With funding from Sure Start Scotland, for more than two years Family First has helped families with a range of social and health problems exacerbated by rural isolation.
These problems include drug and alcohol dependency, rape victims, single parents, debt crisis and poor housing. Inheriting management from the Home Start charity service, Family First has managed to build training, management, financial and recruitment processes within its first year.
Working with around 150 families at a time, the service matches them with volunteers who work to give parents some space to recharge their batteries and sometimes help to build up basic parenting skills.
However, this has been limited by lack of money for creche work which, 'in the second year of development is emerging as a major issue,' the report said. Volunteers also help with shopping, budgeting and offer guidance on how to access support services.
The report's co-author, Peter Lee, said, 'The service's success has been in attracting families and then moving on to other services if they have particular needs. But the service has been stretched. There are problems with staff retention common to other Highland services, so there is a deficit in support - more families need support than get it.'
Family First ties in to the Scottish Executive's agenda on pre-school education and care. The report, Family First Evaluations, said, 'There is a central role for Family First in the New Community School approach including key components, for example, enhancement of family support, the development of multidisciplinary family support teams, partnership with the voluntary sector and working with parents.'
Peter Lee, who is director of the Childhood and Family Research and Development Centre at the University of Strathclyde, said, 'It's an example of the voluntary and public authority sector working hand in hand.
'There are two roles, one a core service and another a complementary or supplementary role. The professionals that we have spoken to were happy to see supplementary, well-trained staff.'
