A SUPERNANNY has been hired by a council to show parents how to bring up their children.
Charlotte Meakin, who has no children of her own, has been appointed as a `senior parenting practitioner' in Bolton to visit problem families.
The £35,000-a-year post, revealed in the M.E.N. in February, is one of the first to be filled in Greater Manchester. Oldham and Rochdale are advertising similar positions. The Supernanny initiative is part of a £4m government scheme to tackle anti-social behaviour by targeting children's upbringing. Around 80 experts are likely to be employed nationwide.
Charlotte, from Rossendale, previously worked in a similar capacity at a Bolton-based charity. She will receive help from two `parenting workers'.
Unlike TV's Supernanny Jo Frost, who worked with young children, Charlotte will focus on families with teenagers.
Her team hopes to visit about 50 families a year under the £125,000 government-funded scheme. She will devise `parenting programmes' for each family and offer home visits or group family sessions.
Challenge
She said: "I want families to know that being a parent is a difficult job. Children do not come with a guidebook. All parents need support to tackle the challenge that teenagers bring.
"The Supernanny label can stigmatise but we are here to support parents so they can nurture their children."
Police, the probation service and agencies tackling drink and drug misuse will be available to families. Advice on health, finance, education and safety will also be offered.
Parents will be guided on using praise, setting clear limits and helping to improve negotiation skills. Charlotte will also issue `Acceptable Behaviour Contracts' to youngsters and `Parenting Contracts' to parents. They act as commitments to improve behaviour.
Charlotte added: "Help from parents is vital in helping young people to make positive and lasting changes in their behaviour and we are more likely to help change behaviour if the entire family is involved."
Coun Elaine Sherrington said Bolton was `leading the way' in parental education.
She said: "The most visible sign of disrespect is anti-social behaviour and it is important to not only enforce punishment, but also to tackle the root causes of this behaviour."
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Supernanny for unruly kids
August 01, 2007
SUPERNANNY: Charlotte Meakin
Showing comments 1 to 21 and replies | View All
JaneM (01/08/2007 at 06:38)
dessie, manchester (01/08/2007 at 09:43)
Ms D, Manchester (01/08/2007 at 10:16)
ace, manchester (01/08/2007 at 10:30)
mauger, Germany (01/08/2007 at 10:44)
suzyq, Stockport (01/08/2007 at 12:06)
sarahx, manchester (01/08/2007 at 13:16)
Good luck to the super nanny even though she has no children i just hope she knows what she is letting herslf in for
Rimsky (01/08/2007 at 13:23)
mauger, Germany (01/08/2007 at 13:53)
At school,or at home.
Mike, Manchester (01/08/2007 at 14:24)
Seriously though, just because she has no children doesn't mean she can't do this job.
Good luck Charlotte!
cisco (01/08/2007 at 16:12)
AH, Manchester (01/08/2007 at 16:42)
Maybe being supernanny to a bunch of unruly kids has put her off having any!
JaneM (01/08/2007 at 17:11)
Some kids will always be troublesome, as will their parents - but some want to change, want help and support and if this can be provided then all well and good.
ace, manchester (01/08/2007 at 17:31)
Weve had 50 years of these experiments on family life ive seen all these new ideas come and go,two years down the line tell me the same story? this will be just another failed idea that somebody has been paid well for.Family problems stem from lack of control unless its sexual Etc.but most of family problems are from lack of control and having a set patern getting out of bed at a set time and going to bed at a set time with either work or plenty of play between the times.We are animals allow a animal to do what it wants and it will chew up your furniture and wreck your home.I know im going to get the moaners now screaming "we are not animals" Ask any Animal expert if we are animals or not.
JaneM (01/08/2007 at 18:15)
I agree though with what you say in that we need proper routines and boundaries within families for them to function correctly. However, some people can have difficulty in putting these into place, or don't realise what a difference some structure would make to their lives. If an adviser, supernanny, home/school support worker, mentor or whatever title you want to give them, can enter a home and work with a familty to achieve better outcomes, both for the parents and children, then well done to them. These workers are usually highly trained, educated people from all walks of life, with a wealth of knowledge, ideas, child protection trained, abuse awareness trained, and in touch with the vast array aof agencies that can also offer support to families - can this initiative really be a waste of time?
Families that may be struggling can be glad of the support - and yes, it may not always work first time, the second time, or even the tenth time, but you don't give up. You keep chipping away, working with the family in the hope that some headway will be made eventually.
How many of us have bought a lottery ticket week after week and not won the jackpot - but we keep having a go, in the hope that we will get there in the end.
Black Flag (01/08/2007 at 19:28)
ace, manchester (01/08/2007 at 22:00)
First of all we are not lottery tickets so that analogy dosnt fit.Secondly we are a animal
It is true that humans differ from other animals in terms of intelligence. However, from a biological perspective, humans are classified as animals!This is the real truth,and animals need training just like a dog/cat or any other animal we need alfa males Etc to head the pack and keep the pack in control take that alfa male away and we are left with turmoil.what is happening in our society.We need to bring controls back.
janetj235, chorlton (01/08/2007 at 23:26)
LookingForLogic, Stockport (01/08/2007 at 23:57)
It can & does prove effective when done properly.
It's just unfortunate that they pay 1 person so much rather than offering more positions at a lower salary or on a job share basis.
Fewer kids on the case load of any worker can only lead to more effective intervention & reduce the likeliehood of the worker taking time off with stress.
JaneM (02/08/2007 at 15:05)
Pescado (02/08/2007 at 16:45)