Family Support

Our Mission Statement

"to strengthen family solidarity through empowerment, positive experiences, with a clear focus on keeping children safe"

What is Family Support?

• "Family Support is an umbrella term covering a wide range of interventions which vary along a number of dimensions, according to their target group " (Springboard, 2001)
• Family support is a way of promoting healthy relationships in families and preventing dysfunctional relationships from getting worse.
• The problems address are diverse in nature and include, but are not limited to, parenting problems, family conflict, child neglect, educational underachievement.

Key Aims:

• Prevent children and young people from entering into or returning to the care system.
• Respond in a supportive manner to families where children's welfare is under threat.
• Work from a strength perspective, by developing relationships within the family system.
• Reduce risk to children and young people by enhancing their family life.
• Support parents and children and/or young people in identifying existing problems and develop realistic strategies.
• Support parents and children and/or young people to make valuable networks within their own community.
• Empower parents with practical skills, knowledge and build self-esteem and confidence.
• Encourage family participation in decision-making directly effecting their lives.
• Assist in the reintegration of children and young people back to their families.

Services Our Team Provides:

• Structured and planned family support in the home.
• Advocacy on behalf of parent, child, young person and family.
• Key working on an individual basis with children and young people.
• After hours on-call support.
• Weekend and evening family support work.
• Respite care services.
• Education support in the home.
• Psychiatric, psychological and educational psychological assessments, when needed.
• A selection of individual and group parenting courses:
• The Effective Parenting of Self and Children
• Positive Parenting
• The Incredible Years Pre-school/Early Childhood Programme
• Therapeutic Play Work
• Life Story Work
• 'Stay Safe' Programme
• Anger Management Programme
• Sport Activities
• Household budgeting
• Family days, promoting effective engagement and communication
• Theme days

Our Team:

• Our team is compromised of qualified, experienced and trained individuals.
• Part of the success of a Family Support Programme rests with the long-standing motivated, committed and highly driven members of the team.
• Each member of the team has specialised training in specific areas, which aims to meet the diverse nature of the Family Support Programme. Team members' training includes, but is not limited to, First Aid, Parenting Programmes, Life Story Work and Therapeutic Play.
• All of the work is overseen by our Psychiatrist and Psychologists.