Professionals
Family Friends accepts referrals from services such as – Health, Education, Safeguarding and Specialist Services, Children Centre’s Area Teams as well as from families themselves and private and voluntary sector organisations.
The procedures for referral are simple and are structured around our criteria.
Family Friends’ Criteria for Involvement with Families
Family Friends supports families who live in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead where there is at least one child aged 0 – 13 years. Families must be aware of the referral and be willing to engage in support. Additionally, Family Friends takes up referrals only where:
- Family Friends, referrers and family feel that the short-term support provided by Family Friends will be beneficial;
- There are adults who care for children and who wish to develop their parenting skills;
- Families and/or children are experiencing practical and/or emotional difficulties;
- In circumstances where Social Services has issued legal proceedings, Family Friends would not normally offer support;
- Where there are any exceptional circumstances, the Director will make the final decision as to whether Family Friends’ support can be effective and therefore should be provided;
- In cases where there are safety issues, support provided will take place at our office or another appropriate place, as agreed by the family and worker.
- Family Friends, referrers and family need to have an agreed, clearly defined purpose for Family Friends’ involvement.
Multi-Agency Working
Family Friends promotes joint working with families, statutory services, private and voluntary sector organisations. We have been involved in, and contributed to, providing information for Family Support meetings, Children in Need meetings, Child Protection Conferences, Core group Meetings, CAF processes etc.
We ensure that all of the families we work with are consulted and ask permission if we need to speak with other professionals about their situation. In cases where there are Child Protection concerns, we may not be able to gain their permission. However, we would make them aware that we would be contacting the appropriate statutory services.
The kinds of support we can offer a family.
Please see the parents pages for details of the services we can offer families.
Consultation
Family Friends is committed to ensuring that all services are evaluated and shaped by the parents and children. This is undertaken through:
- Pre and post-support evaluation.
- Consultation groups for parents and children.
- Consultation with Health, Education, Safeguarding Specialist Services, private and voluntary sector services within RBWM.
Compliments and Complaints
Whilst we aim to provide the best service we can, we are aware that we may not be able to ‘get it right’ all the time. We encourage professionals and service users to voice any concerns with the support they have received and we are committed to responding to these to reach a positive outcome. Alternatively, we encourage professionals and service users to highlight any compliments they have about the support they have been provided with.
Initial referral
