'We are all committed and caring professionals at the centre,' says Clempson, 'but you never get to the point where you've "cracked it". This work isn't just about words on bits of paper. We have found that when people are working together for the first time, their own needs have to be met even as we are working to meet the needs of the people we serve.'
Successful innovations at the centre have included a new programme of family support. In addition to the outreach worker who works with pre-school settings, a second member of staff goes out and visits families in their homes. She is then available during drop-in sessions to help the families to establish themselves and get to know other users.
'We have to build people's trust and reassure them that when they come in, they won't be ignored. We've found that it's easy to get people to come in once. Getting them to come in again and then use the centre regularly is the real challenge.' The Oxfordshire Playbuscentre provided a minibus to pick up families from the surrounding villages.
The essential component of all the innovative work at the centre is that users can feed back their ideas and be confident that they are being listened to. In some cases, users themselves are expanding the services on offer. For example, a group of parents felt that the centre needed to provide facilities for families to stay and have lunch, and to provide a lunchtime club for local elderly people. The parents are about to undertake a food hygiene course so that they can prepare and staff the new snack bar themselves. Sue cites the parents as one example among many of 'adults who have been motivated and supported by the centre. They have grown from being people in need into confident people who can consider the needs of others - and provide for them.'
Research findings are identifying some of the positive impact that the centre is having. The parenting course has received particular praise. One parent said, 'I have found it very useful and now give my child lots of praise instead of smacking.'
Even more tellingly, another parent says, 'I am more confident, more effective and more in control - just better really!'.
