Last year 191 families were helped through one of our services: ·
- Residential Family Assessment & Support: Working with families in fixed-term residency.
- Securing Change: our follow-on service, supporting mums and dads after they leave.
- 'Jigsaw': A family contact service to rebuild family relationships.
- Outreach: one-to-one and peer support groups to young mums and dads in Lambeth.
Our numbers reflect the highly bespoke nature of our programs. We work together with parents on what they feel is most important
The only professionals they saw
At the start of Covid-19 restrictions we made the decision to keep our houses open and continue our outreach services. This was a difficult decision to make. Yet when parents told us St Michael’s practitioners were the only people, they had spoken with in days we knew we had made the right decision.
“This place is like a rehabilitation place, to make you better and make you comfortable with things and get you back on track. Not just for your sake but your kid’s sake. Once you have learnt what you’ve learnt no one can take that away from you.”
Our goal is to reduce the number of children taken into care
With numbers of children in care at a record high our residential assessment provides the best chance for a child to remain with their parents in a safe and stable environment. Of the 25 families who stayed in our residential assessment centres 10 remained with their children, they either returned to the community or went on to foster care together. Children from 2 families remained with extended family and 3 families’ assessments were ongoing at the time of the report.
“You can talk to her about anything, and I mean anything ... she will help, if you’re thinking you need help with certain things, then she will be there to try to help you” Securing Change participant on Securing Change practitioner
The importance of securing change for families
Through our follow-on program, Securing Change, we continue to work with families after they leave residential assessment. For families that leave with their children it is an opportunity to embed change and ensure children remain in a stable home. For parents leaving without their children Securing Change is often the only service recognising their grief and helping them understand what happened with the goal of stopping recurring care proceedings for future children.
“It’s a good support network. I feel connected with people with similar experience, I’m not on my own. If I didn’t have group, I would not be where I am today. I am very grateful as I’m in a better place now.” Outreach program participant
Working together with parents
Last year, our community outreach services in Lambeth helped 64 mothers and 31 fathers. We work with mothers and fathers to help them become the best parents they can be, to give their children the brightest possible future.
Compassionate, honest and expert
We believe no child’s life should be blighted because of the circumstances of their birth. Our work is compassionate, honest and expert. St Michael’s practitioners are unique in their ability to support a young parent for however long they need. Often the St Michael’s practitioner is the only professional who knows the whole story and has built a trusted relationship over months, sometimes even years.
Whenever we can we work with both parents as this leads to the best outcomes for children. We do not reach thousands of parents with prescribed interventions; we reach the most complex cases and often spend months building a relationship before we can effect change together.
Read more about the impacts of our work in the Impact Reports below!
