Sue Barton lecture Friday, 1 February 2013

1. Family Life in the UK
Dr Susan Barton

2. • Family structures
• The changing family
• Education and socialisation
• Support and care
Health and social care
The roles of the public, private and
voluntary sectors

3. Household
• Single person
• Couple
• Nuclear family
• Single-parent or one-parent
family
• Extended family
• House mates in shared
houses of multiple
occupation

4. Couples
• Partners
• Marriage
• Husband and
wife
• Cohabitation
• Same-sex
couple
• Civil
partnership

5. Nuclear family
• Parents and their
children
• Mother and father, sons
and daughters
• Mum, dad and the kids

6. Siblings
brothers and sisters

7. Extended family - generations
Great
grandparents, grandparents, parents, children
Grandmother, grandfather
Grandma, granny, nanna
Grandpa, dranddad
Multigenerational households

8. Extended family
Mother-in-law, father-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, sister-in-
law, brother-in-law,
Step-mother, step-son

9. Adoption

10. Fostering

11. Changes in the family
The traditional nuclear family is in decline in Britain as more people chose to live alone or as couples without
children, data suggests.
Fewer people are getting married, with 143,000 first marriages in England and Wales happening in
2007, compared with 340,000 in 1971
The Office for National Statistics said the most common type of household was the couple family
household, but that there had been a "decline" in the proportion of households containing a "traditional"
family unit.
The number of people living in family homes with children fell from 52% in 1961 to 36% in 2009, the Office of
National Statistics said in 2010.

12. Single-parent families

13. Separation and divorce

14. The changing family
(Office of National Statistics)
1961 2010
• 11% of homes were single • 28% of homes are single
person households person households
• 26% contained childless • 29% contain childless
couples couples
• 3% single parents • 12% single parents

15. Childcare
Registered childminder Day nursery

16. Pre-school education
under-5s
Sure Start Children’s Centres Nursery school

17. Children’s Centres
• There are more than 3,600 children’s centres in England. They bring all the different support agencies
together to offer a range of services to meet the needs of parents and children, all in one place.
• Somewhere a child can make friends and learn as they play. Parents can get professional advice on health
and family matters, learn about training and job opportunities or just socialise with other people.
Services children's centres must offer
• Children’s centres are developed in line with the needs of the local community so no one children’s centre
is the same. However, there is a core set of services they must provide:
• •child and family health services, ranging from health visitors to breastfeeding support
• •most centres offer high quality childcare and early learning - those that don’t can help advise on local
childcare options
• •advice on parenting, local childcare options and access to specialist services for families like speech
therapy, healthy eating advice or help with managing money
• •help for parents to find work or training opportunities, using links to local Jobcentre Plus offices and
training providers

18. Other services at Children’s
Centres
The services available will depend on your
local area. At many children's centres you can:
•see a dentist, dietician or physiotherapist
•visit the ‘stop smoking’ clinic
•get faster access to expert advice, support
and short-term breaks if your child has
learning difficulties or disabilities
•talk to Citizens Advice
•take parenting classes
•improve your English if it is not your first
language - with someone from your own
culture

19. Primary school
Infant school, ages 5 to 7 Junior school, ages 8 to 11
Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2, Up to Year 6

20. Secondary education
Comprehensive school
Key Stages 3 and 4
Ages 11 to 16 GCSE Exams at age 16

21. Sixth Form or Further Education
Sixth Form College
Age 16 to 18
Mostly academic education Further Education College
A Level Exams 16+ Vocational education

22. Apprenticeships
Work-based, vocational
education and training

23. Higher Education
Higher National Diplomas
Undergraduates – degree courses – BA, BSc
Post-graduate – MA, MSc, MPhil, PhD
Professional and higher vocational courses, eg
University PGCE, CQSW
-

24. Other children’s services
Play Rangers Youth work and youth clubs

25. Ageing population
10 million people in the UK are over 65 years old.
3 million people are over 80 years old.

26. Health and Social Care
What services may be
available:
• A place in a care home or
elderly persons’ home
• Home care services
• Home helps
• Adaptations to the home
• Meals
• Recreational and
occupational activities
• Day centres

27. People with disabilities
Social inclusion and combatting social exclusion
Physical disabilites Learning disabilities
• Mobility • Promoting independence
• Access • Access

28. Voluntary sector
Charities Faith organisations
• Age UK
• National Childbirth Trust
• Mencap
• Special Olympics
• Menphys
• Scope
• Samaritans
• Red Cross
• NSPCC
• Guide Dogs for the Blind
• Childline
• Royal British Legion

29. CSR
Corporate and Social Responsibility
Companies’ Social and economic
alignment, good practice and values Sponsorship
• Grants • A business relationship

30. The biggest provider of care and
support is still the family, especially
women