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3.2.10 Edge of Care/Prevention and Family Support Services

Placement Support

Aims and Objectives

The staff team at Placement Support Service offer a package of care to young people and their families that is tailor made to suit individual needs. When families experience conflict it can be a traumatic time. The staff team have the skills and experience to respond to any situation in a sensitive and caring manner.

All work undertaken by the team is time limited, planned and purposeful. Staff will work in partnership with all young people, their parents/carers and their social workers to achieve a solution to the problems that are causing difficulties. We believe that those people with parental responsibility for a young person should be enabled to exercise and maintain that responsibility and it is our aim to ensure they are able to exercise their rights throughout the duration of our input. Therefore, we involve them in all the decisions and promote their active involvement in the programme of work, which can be:

  1. Focused out reach support packages to help prevent placement breakdown;
  2. Support for parents/carers in managing young people’s behaviour;
  3. Short term assessments of crisis;
  4. 24 hour telephone support;
  5. Support to young people returning home from the “looked after” system;
  6. Sign posting to alternative agencies.

Accessing a Service from Placement Support

Families can only be referred through Children and Young People’s Service.

The child/young person must have an active Social Worker who can provide referral details and be able to provide relevant current information that details the type of service that is required.

The referring agency must also agree a contract for service and be committed to providing information for reviewing the contract.

Once a referral has been received a worker will contact the referee and other people involved in the care of the young person to complete the essential information about why the crisis is occurring. This will enable the team to establish whether the referral meets their criteria and if so to prioritise it along with other referrals. The team works within a four week cycle, reviewing and repeating if necessary.

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