C4EO Parents' and Carers' Panel

Can you help?

The Centre for Excellence and Outcomes is looking for mothers, fathers and carers (of children aged 0-19 years old) to become members of the Panel who can advise C4EO from 2008 until 2011.

The Parents’ and Carers’ Panel will play a key role in making sure that parents’ and carers’ views, experiences and interests inform the development of C4EO’s work. If C4EO is going to succeed in improving outcomes for children, young people and families the Centre needs to know what they want and expect from the services on offer.

The Family & Parenting Institute (FPI), a strategic partner of C4EO, will be organising and running the Panel on their behalf.

For more information download the:

• C4EO information sheet for the Parents and Carers Panel (51kb PDF file)
• C4EO application form for the Parents and Carers Panel (132kb Word file).

If you would like to join the C4EO Parents’ and Carers’ Panel please complete the application form and return it to: Joanne Kellett, Family & Parenting Institute, Freepost LON12668, London NW5 2YR. Please return your completed application form by Friday 5th September 2008.

If you have any further queries contact: Sarie Keating or Joanne Kellett at Family & Parenting Institute, Telephone: 020 7424 3460 / 020 7428 7743 or email: Keating@familyandparenting.org or Kellett@familyandparenting.org

Paper copies of this document and the application form are available on request from Sarie Keating, C4EO Administrator (contact details above).

What will the Parents’ and Carers’ Panel do?

The Panel will be a small group of parents and carers who can give their comments and opinions on C4EO’s work across six themes which reflect areas where progress is needed in improving outcomes for children and families. These themes are:

• early years
• disability
• vulnerable children (particularly children in care)
• parents, carers and families
• youth
• schools and communities

A key role for the Parents' and Carers' Panel is to ensure that the views and experiences of mothers, fathers and carers inform the work of C4EO. This may include:

• Identifying issues of concern to parents and carers in relation to the six areas listed above.
• Advising on the relevance of C4EO’s proposed work activities and to feed in issues and suggestions from a service user perspective.
• Reading and commenting on the usefulness of summary findings of research from the perspective of mothers, fathers and carers and to give advice on how the messages can be shared with parents and carers.

What is the time commitment required?

The Parents’ and Carers’ Panel will meet six times between November 2008 and April 2011 (approximately one meeting every six months). These meetings will be an opportunity for you to meet with other parents and carers and to discuss how we can improve services for children and families. The meetings will be half-day events held in London. We will aim to arrange these meetings at times most suitable for members. In between these meetings, you will also be asked for your comments and views on draft reports and other information from the Centre. This will be done on a regular basis via email or post.

If you’re not able to make these meetings in London, but are interested in regularly giving your views and opinions by email or post we’d also be interested to hear from you (please mark this on Question C5 on the application form – available above).

We will provide all members with ongoing contact and support throughout their time on the Parents’ and Carers’ Panel.

Will I be paid for my involvement?

Travel and childcare expenses for attending meetings will be reimbursed and you will also be paid a participation fee for attending meetings and any other work that you do (usually in the form of high street vouchers). Further details will be provided if you are selected for the Panel.

How else can I be involved?

If you have particular experience or interests, in relation to any of the six areas listed above, there may also be other opportunities for you to become involved in the work of C4EO if you would like to eg participating with C4EO staff at seminars and events, gathering the views of wider groups of parents and carers on behalf of C4EO.

Who can be involved in the Panel?

It is hoped that the Panel will include a range of parents and carers from different parts of the country and with different experiences and interests. The Panel is open to mothers, fathers and carers of children aged 0-19 years old. We don’t expect you to be knowledgeable or experienced in all aspects of C4EO work, but we would like to hear from you if:

• you have an interest in helping C4EO achieve its aim to make things better for children and families
• you have some experience or interest in at least one of the six main themes listed above
• you have the time to attend six meetings and do background reading and/or you have the time to comment on documents and other C4EO information by email/post
• you have a willingness to engage with other parents and carers and work together within a group.

C4EO and FPI are committed to the values of equality and diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. All members of the Parents’ and Carers’ Panel will have equal status, which reflects the relevance and importance of their different experiences and interests.

How do I apply?

If you would like to join the C4EO Parents’ and Carers’ Panel please complete the application form (132kb Word file) and return it to: Joanne Kellett, Family & Parenting Institute, Freepost LON12668, London NW5 2YR.

Please return your completed application form by Friday 5th September 2008.

In early September we may contact you by telephone for an informal chat. This will be an opportunity for us to let you know more about the work of C4EO, to answer any questions that you may have and also to find out more about your interest in joining the Panel. By mid-September we will inform all applicants whether you have been successful in getting a place on the panel. If you are not successful in getting a place, we may still be able to offer you a reserve place (should someone else drop out). Please note that submitting an application does not automatically guarantee a place on the Panel.

Paper copies of this document and the application form are available on request from Sarie Keating, C4EO Administrator (contact details above).

How will the information I give be used?

Any information that you provide will remain confidential and will be held in the strictest confidence by FPI, compliant with the Data Protection Act 1998.

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