Family Development Pathway
An important part of the support model is recognising a family’s need to progress through the service. This progression provides self-esteem, self-worth and encouragement, which helps nurture a positive outcome to the service. Therefore, the service has been designed to incorporate a positive development pathway to help family’s progress throughout their stay. Throughout the pathway we will continually monitor, assess and document a family’s progress towards an independent and viable unit.
There is a Three-Stage Approach Incorporating:
STAGE I – Full Observation
At the commencement of the service, full observation is necessary to enable us to gain an in-depth understanding of the families’ abilities in all aspects of parenting. During this stage the Family Development Team also provides intensive support and is heavily involved in monitoring and assessing parents until they are confident that their ability is such that they can progress to Stage II.
STAGE II – Partial Stand Back
At this stage of the service we gradually begin to withdraw the level of observation as we believe that families have progressed sufficiently and would respond positively to a lower level of input. This demonstrates to the families that we have developed further confidence in their parenting abilities, giving them a greater level of self-confidence and realisation that they can progress onto Stage III of the service.
STAGE III – Full Stand Back
At this stage the families are given the opportunity to become more independent and gradually rehabilitate back into the community, where it is felt appropriate. In order to assess what the family has taken on board, observation and monitoring does continue, but in a more discreet manner than previously.
REVIEW AND REPORTING PROCESS
An integral part of the care pathway approach is the regular reviews of progress carried out by the Family Development Team.
Meticulous daily reports are made on each family and these are used by the social workers and key workers as a focus for weekly discussion with parents on progress.
These daily reports and weekly discussions form the basis of a comprehensive monthly review meeting attended by the social workers, key workers, families, Local Authority and other professionals. These meetings primarily aim to examine the progress of the programme, making any changes that are considered necessary.
At the end of the assessment period, a final assessment report is prepared by the assigned social worker. This includes recommendation for the placement of the child and future support of the family to build on the work undertaken during their stay at Cheshire House and to enable them to adjust to life in the community with or without their child.