Launch of new service to prevent crisis-hit families breaking down

A NEW service aimed at preventing families in crisis from falling apart and reuniting those who have gone into care with their parents will begin in West Yorkshire.

Bradford Council is launching its £3.2m B Positive Pathways programme today with an event attended by young people, social care professionals and Robert Goodwill MP, Minister of State for Children and Families.

It will run for four years and has received funding of £1.6m for the first two years from the Department for Education’s Innovation Fund.

There will be a children’s home which incorporates a specialist outreach team who are skilled in providing support at the time of crisis to prevent a family breakdown. The team will then work with the family on a long-term basis to support them and stabilise their situation. They will also work with young people who are “on the edge of care”.

The team uses a “Signs of Safety” approach which looks at solutions to problems and how to minimise risk to the child. Staff are to work with children to develop their resilience and help them to cope with the challenges they face. The team can also call on the support of a police officer, life coach, and speech and language therapist.

Michael Jameson, Bradford Council’s strategic director of children’s services, said: “It is about providing care which is tailored to the needs of children and young people and creating a stable and secure base where children and young people have a sense of belonging.

“Taking this approach means we can provide the right support, in the right place at the right time so both the child and family have the best long-term outcome.”