Family Support Website
The aim of the Family Support Service is to provide a range of community-based supports to families when they need it, to help them meet the individual needs of the children they care for. This service provides targeted early intervention support, aiming to work with families at the earliest opportunity to prevent issues from escalating. The service can also provide more intensive support to families when they experience periods of crisis.
Family Support Workers adopt a strength focused approach, working together with families to identify what is going well and the areas they would like to improve. Support is provided to families individually, and sometimes in group settings where similar issues are being experienced by more than one family at the same time.
The aim of the Family Support Service is to work with families for a short period of time to empower them meet their identified goals. Family Support Workers will regularly review progress with families and agree plans for continued support together.
Family Support Workers are experienced in supporting families to overcome issues they are experiencing in the following areas:
- Family Routines and Communication
- Social and Emotional Support (for parent and child)
- Family Relationships
- The Impact of Domestic Abuse
- Barriers preventing a child enjoying school life.
In line with the Tackling Child Poverty Plan referrals will be prioritised for families who are identified as the following:
- Lone parent families
- Families which include a disabled adult or child
- Larger families (of 3 or more children)
- Minority ethnic families
- Families with a child under one year old
- Families where the mother is under 25 years of age.
Referrals can be made by a range of professionals including Teachers, Health Visitors, Social Workers, NHS and other community-based professionals. Parents can also contact the service directly to request support.
Family Support Workers are based at the Dawson Community Centre and provide support to families across Falkirk. They are available between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday. To get more information, or to make a referral, please contact the team on:
Intensive Family Support Service
The Intensive Family Support Service provides additional and intensive support to families who are supported by social work services and experiencing crisis. The aim of the service is to work intensively alongside families and other professionals for a short period of time, to empower families to overcome crisis and increase family stability.
Referrals can be made to this service for the following reasons:
- To help families stay together and prevent a child from becoming looked after away from home.
- To help a child safely return to their family's care.
- To contribute towards Parenting Capacity Assessments alongside social work colleagues
Intensive Family Support workers adopt a strength focused approach, working closely with children, families and other relevant professionals to identify what is going well and the areas they would like to improve. Intensive Family Support Workers will visit families at least twice per week, regularly reviewing progress with families and professionals to agree plans for continued support together.
Intensive Family Support Workers are experienced in supporting children and families to overcome issues they are experiencing in the following areas:
- Family Routines and Communication
- Social and Emotional Support (for parent and child)
- Family Relationships
- Impact of Domestic Abuse
- Barriers preventing a child enjoying school life.
- Impact of Substance Misuse
- Child Protection Concerns
Referrals can only be made to this service by Social Workers where there is an identified need for an additional area of support not already provided by the team around the child.
Intensive Family Support Workers are based at the Dawson Community Centre and provide support to families across Falkirk. Intensive Family Support Workers are available from 8am – 8pm Monday – Friday, and 10am – 6pm Saturday to Sunday. Out with these hours the Emergency Social work Team would be available on: