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
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
Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support
SERVICES CURRENTLY OFFERED
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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
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
Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support
ROLES FOR THE SOCIAL WORKER:
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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
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
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
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
Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support
Specialist Contact Services: Lifestory Work
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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
Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support
Specialist Contact Services: Lifestory Work
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• 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
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
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
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
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
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
Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support
Specialist Contact Services: Wishes &
Feelings Report
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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
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’
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Play time after every session
Tel: 0191 567 8282
www.impactfs.org
Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support
Specialist Contact Services: Wishes &
Feelings Report
Session 1
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Work sheets - to ascertain child's emotional literacy and stage of development to
express their wishes and feelings.
Sessions 2 & 3
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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
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Wishes - about parents and future contact
Produced a report report with recommendation for court.
Tel: 0191 567 8282
www.impactfs.org
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
Mediation Child Contact Children & Family Support
Any Questions?
Tel: 0191 567 8282
www.impactfs.org