We will accept referrals from Local Authorities, Family Guardians (CAFCASS) and Solicitors involved in cases where decisions are being made regarding parenting capacity and the planned future of babies and children.
We can offer fully supervised placements where CCTV coverage is used 24/7 throughout the building and in bedrooms – Most families on admission will be expected to enter in a Full Supervision package for the first 2 weeks minimum.
We can offer partially supervised placements, where CCTV coverage is used intermittently.
We can offer semi-independent support in one of our exclusive semi-independent apartments. CCTV in these areas is only at the main entrance of each apartment.
We can offer pre-birth placements.
The age of the parent/parents to be resident will be prescriptive with a lower age limit of 18 years old. This age restriction is due to safeguarding consideration of a parent under the age of 18 years, as legally they would be considered a child. It is recommended that a P&C placement be provided in one of our Community Comprehensive P&C placements, that provide a family structured environment.
Prior to admission of any family, it is essential that a satisfactory risk assessment and careful matching is completed. Therefore, as part of the Risk Assessment process it is essential, we receive a current level 2 Police check from the referring authority.
Yes, we can provide placements for up to two parents and 2-3 children.
Yes, we can provide placements for up to 2-3 children.
The age of a child will not be prescriptive, as this will be dependent upon the matching criteria of the family, however due to matching and room sharing requirements it is likely the maximum age of children placed with the parents will be approx. 8 years old.
Yes, there is a designated smoking area outside the building.
It is our policy that we would only offer a placement to a parent who is enrolled on an active drug rehabilitation/reduction programme.
We are also able to provide urine testing where required by the referring authority. The terms of this should be discussed with the parent by the referring authority prior to admission.
It is our policy that we would only offer a placement to a parent who is enrolled on an active alcohol rehabilitation/reduction programme.
We are also able to provide breathalyser testing where required by the referring authority. The terms of this should be discussed with the parent by the referring authority prior to admission.
All families will have an individual care & support plan in relation to their specific needs, this is reviewed weekly within the team and at 2-week, 6 week and 10-week review meetings with the team of professionals around the family.
All families will have specific timetables where they will be enrolled into AQA and will complete practical bespoke units in areas such as Identifying Risks, Child Development, Play & Learn, Cooking skills, financial skills, Positive relationships, Importance of routine & Practical parenting skills.
Families will be allocated a key worker and an Assessing Social Worker. Both the Key worker and Social Worker will work together along with other staff members to provide day to day targeted support and gather assessment information.
Our therapeutic service will be able to provide bespoke support to parents, where they will regularly meet with parents on a 1-1 basis and in small groups.
The therapeutic approach across the service will draw from the basis of AHCT – (Assessing and Healing Complex Trauma). AHCT is a supportive and nurturing approach to helping a parent understand the underlying foundation of their own experiences of being parented, while allowing them to consider how this has informed their own approach to parenting.
Yes, our Team Therapists hold a minimum 2 years recognised Post Qualifying Accredited Therapeutic qualification and appropriate registration in Systemic Psychotherapy, Integrative Psychotherapy, or similar and minimum 4 years’ experience of involvement with the Care systems and related agencies.
This is a Social Work led service, where the managers are qualified Social Workers with local authority and management experience.
Parenting capacity assessments are completed by qualified Social Workers, who have frontline safeguarding experience. Our Social Workers are also trained in ParentAssess.
All of our Family Support Workers are required to hold a minimum of level 3 NVQ in Children & Families. In cases where staff are recruited without this qualification, we provide an internal NVQ in Children & Families, which also includes specialist Parent & Child units.
All our staff receive 2-week induction, where staff gain a thorough understanding of safeguarding, manging risks, and working in a Residential Family Assessment centre.
All staff will be AHCT trained by our therapeutic service, so there will be continuity of a supportive and nurturing approach in their work completed with families.
It is a specialist framework that utilises a key traffic lighting system. It was initially designed to assess the parenting capacity of parents with a learning disability or with additional issues, such as mental health, trauma, exploitation, domestic abuse, alcohol or drug misuse, autism, ADHD. As an agency we feel this model is the best practice approach with all of our parent & child families being assessed. This robust assessment also meets with case law, as it is Re D & Re B-S complaint in relation to permanency planning.
All assessments are completed by a qualified and ParentAssess trained assessor.
Yes, A crucial part of the parenting capacity assessment process will be to observe contact and have discussions with approved wider family members.
Contact can be supervised within the residential centre or in the community, by one of our Family Support Workers or Social Workers.
Terms of supervised contact and approved family members will be discussed during the Placement Planning Meeting.
Yes, we accept families where children are placed with their parent/legal guardian and a parenting capacity assessment is required.