The past year has been a year like no other, full of ups and downs, changes and often challenging. For me, like many others, it has shown the importance of families and communities coming together and supporting each other.

However, one of the changes that I have been very grateful for is the opportunity to join #TeamIndigo in January as the new Family Support Co-ordinator.

Starting a new job in the New Year, in a new lockdown, was a new experience for me! Instead of meeting colleagues and families face to face with a cup of tea, we were meeting over Zoom or over the phone on my makeshift desk/kitchen counter.

One of the first things I learnt in my new role is that at #TeamIndigo, family has always been important.

That’s because we know that to give our children and young people the best start so that they can flourish and reach their full potential, the whole family matters. Juggling family life can be tough at times, and we may all need a bit of support now and again.

Whether it’s getting help to access the right information and resources for us, to just having a chat (or a moan!).

Along my journey, I have been learning how #TeamIndigo have always found ways to offer extra support for families, such as ‘Indigo eats’ and our ‘Inclusion library’.

We have seen how families benefit from these supports, and it has shown us just how important it is for families that support is quick and easy to access.

We believe that family support should be embedded in our services, so earlier this year, with the help of funding from ‘Children in Scotland’ and the ‘Scottish Government’, we launched our Family Matters programme that combines family support with accessible, affordable and flexible childcare.