NACCC Conference for Supervised Centres – 22 nd June 2011

1. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support NACCC Conference for Supervised Centres – 22nd June 2011 Developing the Social Work Role To Generate Income Hazel Hedley, Suzanne Teasdale and Lisa Arnell Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

2. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support AIMS OF WORKSHOP: • To explain our business model, which we hope brings future sustainability to the service • To explore in more detail some aspects of service delivery • To explore partnerships/virtual teams and how they can work • To generate ideas for individuals about future service developments for their organisations • Opportunity for others to share their service developments Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

3. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support SERVICES CURRENTLY OFFERED • Family Mediation Service • 6 x Supported Child Contact Centres • 1 x Supervised Child Contact Centre • 2 x Parent Support Workers (inc. IDVA service) • Children’s Advice & Support Service • Placements for Social Work Students • DV Perpetrator Programme • Parenting Information Programmes • Training Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

4. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Generic Teams: CEO: Assessment Reports, DV Assessments, clinical supervision of DV Facilitators, PIP facilitator, Trainer Family Support Manager: DV Facilitator, PIP Facilitator, Trainer, Trainee Family Mediator Dad’s Support Worker: PIP Facilitator, DV Facilitator Women’s Support Worker: PIP Facilitator, Trainer, IDVA Family Mediators: PIP facilitators Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

5. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support ROLES FOR THE SOCIAL WORKER: • Supervised Child Contact – Cafcass and Private • Life Story Work/Preparation for contact - Cafcass and Private • Needs Wishes & Feelings of children - Cafcass and Private • Family Assessment Reports for Court - Cafcass and Private • Escorted and Indirect Contact - Cafcass and Private • DV assessments – Contact Activity and Private • Practice Teacher/Educator for SW Students • Facilitator DV Programmes • Trainee Family Mediators • Facilitators of PIP Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

6. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Lifestory Work • When is a child referred for Lifestory work? • When it has been identified that a child does not have a clear understanding of their own personal history. • This could come about through family break down i.e. the child goes to live with one parent/ family member and as a result they lose contact with their other parent or other members of their family. • When a child becomes estranged from a parent or part of their family from birth (the child may/ may not be aware of this when they come to see us). Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

7. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Lifestory Work • What does Lifestory Work entail? • Lifestory work involves a number of 1-1 sessions between a child and worker to establish what a child understands about their current family situation and their ‘lifestory’ (birth to now) and to ascertain the emotional literacy level of the child and their level of understanding. • Working with the adults (usually parents) involved to establish a consensus, a story that both parties agree to tell the child. • A written report detailing what work that has taken place in each session and the child and adults reactions throughout (both verbal and non verbal). • A Lifestory book for the child to take away at the end of the last session; essentially a child friendly chronology of their life to date. • A recommendation regarding possible next steps (where appropriate). Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

8. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Lifestory Work Where do we receive referrals from? • Cafcass (via commissioned partnership) • Court orders/solicitors What resources are required? • 1 staff member qualified to work with children and parents • Approximately 6 hours staff time working directly with child/ parents and a further 2 hours for paper work and putting together book. • Craft, drawing and painting materials, work sheets and a laminating machine. • Other personal materials (usually brought in by adults) i.e. photographs, scan pictures, birth tags. Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

9. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Lifestory Work Case Study • Child X was referred for lifestory work via court order. • Child X’s biological parents separated when she was 2 yrs, father initially left family home. When child was 3yrs mother asked father to care for child X for a period. • Relationship between parents deteriorated - lots of conflict; resulted in child remaining with father (living with him and his new partner who child grew up calling ‘mammy’) and child X losing contact with her biological mother and 2 siblings. • Child X initially presented as not remembering anything and her parents gave differing accounts of her lifestory and what she would/ would not remember. Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

10. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Lifestory Work • What we did • Introduced child to centre (with her father). • 1-1 time with child to explain who their worker was and why they had came to see us (NB: child’s pace and repeated at every session). • Ascertain what child likes if possible i.e. this child loved to read. Subsequent 3 sessions • Work sheets (house, emotional literacy), story telling, arts and crafts, looking at photographs and personal items and play time. • Regularly liaising with both parents either by telephone or in person to feedback progress and discuss any concerns. • Produced a lifestory book for child X to take home and wrote a report with recommendation for court. Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

11. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Assessed Contact Report In what circumstances is an Assessed Contact report required? • To ascertain levels of risk either in relation to adult conflict and the impact that is having on child. • To assess parenting capacity of a parent/ carer and for this to be assessed in a safe and supportive environment for an extended period (usually a period of 3 months). • To ascertain contact options and what may be feasible in the future and how this may happen Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

12. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Assessed Contact Report • One to one sessions with parents and/ or carer’s to establish their views and opinions. • Obtaining Social Services and Police intelligence regarding children and significant adults involved in case (previous reports, disclosures etc). • Meeting with significant adults in child’s life to assess their wellbeing and develop an understanding of their current life situation (this could be school, health visitors etc). • One to one work with child; this may involve lifestory work, wishes and feelings work. • Supervised contact, 6 sessions or more. • Other options: mediation, PIP, domestic abuse assessment of both perpetrator and victim. Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

13. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Wishes & Feelings Report When is a Wishes & Feelings Report needed? When a child is highly resistant, or hostile towards contact taking place and refuses to see the non resident parent Any other entrenched reason (apparent or not) why a child may not want to see the non resident parent When the courts need an independent report of the child's own wishes and feelings Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

14. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Wishes & Feelings Report What does carrying out wishes & feelings report entail? • Between 4 & 6 1-1 sessions between a child and worker to establish what a child understands about their current family situation and to ascertain the emotional literacy level of the child and their level of understanding. To ascertain their thoughts and feelings about contact • Separate interviews with the parents involved to establish their viewpoint regarding the situation • A written report detailing work that has taken place in each session and the child and adults reactions throughout (both verbal and non verbal). • A recommendation regarding possible next steps Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

15. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Wishes & Feelings Report Where do referrals come from? • Cafcass (via commissioned partnership) • Court orders/solicitors • Other agencies e.g. Children’s Services What resources are required? • 1 staff member qualified to work with children and parents • Approximately 6 hours staff time working directly with child/ parents and a further 4 hours for report. • Craft, drawing, painting materials, work sheets • Other personal materials i.e. photographs, DVD's, anything connected with memories of time spent together with parent Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

16. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Wishes & Feelings Report Case Study • Child was referred for wishes & feelings work via Cafcass commissioning services route. • Child’s parents divorced when he was one year old. Child remained with his mother and had sporadic contact with his father, child is 9 years old. • Contact appeared to break down every three month or so with child deciding whether he wanted contact to happen or not • CAFCASS report stated child did not want to go for contact with his father and there was no obvious clear reason for his decision rather it was how he felt at the time. Mum said child ‘knows his own mind, not going to force him’ Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

17. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Wishes & Feelings Report What we did • Separate meetings with both parents either by telephone or in person to ascertain their viewpoint of the situation • Introduced child to centre (with his mother). • 1-1 time with child to explain who their worker was and why they had came to see us (NB: child’s pace and repeated at every session). • Ascertain what child likes if possible i.e. this child loved ‘Dr Who’ • Play time after every session Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

18. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Specialist Contact Services: Wishes & Feelings Report Session 1 • Work sheets - to ascertain child's emotional literacy and stage of development to express their wishes and feelings. Sessions 2 & 3 • Childs descriptions of parents – e.g. mum warm and cuddly, dad spiky not smiley etc • Questions & Feelings - e.g. what does mum do when dad texts to meet you for contact? • Evidenced based measuring tool used - Children’s Beliefs about Parental Divorce Scale: Psychometric Characteristics and Concurrent Validity Session 4 • Wishes - about parents and future contact • Produced a report report with recommendation for court. Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

19. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Every Child Matters: Stay Safe: Assessing and reducing risks. Providing a safe venue for contact to take place Be Healthy: supporting emotional wellbeing by promoting conflict free quality contact with the absent parent Enjoying & Achieving/Positive Contribution: Children who have a positive relationship with both parents are more like to do better at school, achieve in the workplace and less likely to become involved in anti social behaviour or teenage pregnancy Achieve Economic Wellbeing: children who experience the above are more likely to seek employment and do well in it. Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org

20. Impact Family Services Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support Any Questions? Tel: 0191 567 8282 www.impactfs.org