Family advice and assistance

Bringing up children is exciting and enjoyable but it is also demanding, tiring and stressful. We all need help at times as none of us are trained to be parents.

Our family support services are designed to promote stability for children and young people within the family setting. We will work alongside others offering you support in your community in order to avoid breakdown and support rehabilitation.

Who can receive family support services?

To receive family support, an assessment of your child and family's needs will take place to ensure that Social Services are best placed to meet these needs. Your involvement in this assessment is important, as it is our aim to support you to safely parent your child.

What help is available?

• Support to your family to enable you to live together better.
• Opportunities for you as parents and carers to learn new skills.
• Opportunities for young children to learn through play.
• Support to you to cope with your children better.
• Opportunities for you to learn how to deal with problems and become more confident.
• Services that recognise that all children and adults have different needs, and to respond to those needs.
• Support and services that work with you to protect your children from harm.

How we provide family support:

• by talking to you and your children to find out what services might be best for you
• by offering a mixture of services to suit your particular family
• recognising that you and your children have multi-cultural, religious and linguistic needs
• working in partnership with you to recognise that as parents you have prime responsibility for your children
• to signpost you to other community services
• to work with you to assess how to safely return your children home, for those children who are not able to live together with you at home

It is our priority to offer support to enable you and your family to live safely together.