

Mental health

Parents

FAST FAST TeamTeam

40 families per site cycle

Amongst other things - Amongst other things - What makes FAST special?What makes FAST special?An evidence-based parenting programme

• 2 day training for ‘professionals’ and parent partners

• Trainer works closely with teams and comes 3 times over the 8 weekly group meetings, giving on-site supervision at the school and feedback about programme integrity

03/10/12 5

• Experiential

• Builds child-parent, parent-school and family-community bonds

• Multi-agency working/fostering trust amongst professionals

• Sustainable – Training of Trainer/development of local trainers and parent led FASTWORKS

• High retention rates

• Middlesex University accreditation

03/10/12 6

FAST Programme Goals• Helping children to succeed in school and

in the community • Increasing parental involvement in school• Stress reduction on daily routines for

children and families• Strengthening family cohesion and

reducing chronic family conflict• Substance abuse intervention/prevention

03/10/12 7

FAST – Underpinning Values

• Empowerment• Table-based coaching

• Shared responsibility (governance)

• Cultural representation

03/10/12 8

• Social Ecological Theory

• Social Capital

• Family Stress

• Family Systems

• Brain Development

FAST underpinning theoriesFAST underpinning theories

03/10/12 9

Recruitment of Families• FAST recruitment must involve face to face

contact with parents.

• Parent partners must be involved and parents told about all the components of the programme.

• FAST is presented as a fun, free activity for ALL the family that helps children at school and helps parents get to know other parents.

03/10/12 10

FAST First Session (2.5 Hours) • Family Flags ~ 15 minutes• Welcome ~ 5 minutes• FAST Hello ~ 5 minutes• FAST song ~ 5 minutes• Family Meal: Children serve the parents ~ 30 minutes• Scribbles ~ 15 minutes• Feeling Charades ~ 15 minutes• Parents’ Buddy Time/ Parent’s Time/ Children’s Time ~ 30

minutes (Peer group time)• Special Play: one-to-one ~ 15 minutes • Lottery ~ 10 minutes • Closing circle and RAIN ~ 5 minutes

Family Flags

Scribbles

03/10/12 13

Scribbles

03/10/12 14

Activity The parent spends 15 minutes with their child playing together. The child leads the play, not the parent.

Outcome Improves the parent-child bond.

Research Sylvia Hewlett, Kate Kogan, Salvador Minuchin, Russell Berkeley, Shedler and Block, Alice Miller

Special Play

Special Session (Week 5)

• Each parents group chooses a topic to explore with their families on Week 5

• The team facilitates this by liaising with community based agencies

• Topics have included: housing, dealing with debt, substance misuse, massage, zumba

What do evaluations show?What do evaluations show?

03/10/12 17

94% Retention Rate for families in the UK

Graduating as a family

03/10/12 18

FASTWORKS

FASTWORKS is a monthly (some groups opt for weekly or bi-monthly) follow up series of meetings held for 2 years after the FAST course ends

– Parent led with FAST Team support– Continues to build bonds and support

networks– Community based projects and activities

undertaken

Evaluation ProcessParents and teachers complete questionnaires before and after

the eight week FAST programme

Evaluation of these questionnaires involves various measures to investigate changes in:

1. Improvement in family and parent child relationships2. Improvement in behaviour of child at home3. Improvement in behaviour & academic performance in school4. Improvement in social community relationships5. Improvement in social support and reciprocal exchanges6. Improvement in parent school relationship

03/10/12 20