Helping Children SHINE to School and Beyond – Working with Children of All Ages From Toddlers to Teens.
Buckinghamshire Council
Family Advocacy and Support
FAMILY ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT WORKING WITH A YOUNG PERSON WITH MULTIPLE COMPLEX NEEDS IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.
Why support was needed
Support was needed to provide crucial respite and support for the family, and advocacy to ensure the young person (year 10) could receive and access the education and care she desperately needed. Giving her the same opportunity as her peers to be able to reach her full individual potential.
Supporting the young person
I worked with the young person to assess their needs and understand the barriers that they were facing. I reduced the emotional overwhelm and taught them active coping strategies through the Feelings Detective® curriculum. I took the time to build a trusting working relationship, creating a safe space and proving myself to be a reliable professional for them and their family, helping to rebuild trust in ‘the system.’ When we met, they were a child and a family very much in crisis.
Supporting the family
I worked with the family to assess their needs and understand the barriers they faced as a unit and individually. I empowered them to feel more able to support their child, advocate for them in a healthy way and rebuild trusting relationships with professionals, ensuring they felt seen, heard and valued. I equipped them with the tools to be their child’s Emotional Champion, and we worked together to slowly reduce the separation anxiety.
Supporting Professionals
I coordinated with various professionals to create a streamlined, cohesive and effective support plan. Ensuring that every professionals truly understood the child and family from a holistic perspective, working from a person- centred trauma informed approach. This was achieved through a multi-disciplinary approach.
Our Impact
Confidence and working relationships between the child, their family, and professionals had improved. Their confidence and self-esteem were dramatically improved, separation and social anxiety were considerably reduced, and the young person now has a strong sense of self, with dreams and aspirations for a very bright future.