Since its creation, the foundation has provided independent advice and information services to families with a wide range of needs, from those requesting simple clarification of a letter from school, those struggling but unable to access resources due to language barriers to those who feel bewildered by the speed and complexity of child protection procedures and need independent advice in order to consider options.
We aim to provide a range of services that complement each other and are:
  • Free of charge and available to parents, members of the extended family, friends or anybody in the community concerned with a child
  • Free from jargon
  • Independent and confidential
  • Centred on the needs and perspective of the child

Advice and Advocacy Project
For families whose children are involved with statutory agencies, the advocacy service is conceived as an opportunity to:

  • Obtain information about rights, legal framework in child protection, kinship care, best practice, contact with child etc.
  • Discuss concerns and gain an understanding of consequences so that communication with and trust in professionals is improved
  • Make informed decisions about how to protect their children
  • Gain support to express wishes at meetings/conferences either directly or via the use of an advocate.

For families who would like to discuss concerns or who need help in order to access services, the Foundation will provide advice and information about resources available in the statutory sector and signpost to other voluntary organisations.

Contact with the Foundation will be via phone, e-mail, letter or office consultations.

Drop in Centre
Conceived as an informal source of support for isolated families, struggling with parenting responsibilities, in particular those who have taken up residence in the  country within the previous year.  Run by members for members.

Objective:
The centre will provide a wide range of resources, activities, social and educational sessions  to children and their carers. The overall objective is to strengthen families’ capacity and build a network of support that is passed on to the next generation.

Method
A combination of family work, community development and citizen empowerment, all within a framework that involves all members in decisions regarding the centre, activities and themes that are suitable to develop a better understanding of their lives and the country they have come to live in. Activities will facilitate the discussion of situations that can lead to children being harmed and the many forms that child abuse can take.

The focus will be on identifying cultural issues arising as a result of parenting, with a view to helping families find culturally sensitive ways of discipline their children that do not require the use of physical punishment. In addition, the group will explore children’s needs, demanding behaviour and the impact of domestic violence on family life.

In addition, the Drop-in Centre will help children to make friends and to cope with the difficulties of adjusting to their new social and geographical environment, particularly with those who have witnessed traumatic events.

Meetings will take place once a week throughout the year. Parents will be actively involved in running the centre.

Family Group Conferences
Since its introduction in the UK more than ten years ago, the Family Group Conference Model has played a decisive and powerful role helping families to stay together and keep young people safe and out of the care system. It is conceived as an independent, culturally appropriate service for families whose children are involved with statutory agencies.

The project will provide independent advice and advocacy services to families, children and the extended network of relatives and friends. All those attending the conference are helped to take a hard look at Social Services’ concerns and define a care-plan of how, as a whole, the family will protect and meet the needs of the child.

Research shows that for Black and minority ethnic families, a Family Group Conferences not only help to facilitate involvement of families and access to services but also to improve communication with professionals. It has proved to be particularly beneficial for families who have very limited knowledge of the child protection register and who distrust statutory services.

The Family Group Conference project under the leadership of the Foundation will be open to families, practitioners from statutory agencies and voluntary organisations.

The Foundation will promote the service widely, identify demand and assist social workers in areas of current practice that could be improved by holding conferences. It will also train in the use of the model male and female co-ordinators from varied ethnic backgrounds and whose native languages reflects those in the community.