Family support
All families need support from time to time. Many are able to find the support they need from their own extended family or from organisations such as Home Start or Sure Start. Health visitors and schools can often also be valuable sources of support and assistance.
Sometimes the difficulties faced by a parent or family need a more co-ordinated response. From July 2004 all the agencies working with families will be able to consider whether to call together those services they feel will best be able to support a family by holding a Child in Need meeting. The professional working with you will talk to you about this and ask for your consent before doing anything.
It may be that as a parent, carer or young person you feel you need advice, help and support. You can contact the Initial Response Team, based at The Quest on 01922 658170. A social worker from the team will be able to talk with you about getting your needs assessed and about the help we are able to provide.
Some of the family support services available include:
- Handling Teenage Behaviour groups: short courses working with parents of teenagers to look at ways to manage living with a teenager.
- Spurgeons Child Care Project: a range of services provided by a voluntary organisation to help parents and young people (aged 10 -16 yrs) communicate better and negotiate ground rules. The service will provide support to both parents, carers and young people individually and will work with family units to enable the young person to access mainstream services.
- Toddler Taming: practical ideas from our family centre workers aimed at helping parents deal with the "terrible twos".
- Behaviour Management: a similar service for parents of slightly older children.
- Assertiveness Courses: available for women at our family centres.
- Family Assistants: practical support in the family home to help in establishing routines within the family home.
- Sponsored Childminding: a specialist service for young children whose parents or siblings are ill.
For more information on any of these services contact your local family centre or the initial response service.