Blackpool has a unique set of challenges that affect outcomes for early years families and can lead to poor outcomes for its residents across their life course. The town’s areas of deprivation and associated health inequality, high levels of unemployment, and substance abuse, can lead to multiple challenges for parents of young children.
However, it is these complex challenges that make Blackpool Better Start so passionate in our work and drive the partnership vision to support each and every child living in Blackpool.
The impact of Better Start’s work has been collected through the Grand’s ‘Story Gathering Process’, working with artists and communities, using creative methods to capture and inspire their stories. This process is shaped by the Grand’s five evaluation outcomes - the Five ‘C’s ©.
The Five Cs focus on how Blackpool parents and families have through their interaction with Better Start strengthened aspects of each area. The guided questions were connected to finding out how far and in what way the Blackpool Better Start programmes had impacted in these areas. This development is measured by evidencing changes to their attitudes, behaviours, knowledge, and skill sets through a story-led recall approach.
©Blackpool Grand Theatre (2018 adapted 2022).