Core Components

The Building Blocks programme is targeted at parents / caregivers of children below 7 years who may require additional help caring for their child. This programme equips parents with the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to care for their children, and keep them safe. At the centre of this programme is the primary child identified as the one with the most need, however all children in the family are taken into account. Practitioners use a tool kit and a handbook to deliver the programme. This handbook contains the programme theory of change and programme core elements. The handbook also provides guidance to practitioners to assess the suitability of this programme for families; and to determine the sessions/content that would be most beneficial to the families based on the practitioners initial assessment of the family’s needs. The initial assessment is conducted prior to Building Blocks delivery. Families attend between 2-20 sessions, each lasting 45-60 minutes, depending on the level of support the families need.  Activities carried out in the sessions are focused on 5 main areas which are as follows:

• Physical (promoting good nutrition, hygiene and family finances)
• Emotional (managing stress and forming good relationships)
• Developmental (rewarding good behaviour, managing bedtime)
• Safety (family and home safety)
• Pre-birth (care during pregnancy)

These activities aim to help improve child-parent bond; enhance home safety; and improve parent confidence in household tasks, child’s health, development and wellbeing. Practitioners use a modelling and mirroring approach to deliver these sessions, giving families the opportunity to watch positive behaviours, and practice these behaviours. Sessions are delivered by 2 practitioners, one from NSPCC and the other from a local partner agency.

Fidelity

Building blocks manage fidelity by:

1. Ensuring practitioners are clear on the programmes’ core elements
2. Ensuring the core elements are delivered as per the programme model

Modifiable Components

Practitioners can use the range of tools within the practitioners’ toolkit to deliver Building Blocks to families who have children with complex needs. The programme takes into account cultural differences, and can be delivered to people of different cultures.

Building Blocks was created by NSPCC, who are a UK registered charity. NSPCC are the originator of a number of child centred initiatives, which aim to protect children and young people across the UK. NSPCC have experience in supporting sites to implement evidence based programmes.

Support for Organisation/Practice

Implementation Support

NSPCC support sites in implementing programmes. The support NSPCC provides includes readiness assessments to determine the time, costs, infrastructure and commitment that organisations need to implement NSPCC programmes. NSPCC holds pre-implementation discussions with organisations to recognise the barriers and challenges associated with programme implementation, as well as the suitability of programmes for the organisations. NSPCC also offers tips to organisations on successful implementation of their programmes. These include ensuring organisation readiness; demonstrating organisation commitment; developing plans to ensure programme delivery is future proof; appointing an experienced operational led for the programme; and offering managerial support for practitioners delivering the programme.  

For partner agencies looking to implement the Building Blocks, implementation managers from NSPCC will provide the training, consultancy and implementation support needed. Free community of practice events will accompany email and phone support from the implementation manager.

Licence Requirements

This has not yet been established

Start-up Costs

During this testing phase, there is no charge for organisations working with NSPCC to deliver Building Blocks. The costing model will be developed after this testing phase, prior to scale up.

Building Staff Competency

Qualifications Required

Practitioners who deliver Building Blocks are usually family support workers, social workers and other health professionals, such as health visitors.

Training Requirements

Practitioners receive an essential one full day of training prior to delivering Building Blocks. Further training to account for staff turnover can be arranged as and when needed.  There is no accreditation process.

Supervision Requirements

The NSPCC do not provide supervision but offer implementation support at both strategic and delivery levels.

Theory of Change

The development of Building Blocks incorporates a number of theories. These include attachment theory; ecological and social learning theory; and theories of child and brain development. This is evidenced in the programme key areas which promote emotional and physical development; and child safety. Furthermore, this programme applies the modelling and mirroring approach in its teachings, which demonstrates the role of social learning theory in the programme development.

 

Priorities

This programme is designed for parents or carers of children below 7 years who may require additional support in caring for their child. At its core, this programme helps parents or caregivers gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to care for their children, and keep them safe.

• Does this align with the priorities of your organisation?

Existing Initiatives

• Are there existing initiatives that address these priorities, and are they effective?
• Do the existing initiatives fit your current and anticipated future requirements?
• Are there components within the Building Blocks programme that are not met by existing programmes?

Workforce

One NSPCC practitioner and one agency practitioner are needed to deliver this programme. Programme length varies depending on support needed by the family, and sessions provided by practitioners range from 2 -20. These sessions are tailored to meet the needs of the families.

• Do you have sufficient practitioners with the appropriate qualification, interest and time within their job plans to deliver this programme?
• Is your organisation committed to supporting the training of practitioners for fidelity of programme delivery?
• Have you identified families that may benefit from this programme? What number of practitioners do you intend training, bearing in mind the number of families identified?

Technology Support

There are no technological requirements currently in place.

Administrative Support

This is a home based programme. Data returns (i.e. number of families supported) will be requested by NSPCC.

• Does your organisation have administrative capacity and systems to meet the needs of a home based programme, e.g. travel, documentation, practitioner safety, etc?
• Does your organisation have the capacity for data returns as requested by NSPCC?

Financial Support

The costing model is yet to be developed.

Comparable Population

This programme is targeted at parents or caregivers with children below 7 years, who may need extra support in caring for these children.

• Is this comparable to the population your organisation would like to serve?

Desired Outcome

The programme aims to equip parents/carers with skills, knowledge and confidence to provide a safe home for their children; improve parent-child relationship; improve parent confidence in household tasks; enhance parents’ confidence in promoting their child’s health and wellbeing.

• Are the above outcomes priorities for your organisation? Are there other primary outcomes that your organisation would like to achieve, which are outside the premise of Building Blocks?
• Do you have systems in place that already address the above desired outcomes?