‘Support for All – the Families and Relationships Green Paper’ sets out how the Government can support all families, help to prevent and resolve marriage and relationship breakdown, support and recognise dads and grandparents, improve flexible working for families, and give more targeted support to families in need.
As part of the Green Paper, Ed Balls and Justice Secretary Jack Straw are today launching a major review into the family justice system to reduce conflict and promote earlier resolution of problems.
The main proposals announced today include:
*Improving flexible working for parents and family friendly employment rights
*A review of the family justice system to look at alternative ways for family conflicts to be dealt with out of the courts
*Immediate steps to offer separating parents more mediation support to prevent and reduce disputes
*Giving grandparents more recognition, improved legal rights for access and a dedicated website
*Helping dads get more involved in their child’s birth and up-bringing, including a new Dads Guide to give to all new fathers.
Ed Balls said:
“Strong, stable families are the bedrock of our society. Families give children the love and security they need to grow up and explore the world, and the moral guidance and aspiration to make the most of their talents and be good citizens. And families are where most of us find the support and care necessary for a happy and fulfilling life - as children and adults, parents and grandparents too.
“It is families, rather than the Government, teachers, or GPs, that bring up children. Parents have told us that bringing up children is one of the most rewarding things in life but it can also be challenging so we need to offer them the support they need.
“Family relationships and children’s development and wellbeing depend upon parents balancing work, income and spending time together. In the last few years we’ve reformed employment rights and made free child care accessible to thousands of families. We’re now proposing to go further to improve parental leave rights and spread more family friendly working practices among employers.
“Families come in all shapes and sizes these days and the evidence is clear that stable and loving relationships between parents and with their children are vital for their progress and well-being. This was confirmed in the Families in Britain Evidence Paper. The Government is therefore strongly committed to supporting all parents, grandparents and carers in sustaining strong and resilient relationships.”
Flexible working
The Green Paper announces new measures on improving flexible working for parents, especially dads.
This includes:
*Reviewing and consulting on the notice period for the two-week paternity leave period (currently fathers have to give at least 15 weeks notice to take up this entitlement)
*Looking at whether parents should be able to take parental leave when their children are older than five years, as part of the consultation on the new European Directive on parental leave
*Raising awareness of family friendly employment rights, with a new guide on Direct.gov and through the new Family Information Services Directory
*Offering more support and encouragement to businesses to implement family friendly working.
Family Justice system
The family justice review will look at alternative ways for separating parents to resolve conflicts out of the family court system. Currently between 5 to 10 per cent of separating parents currently seek help through the courts but the confrontational nature of the private law system can inflame conflict. Mediation is quicker and has been publicly funded since 1997, but often families are unaware of this service or assume it is for couples who are hoping to reconcile rather than reach an agreed separation arrangement.
Measures to improve mediation services include:
*Consulting on whether mediation assessment sessions should be made compulsory for separating couples where there are unresolved conflicts over residence and contact with children
*Improving and promoting the information on Direct.gov website to parents so that they are aware of the benefits of mediation earlier
*Working with the Family Mediation Council (FMC) to build on existing accreditation schemes for mediators so that couples can feel confident in the service.
Ed Balls said:
“Children are often caught up in the middle when parents decide to separate and this can have a devastating impact on their lives and their future relationships. Whilst family relationships are very private matters, there is a role for Government to help families find ways to resolve conflict faster in order to limit the negative impact on children’s wellbeing.
“The majority of parents have their children’s best interests at heart and are committed to making the separation process as easy as possible for their family. However, this is a difficult time and that many separating parents struggle to establish contact agreements, to communicate effectively with one another and to continue to parent co-operatively. That is why we are giving parents better information about mediation earlier on in the separation process so that we can help families, especially children, through this difficult time.”
Jack Straw said:
“We know that for many families the current family justice system is proving far too complicated, and its adversarial nature can lead to bitter, lengthy court hearings, prolonging what is already a stressful and emotionally draining experience.
“While the vast majority of separating parents settle their disputes privately, for those who do need to access to the system we need to find a better, fairer way to forge lasting agreements for the care of children. Research shows that children adjust to family breakdown better when a couple manages to maintain working relations following a separation - the review is about making sure the justice system helps parents to achieve this.”
Relationship breakdown
New measures to support children and families to deal with relationship breakdown include:
*Producing a guide for children and young people whose parents are separating or divorcing, with the Kids in the Middle (KITM) campaign
*Piloting ‘Parenting Together Apart’ sessions for separating couples to help them overcome the difficulties of parenting when they are separating or separated
*Evaluating the Targeted Mental Health in Schools Programme which is working to strengthen the evidence base about ‘what works’ in providing counselling support to children in schools.
Targeted help for families in need
Through the Families Green Paper the Government recognises that there are certain transition stages, and situations, in family life which can put a strain on relationships. That is why today’s package includes extra help for parents with disabled children and families with teenagers.
Plans to help families of disabled children include:
*Funding specialist relationship counselling services through Relate and others for families with disabled children
*Trialling ways to extend key worker support to families with a disabled child up to the age of 19 so they can get access to the care and services they need, to reduce their stress and improve their quality of life.
The Green Paper also outlines steps the Government is taking to help parents of teenagers as they make the transition to adulthood. This includes:
*Producing a parenting booklet to help parents deal with the challenges of parenting a teenager, including advice on drugs and alcohol
*Creating a web tool to bring together all online information for parents on a range of adolescent problems into one place.
Children’s Minister Dawn Primarolo said:
“We want all families to thrive. This means supporting all members of the family - parents, grandparents and other family members - so that they can provide a secure environment from which children can explore and enjoy life as they grow up. We know families have the biggest impact on whether children are progressing and doing well. Families also help each other, and build strong communities, so they are crucial for a successful society.
“By providing families with the right information and advice, enabling them to help themselves, we are making sure support is available for everyone to use when they think best. But we are also directing more help to those children and families who need it most.”
Minister for Equality and Women Harriet Harman said:
“We are putting families at the heart of the policy agenda with the recognition that looking after your family is still the hardest and most important job in the world.
“I am pleased that the Families and Relationships Green Paper reconfirms our commitment to support families and in the choices that they make – be it in supporting mothers returning to work, grandparents caring for grandchildren or service families through our Service Families Employment Taskforce”.
Grandparents
Ed Balls also announced today more recognition for the important role grandparents play in family life. By providing emotional and practical support for children and families, grandparents can be particularly important in providing stability when parents are separating.
The Green Paper sets out plans to ensure that children’s centres are accessible and welcoming to all those who care for children, including grandparents. The Government is launching a new dedicated website for grandparents ‘BeGrand’ to offer tips and advice on getting involved in their grandchildren’s lives, including online advisors, a directory of services and peer support.
New support for grandparents during family breakdown includes:
*Simplifying the legal process by removing the requirement to apply for the court’s permission before making an application for contact with their grandchildren
*Improving information about the legal and other options available so they can maintain relationships with their grandchildren when parents separate.
Kinship carers – including grandparents - take on the care of their grandchildren when the parents are unable to, for example if they have drug, alcohol or mental health problems.
New measures to help kinship carers in this situation include:
*Strengthening the National Minimum Standards for foster carers so that family and friends foster carers receive training, development and financial support in line with other foster carers but which recognises their particular needs and circumstances.
*Giving local authorities statutory guidance on how to treat and interact with carers in this situation
*Producing a support pack for relatives who are caring for children because of a parents drug or alcohol misuse
*Exploring with stakeholders the types of problems and difficulties faced by families and friend carers if they have to go to court to secure their care of a child. We will also explore the complexity of the support available to them and how to help them access the support they need.
Ed Balls said:
“We want to support strong and stable families and help families help themselves. Grandparents are often the unsung heroes when it comes to informal care arrangements for children and young people. They play an invaluable role for millions of families, helping to bring up children and also helping working families balance work and family life and stepping in when things go wrong.
“By giving families and grandparents the right information and advice they can remain in control over how and when to access help and support when they are under pressure and their relationships are suffering. It’s time they receive the recognition they deserve.
“Removing the barriers that grandparents face in courts, when they wish to see their grandchildren through times of divorce and separation, will relieve an enormous burden currently placed on grandparents.
“Often when parents separate, grandparents are a valuable source of support for children and young people, providing them with the stability they need during difficult and emotional times.”
Dads
Ed Balls and Health Secretary Andy Burnham will tomorrow host a summit with health visitors, midwives, charities and new dads to address how to help dads get more involved in the all important stages of their child’s birth and early years. It will be a chance for professionals and Government to hear from dads why they feel left out and what services can do to include them.
In addition, the Government is publishing a Dads Guide, through the popular Bounty packs, to give tailored advice and tips for fathers ahead of their child’s birth. The Royal College of Midwives have also offered to produce new guidance to their members on how to better engage dads before, during and after the birth of a child.
Other new measures in today’s Green Paper include:
*Improving the quality and accessibility of services for families - the Family and Parenting Institute to design a process, materials and training that services can use, on a voluntary basis, to make their provision more family friendly.
*Providing more information for grandparents and easier to access information and support via a new ‘Family Information Direct’ service
*Every family with children under five, or expecting a child, will now be provided with a clear, minimum offer of services that they should receive across health, early learning and care and employment (building on the transformation in early years services in the last ten years).
Families will also receive an assessment for family and parenting support when there is a situation that suggests they may need help – for example, if their child is permanently excluded from school or is given an Anti Social Behaviour Order.