The way in which we are able to support parents in bringing up their families will be a major factor in delivering successful outcomes for children and young people . Through our Parenting Support Strategy we are determined to improve the quality of services to all parents irrespective of race, gender, religious belief, age, sexual orientation, disability, background or circumstances, to help them keep their families safe and to give their children the best start in life and the support they need in adolescence to fulfil their potential.
We know that in most cases parents, or those who take on a parent's role, are in the best position to raise their children and the professionals who work with families should respect this view and offer parents, both mothers and fathers, the support they need to feel confident and in control of their family's growth and development. This will require a commitment by managers and staff working with families to actively listen to parents and reflect their views in the way they design and deliver services to meet their needs.
Parents must be assured of the quality and commitment of our services to their cause and believe that the workforce is both skilled and confident to help them deliver the best possible outcomes for their children and families. This will only happen if parents and providers of services to them share the vision of supporting parents and families set out by our strategy and if resources, including funding, are performance linked to positive outcomes and change that is valued most by parents and their families.