Support Model
The paramount aim of Cheshire House is to provide a safe and secure environment for children whilst assessing the parents’ capability to parent the child to a good enough standard.
The families who come to Cheshire House are from a broad social spectrum and include parents with learning difficulties, psychological problems, antisocial behaviour and drug and alcohol abuse.
Cheshire House offers a variety of placements including single parents, both male and female, two parents plus child, or children.
Referrals to Cheshire House are generally initiated by:
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Following referral, an initial “viability” assessment and interview is undertaken with the family, to ascertain the suitability and ability of the family to engage with the process of assessment.
Once a placement is deemed appropriate, Cheshire House adopts a multi-faceted approach working in partnership with the family, Local Authority and other professionals through the forum of a “Placement Planning Meeting” to produce an agreed support plan for the family.
If psychological input is required this will be discussed at the planning meeting and the Lcoal Authority will instruct the psychologist separately as required.
The philosophy at Cheshire House is to protect the children and to offer innovative programmes of support and rehabilitation, which are designed to address the needs of both parents and children.
Integral to this service is a comprehensive programme of assessment and development, underpinned by the involvement of the experienced Family Development Team at Cheshire House. Throughout their stay at Cheshire House families are supported to be self sufficient, and are therefore responsible for their own income and are required to provide their own food, clothing, prams or pushchairs, baby feeding equipment, towels and cot bedding.
Upon admission to Cheshire House each family will follow their own individual support plan, which has been agreed by all parties prior to admission. They will be involved in specific sessions on child development, safety and awareness in various situations, childhood illnesses, diet and nutrition. A social worker and a key worker are assigned to each individual family to co-ordinate their placement and to be their main contact for the duration of their stay.
The assigned social worker is responsible for, and works closely with, the key worker in directing the assessment in accordance with the agreed outcomes identified through the planning meeting and ensuring all areas of the risk assessment are undertaken and evaluated throughout a family’s stay. The social worker also prepares reports throughout the assessment period and a final report for the local authority and court as applicable. If psychological assessments have been requested then a psychological report will be additional and independent to the social worker report.
On a daily basis the key worker keeps a detailed account of a family’s progress, the extent to which parents adhere to the routine and the key worker’s own observations.The social worker and key worker will use this once a week as a reflective tool for the parents and a focus for discussion. The Family Development Team, incorporating the key worker, advises and supervises families in all aspects of their childcare tasks.
During the assessment period, regular reviews and LAC (Looked After Children) or core group meetings are undertaken, in which the Local Authority and family are involved. When the assessment period is “Mid Term”, a formal “Review” meeting is held. These meetings primarily aim to examine the progress of the programme and evaluate whether any changes or adaptations are necessary.
At the end of the assessment period, the assigned social worker for Cheshire House prepares a full report on the assessment findings and makes recommendations on the outcome for the family parents have access to papers and records concerning themselves and are given the opportunity to respond to the reports. Reports are available in a variety of formats to make them accessible to all.