Safer Futures are offering a whole family approach intervention for both the children who are displaying abusive and violent behaviours, and their parents or carers
Are your children displaying abusive or violent behaviours? Is this impacting the relationships with your family? Do you need support to help change and challenge these behaviours effectively?
This month, Safer Futures have proudly added an additional programme for children aged 8 to 17 and their parents and carers called the Reconnect Respect Programme. This programme aims to provide an intervention for children who are displaying abusive behaviours or violence to those who are close to them, especially their parents and carers, whom also will receive support, skills, and techniques to help manage and change behaviour.
“The programme avoids blame and works together with both the parents/carers and the young person seeing them all as part of the solution. The programme is designed to enable families to identify negative behaviour patterns and work towards positive outcomes.”
Respect UK
The programme’s highly trained practitioners aim to provide support and insights through solution focused work with parents and children, provided in a structured way over 3 month, with extra time given to families where there are potential barriers to engagement.
Sessions provided are varied, with some sessions being provided only to the child, others only to the parents or carers, whilst interweaved are family sessions where children and parents or carers all come together to practice skills learned, to negotiate, and to form new family agreements.
Comments from parents, carers, and children have thus far been positive from those who have accepted the offer of support from other service providers:
One parent said: “The programme helped me to understand my son’s behaviour and gave me more confidence in my parenting”, another parent said: “I found real strength in knowing I was going to see the worker on a regular basis. This increased my self- confidence and my ability to use new strategies to manage volatile situations”.
One child said: “… It helped me have a better relationship with my mum”, another child said “… It helped me not to get mad as often…I don’t get mad like I used to and I am happier”. One child also found relationships for them has improved: “… It made my relationship with my mum better, we don’t fall out as often and if we do, it doesn’t last as long”.
Safer Futures provide a wealth of services and support options to anyone in Cornwall aged 8 or over who require support relating to domestic abuse, sexual violence, or are in need of developing skills and knowledge to have healthier and stronger relationships.
If you would like to refer your family to Safer Futures to access this free county wide service in Cornwall, you can make an online referral via www.saferfutures.org.uk or by calling our friendly helpline via 0300 777 4 777.
