Evaluation of SKIP Parenting Workshops

1. Evaluation of SKIP Parenting Workshops Held at The Warehouse North Island Distribution Centre and Apparel Distribution Centre 2008 and 2009 pointresearchwww.pointresearch.co.nz

2. Impact Summary • Overall, more than two-thirds (67% or 44 parents) of 65 parents who attended the SKIP parenting workshops agreed they had made changes to their parenting. • Of these, 56.8% (25 parents) agreed that the differences were “significant”. The majority of these were parents of younger children (14 and under). • Parents were most likely to indicate that they had made changes around communication, such as listening to their children, and talking “soft” and not “hard”. • Two parents had ceased physical discipline of their children following the workshops. • Both mothers and fathers were equally as likely to have made changes. • In total, 87.5% of participants commented positively on the workshops, with most believing they had impacted positively on both their work and personal lives.

3. Background • In 2008, the Ministry of Social Development and The Warehouse collaborated on a series of Dad’s workshops facilitated by Alfred Ngaro and held at The Warehouse's North Island Distribution Centre (NIDC). Stories and photos from the workshop formed a booklet celebrating all dads which was distributed throughout Warehouse stores for Fathers Day 2008. • Part two of the programme entailed 90 minute workshops focussed on parenting styles, facilitated by Alfred and SKIP educator Vicky Ellison. Over 150 men took part.   • Workshops aimed at producing a Mothers version of the Father’s Day booklet were held with more than 60 women at the Apparel Distribution Centre in 2009 and were facilitated by MokaNgaro. The Mother’s booklet was distributed in Warehouse stores on Mother’s Day 2010. • This evaluation aims to understand how this project impacted on staff at the NIDC and ADC and provide a series of recommendations as to the future development of the project

4. The Evaluation • Nine focus groups were conducted with staff of the Warehouse North Island Distribution Centre (NIDC) and Apparel distribution Centre (ADC) in June 2010 to evaluate change which had occurred as a result of SKIP Parenting Workshops held in 2008 and 2009. • In total 72 participants took part; 44 females and 28 males. Of these, 65 participants were either parents or caregivers. The rest were extended family and friends who had some responsibility for children. • One focus group was conducted with eight managers from the NIDC and ADC was conducted to assess workplace impact.

5. Assessing parenting changes

6. Differences to Parenting • In total, 63 of 72 parents (87.5%) made positive comments about the workshops. • More than half of all comments (61.1%) indicated that parents had made positive parenting changes as a result of the workshops. • One-quarter of all comments (25%) centred on parents talking with and listening more to their children. Mothers (9) and Fathers (9) were equally as likely to indicate that this was a positive change they made after attending the workshops. • Overall, 15 participants indicated that the workshops had made “little” or “no” difference to their parenting. The majority of these were grandparents or parents of older children (e.g. aged 18 and over). Specific changes noted as a result of participation in SKIP workshops

7. Level of Change - Mothers • Participants were asked to stand on a continuum according to how much they believed the workshops had made a difference to their parenting. • Mothers of children aged 14 and under were more likely to judge that the workshops had made a “huge” difference, whereas grandmothers and parents of teens were more likely to indicate that the workshops had made “little” difference. It made a huge difference It made little difference Grandmothers / Parents of Teens Mothers of children 14 and under Other (e.g. Aunties) nb: not all groups participated in the continuum exercise

8. Level of Change - Fathers • Again, fathers of young children were more likely to indicate that the workshops had made a “huge” difference. It made a huge difference It made little difference Grandfathers / Parents of Teens Other (e.g. Uncles) Fathers of children 14 and under nb: not all groups participated in the continuum exercise

9. Parents’ Voices It taught me that when you are angry with your son, to go outside and look at the flowers. (Mother) It showed us how important it is to be a dad. If you’ve got kids, it’s up to you to talk to them and keep them on the right track. (Father) (After SKIP) I put my hands in my pocket so no spanking. I started talking to my kids, stopped swearing at them. They respect me a lot more.(Mother) I have a daughter and if you want to talk you have to talk soft, not hard. I learnt that in SKIP. (Father) …the one thing that stuck is the way I talk to them. After work when I get home my kids come in for a story. (Mother) What I got is it made me feel more of a dad than a macho man. You listen more to your kids, rather than being controlling. You learn from them too...(Father) I learnt some new things from before, like especially the words coming out from your mouth is some bad things. (Mother) We learned that children are like photocopiers – they copy just what you do. (Mother)

10. The power of Conversation

11. Talking about the workshops • Participants were asked how much they had talked about the workshops, and whom they had talked with. Nearly one-third (30.1%) indicated that they had discussed the content of the workshops amongst themselves. • For some, these discussions not only provided a source of ongoing parenting support, but they felt closer to their work colleagues. • The workshops appear to have had a wider affect with the messages being taken to extended family and friends; one-fifth of participants indicated that they had talked with others outside of the workplace. I kept talking about it with my whānau because of the moko.(Mother & Grandmother) I still talk about what I learned and I share it with my son’s mother. (Father) We still talk about it (amongst ourselves) - we were just talking about it tonight before we came here. (Father)

12. Using the books and posters • The books and posters appear to support the workshops by reinforcing the message and taking them to a wider group than those who attended the workshops. For some, the books and posters were used as a conversation starter with whānau, family, friends and workmates. Mothers and grandmothers were more likely to use the books than fathers.

13. Sharing and building empathy

14. Building empathy with others • Almost half of all participants (48.1%) talked about how the workshops allowed them to build empathy and connect with each other around their shared parenting experiences. • For some, knowing there were others “in the same boat” was reassuring, as was the feeling that they “weren’t alone”. • Sharing experiences gave them insight into the lives of others and gave them a space where conversations could start. At smoko (after the workshop) a few of us got around the table and continued to talk about the differences and realised there was so little we knew about each other... (Father) I think it made me realise that what she’s been through with her children, I went through with my children. So you tend to look at others more softly. (Mother)

15. Learning from each other To me it was a lot of positive feedback, especially hearing from the other fathers. (Father) • During the workshops, parents were asked to share their parenting strategies with each other. Some of the participants talked about the value of learning from others’ experiences. Mothers, in particular, felt that sharing strategies with each other was a valuable learning tool. • Just over one-third (34.7%) of parents commented that they continue to talk to their workmates about parenting issues. A surprising thing was another person in the workshop was in the same position as me so that was exciting and we still catch up sometimes. (Father) Now we sit on our breaks and have a chit chat about our children. (Mother)

16. Emotions • Just over one-quarter of parents (27.4%) talked about the emotions they had after the workshops. For some, the workshops were an affirmation of their parenting. These parents talked about feeling “proud” about their parenting and the way they had raised their children. • For others, participation in the workshops resulted in some negative emotions, particularly guilt and regret. Single and part-time parents were more likely to talk about guilt around their parenting, whereas parents of older children were more likely to express regret about some of their parenting practices. Some of this group were motivated by what they heard in the workshop to change their parenting practices. • Most of these parents who talked about emotions, however, felt that the SKIP workshops supported their parenting and gave them ideas as to what to do differently, or they felt as though they could talk to others in the workplace about their negative emotions. For these parents, talking about parenting issues in the workplace (as opposed to talking about their children) was a new and enlightening experience.

17. Effects on the Workplace

18. The ‘family’ feeling • Some participants, particularly males, talked about how their participation in the SKIP workshops had affected their experiences in the workplace. Besides the connections that they built with workmates around their shared experiences, many talked about how the workshops had made them feel “like a big family”. • Many participants talked about how their parenting triumphs were shared among their workmates and supervisors. They felt this made them more of a ‘whole person’ in the workplace, rather than just a ‘worker’. It’s nice to know that I can speak to my Supervisor about my daughter... (Mother) It’s nice. It brings us more together as a family, not just workmates.(Mother) We feel like family here...(Father)

19. Workplace Satisfaction • ALL the participants who had taken part in the SKIP workshops appreciated the fact that their employer had not only organised and hosted the SKIP workshops, but had allowed them to take part during working hours. • They felt this not only valued them as workers, but also as parents and caregivers. • At least 10 participants noted increased levels of workplace satisfaction as a direct result of their participation in the workshop.

20. Staff voices It’s got to start from somewhere. And it started here. It made us feel more valued. And respected. And appreciated. (Father) This company is based on value. One of the objectives is family first. We know it supports us. (Mother) There was a positiveness that our company was actually taking the time to do something like this, a programme within the company that is in work time that’s for the sake of ourselves. That’s pretty much what I took from it, it was pretty nice of the company to do that, in our busy schedule which is on their payroll. (Father) I don’t think they realised how successful it would be... (Father) I’ve only been here five years but I’ve seen a change in the past couple of years, The Warehouse is doing a lot more for its people. A lot more shared lunches, extra things, things like this. (Father) ...it helped me with my work and my team, listening to them. (Father)

21. Workplace reminders • The posters and books which were produced as a result of the workshops are still displayed prominently around the workplace. At least eight participants, most of them mothers, spoke of how seeing the posters every day prompted them to reflect on their parenting and made them feel more positive about coming to work.

22. Managers and Supervisors views • For the managers, many of whom are migrants, participating in the workshops gave them a unique insight into the upbringing and cultures of the people they are working with. For some, this enabled them to better understand where people “were coming from” with regards to issues and attitudes in the workplace. • The workshops impacted on a personal level, too. Most of the managers talked about reflecting on their own upbringing and how this influenced their parenting. At least two had changed aspects of their working lives to reflect a better work/life balance.

23. SKIP’s impact on the workplace • Engagement surveys regularly undertaken in the NIDC and ADC show an upward trend in the level of staff engagement. Whilst it was difficult for managers and supervisors to personally attribute any positive change in the workplace directly to the SKIP programme, there was general agreement that staff are more engaged, and have a genuine belief that their wellbeing is a priority in the workplace. • There was general agreement that the SKIP workshops were “the right thing to do”, and that the benefits will be more obvious in the long-term. The Kiwi way of life is all about family. The more you can do to integrate that into the workforce, it makes people feel more comfortable. And the more comfortable they are, the more productive they become. You can’t quantify it, but you can sort of feel it. (Manager)

24. Future STEPS

25. Future Steps • Many participants and fathers in particular, appreciated that the evaluation process had allowed them to come together and talk about parenting with their workmates again. They believed that a ‘refresher’ session once or twice a year would help them maintain impetus for positive parenting. • Participants requested more information on the following: • Parenting teenagers, or learning about “the teen brain” • Parenting education for couples, particularly if their partner is not a Warehouse employee • Parenting and alcohol • The majority of participants who were interested in further workshops indicated that they would be willing to participate in sessions such as these outside of work time, and some indicated that they would be happy to cover their own (or their partners costs) to do so.

26. Summary • The SKIP workshops had the greatest impact on parents of younger children. • Conversations about parenting started in the workshops but have extended into the workplace. Participants felt that these conversations not only provided parenting support but have improved collegiality. • Participants felt that the workshops made them feel that their wellbeing was a priority at The Warehouse and described how they felt valued as a `person' rather than a `worker.‘ • Participants also felt that there is now a more `family feel' to their workplace culture. • It is important to recognise that the workshops can raise feelings such as guilt and regret. Although the workshops addressed this well, future workplace-based parenting workshops may need to ensure support, such as information about parenting support organisations or EAP programmes, is available if required. • Managers described how the workshops gave them insight into the lives, culture and issues of their staff, in particular an understanding of the importance of family. • The workshop messages have extended beyond the workplace and have been shared with family and friends. • The layered approach (workshops and posters) has extended the life of the workshop messages and act as positive parenting reminders. • Overall it was a positive experience for participants, most of whom were keen to participate in further parenting initiatives, and who would recommend others to do so.