Funding
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is funding the expansion of school-based parent support advisers (PSAs), as outlined in the Children's Plan. The Department will be investing a total of £102.5 million between 2008 and 2011. This forms part of the school funding settlement and will be routed through the extended schools – sustainability strand of the Standards Fund allocation. See link to specific grants 2008-2011 in the right-hand column.
Training and support
The TDA will deliver a range of support to schools and local authorities to help them develop PSA services. This will include:
- a training package for PSAs new to the role, plus support for local authority trainers to deliver the package
- funding for 1,000 places on the support work in schools (SWiS) (parent support) vocational qualification
- briefing sessions for local authorities on the PSA role and its contribution to parenting support strategies
- development of documentation and shared examples of good practice.
Training and development opportunities for PSAs are being further developed in partnership with the National Academy of Parenting Practitioners (NAPP), the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC) and other key stakeholders. Ask your PSA champion for more information.
We recognise that some schools and authorities will already have staff roles in place to support parents in school and other local venues such as childcare centres respectively. Our Agency aims to be inclusive in its programme of support and offer assistance to schools and authorities reconfiguring functions to create PSA-type posts where the primary focus is parent support.
