 "Big Wide Talk works because people are treated as equals" - Ed Miliband, MP, in his keynote speech at the Co-op Party Conference 2008 |
Big Wide Talk leads the way on strategically linking children and parents, even in the poorest places, to governmentParent researchers met Ed Miliband MP to discuss some of their proposals. Ed and his advisers were given research stories written by parents about their experiences of bringing up children and working collaboratively with BWT. They produced detailed biographies, demonstrating the immense complexities of their lives. Parents talked with the Minister about their needs and those of their children, constantly referring to the ways in which they believed they could make a difference. Big Wide Talk hopes to build on this work in a series of local seminars, "Whose Economy?"
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Click below for the stories presented by parent-researchers from the areas represented:
Hob Moor, York;
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Since 2001 Big Wide Talk has worked to develop and improve local services for children in the belief that this is best for the future of our country. The work has mostly been done with small groups of parents and practitioners at the very local level but large events involving thousands of children have also been successful. (See ‘Our Outstanding Children 2007’).
Several things have happened: strong loyalties have developed and there is a national core of parents who wish to continue to work with Big Wide Talk to share the work more widely; the method of working has been shown to reach and engage parents in rich dialogue even in the poorest places; many working hypotheses about service improvement have emerged; thousands of parents and children have seen the benefits of excitement and self direction, and parents have presented their work as a way of instigating change in local, national and international forums.
As part of a drive to mainstream the work Big Wide Talk is arranging a series of seminars where parents and practitioners who have worked with us can debate these working hypotheses with influential people in government.
Ed Miliband, his advisers and a senior policy adviser to Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined the discussion with parents from Hob Moor in York, Avonmouth in Bristol, Winlaton in Gateshead and High Street in Plymouth.
Explore the biographies of people attending below:
| What happened?
The agenda of the meeting was set so that people could share the work they have done: helping to deliver exhibitions, attending national and international meetings, creating research at local level, and influencing change driven by being together with children and doing exciting things. Discussion then focused on four working hypotheses which Big Wide Talk intends to research in more depth: |
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1.) That the everyday problems that parents and practitioners face are always complex and require highly tailored, individual solutions which most households sort for themselves with and without help from the government. 2.) That the decisions parents make for example to have children, when and how many, have unique antecedents and drivers which must be acknowledged and respected if households become stressed. |
3.) That the problems facing parents are often mismatched by service providers because the services do not have enough expertise nor time to hear what people have to say nor to understand the complexity of skills needed to bring up children. 4.) Working in partnership at the very local level using expertise and tools such as those demonstrated by BWT parents themselves can deliver sustainable and effective first level family support when and where it is needed. |