Information about firsthand
History
In 1983 One Parent Families Scotland started a sitter service for lone parents and for carers. It was the first: a free service for people who would not otherwise get a break. Parents could apply directly, while some were referred by professionals, eg social workers or health visitors. Volunteers were recruited, coming from a broad range of backgrounds to meet the needs of different families. The emphasis was on setting up good long term relationships.
“… helps me survive, relieves isolation, supports me in a positive way in the work of being a single parent”
“This service keeps our marriage going by giving us the space to be together.”
The service was successful and in 1992 registered as a charity and limited company under the name Edinburgh Sitters. It now employed some paid sitters: their skills and availability meant a quicker response for children with special physical or emotional requirements.
Edinburgh Sitters began new projects developing aspects of the service, for example work in refuges, and Saturday activities for children of lone parents, and a pilot project offering out of hours child care. Over the years, one significant change noticed, was the increase in numbers of families applying who were looking after disabled children, both lone parents and couples. What didn’t change was the demand for the service, the long waiting list.
2001 saw us starting a new service, the Befriending Service for young disabled people. This was also the year the organisation moved into its offices at 39 Broughton Place.
In 2003 we became firsthand and adopted the logo of a hand with a 1 nestling in the palm. The hand could be a man, woman, boy, girl; it could be looking for help, or offering help. The “1” means each person is important within the family, together making one strong family unit; it shows the closeness of the relationship between family and sitter, or befriender and young person. It’s a dynamic image for a developing organisation.