Playford parents tell it like it is: Playford parents tell it like it is: A research partnership between A research partnership between parents and the City of Playford parents and the City of Playford

reveals what parents look for in a reveals what parents look for in a service.service.

Presented by Alexandra Diamond. Presented by Alexandra Diamond. Acknowledgements to Judith O’DonnellAcknowledgements to Judith O’Donnell

What has put you off /encouraged you What has put you off /encouraged you to use a service that is supposed to to use a service that is supposed to

help?help?

Access Access Appointments/ waiting timesAppointments/ waiting times AbilityAbility AttitudesAttitudes

AccessAccess

Problems:Problems: What was the service supposed to What was the service supposed to

provide?provide? Where is it? How will we get there?Where is it? How will we get there? We have to go to several different placesWe have to go to several different places Too difficult to get thereToo difficult to get there

AccessAccess

Knowing where to get the help you might Knowing where to get the help you might need:need: 60% = problem (11% = big problem)60% = problem (11% = big problem)

Having to go to a lot of different places to Having to go to a lot of different places to get help:get help: 69% = problem (27% = big problem)69% = problem (27% = big problem)

Hard to get to the places where the help Hard to get to the places where the help is:is: 62% = problem (27% = big problem)62% = problem (27% = big problem)

AccessAccess

Solutions?Solutions? the person making the referral “tells you how the the person making the referral “tells you how the

service will help”. service will help”. Say “No” to service name changes.Say “No” to service name changes.

one-stop shops at public transport interchanges, one-stop shops at public transport interchanges, or at familiar places or at familiar places

Accompanying families on their first journey to Accompanying families on their first journey to the service the service

Improve public transport in the North and other Improve public transport in the North and other areas where vehicle ownership rates are lowareas where vehicle ownership rates are low

AppointmentsAppointments

ProblemsProblems inconvenient opening hours, inconvenient opening hours, difficulty getting an attendable difficulty getting an attendable

appointmentappointment long waiting times long waiting times

Long waiting lists for getting help when Long waiting lists for getting help when young children have problems (eg young children have problems (eg

behaviour, speech)behaviour, speech)

44.5% saw long waiting lists for getting 44.5% saw long waiting lists for getting help when young children have problems help when young children have problems (eg behaviour, speech) as a problem (eg behaviour, speech) as a problem (18%: big problem)(18%: big problem)

AppointmentsAppointmentsSolutions?Solutions? more resources for longer opening hours and more resources for longer opening hours and

more professionals more professionals reconsider systems to better suit parents’ needs reconsider systems to better suit parents’ needs

drop in times? drop in times? appointments? appointments? a combination?a combination?

Make waiting rooms more comfortable- drinking Make waiting rooms more comfortable- drinking water, play space and toys for children, outside?water, play space and toys for children, outside?

Facilitated playgroups for children on waiting Facilitated playgroups for children on waiting lists lists

ProfessionalProfessional AbilityAbility

Parents looked for:Parents looked for: professional competence professional competence

accurate information accurate information correct diagnoses, correct diagnoses, practical skills practical skills communication skills communication skills

Doctors or other people who are Doctors or other people who are supposed to help using unclear supposed to help using unclear language / being disrespectful in language / being disrespectful in

the way they speak to youthe way they speak to you

67% said this is a problem67% said this is a problem 16%: big problem 16%: big problem

Male parents do not experience this Male parents do not experience this problem to the same extentproblem to the same extent

An independent samples An independent samples t-t-test was test was conducted to test the hypothesis that conducted to test the hypothesis that female parents find the way that doctors female parents find the way that doctors (and others who are supposed to help)(and others who are supposed to help) speak to be speak to be more of a problem than do male parents. more of a problem than do male parents. As expected, women (As expected, women (M=M=.86, .86, SDSD=.7) =.7) scored this as more of a problem than did scored this as more of a problem than did men (men (MM=.33, =.33, SDSD=.52), =.52), tt (48)=1.78, (48)=1.78, pp=.041(one tailed).=.041(one tailed).

ProfessionalProfessional AbilityAbility

Parents looked for Parents looked for professional competence professional competence accurate information accurate information correct diagnoses, correct diagnoses, practical skills practical skills communication skills communication skills observable resultsobservable results

SolutionsSolutions staffed by the most competent professionals. staffed by the most competent professionals.

Professional incentives to practice in the outer suburbsProfessional incentives to practice in the outer suburbs Professionals to take the time to explain when diagnoses/treatments Professionals to take the time to explain when diagnoses/treatments

are contestable. are contestable. Professionals to take the time to explain about short-term vs long-Professionals to take the time to explain about short-term vs long-

term resultsterm results Say “No” to short-term funding so the service/ professional has time Say “No” to short-term funding so the service/ professional has time

to become a trusted part of the community.to become a trusted part of the community.

AttitudesAttitudes

Parents most frequently referred to staff Parents most frequently referred to staff attitudes as the factor that would deter or attitudes as the factor that would deter or encourage their use of a service.encourage their use of a service.

ProblemsProblems receptionists and office workers who arereceptionists and office workers who are

““slack”; “look down on you”; “can’t keep their opinions slack”; “look down on you”; “can’t keep their opinions to themselves”; are rude, and do not maintain to themselves”; are rude, and do not maintain confidentialityconfidentiality

judgemental staff judgemental staff ““Some of them don’t know how hard it is for us mums. Some of them don’t know how hard it is for us mums.

It’s not like we ask for help all the time”. It’s not like we ask for help all the time”.

AttitudesAttitudes

What helps:What helps: friendly staff whofriendly staff who

offer small kindnesses like “helping with the offer small kindnesses like “helping with the kids while you wait” kids while you wait”

really listen, “know what it’s like”, understand, really listen, “know what it’s like”, understand, offer as much help as possible and tell offer as much help as possible and tell families they can come back when they need families they can come back when they need to, to,

speak more instead of giving pamphletsspeak more instead of giving pamphlets

AttitudesAttitudes

SolutionsSolutions ““front of house” staff behaviour, recruitment and front of house” staff behaviour, recruitment and

training training Clear information about, and commitment to Clear information about, and commitment to

confidentialityconfidentiality counselling skills trainingcounselling skills training redirect resources spent on creating, printing redirect resources spent on creating, printing

and distributing pamphlets into other forms of and distributing pamphlets into other forms of communication (especially where there are low communication (especially where there are low literacy levels). literacy levels).