A leaflet for families

support programme

The Surrey Family Support Programme is a service to help you and your family when you need support through difficult times. Everyone needs help sometimes and it is important to know that it is available within your local community.

Surrey believes all families:• are important• are individual, different and diverse• have values, hopes and aspirations• have strengths and skills• have knowledge, strategies and practical resources• face difficulties and challenges• seek out help and support• learn, grow and change.

The programme uses a whole family approach, which involves everyone in the family including parents, grandparents, young people and children. It allows families to build on their strengths while helping

them to overcome some of the concerns and challenges they are

experiencing.

Our aim is to:• enable you to feel good about

your family and local community• empower all family members to

build new skills• help your family to have the

confidence to go forward in life with the support it needs.

The programme particularly helps families who may be experiencing two or more of the following problems:• physical and mental health issues• past or present domestic abuse• children who are in need of help

and support• children who are not attending

school or who get into trouble at school

• families where members have been in trouble in their local community with anti-social behaviour or offending

• unemployment and financial difficulties.

Some of the areas of life we also help families with are:

Housing• budgeting• getting the right benefits• managing debts• essential furnishings and repairs• hygiene and cleanliness• community relationships.

Keeping your family safe• your health and wellbeing• stress and depression• managing disabilities• eating and exercise• drinking or drugs.

Couple relationships• co-parenting• managing conflict.

Parenting• good relationships• communication• routines• children’s behaviour at home.

School• children and young people failing to make good progress at school.

Difficult life events• managing separation and relationship breakdown• bereavement, trauma and loss• abuse - historical and present.

Moving towards employment• working out what training you need• CV and interview preparation• voluntary work experience• preparation for employment.

Creating new opportunities• helping you and your children get

involved in community activities• helping you make friends

• developing new interests that make you feel positive.

How does the programme work?

When you have given your consent to be part of the programme you will be introduced to your local team family coordinator. They will listen to you and your family carefully and hear how you would like things to change from the way they are now. They will help you to see the things you are doing well and how you might build on these to make your

family stronger and your life better. They will listen to

your concerns and worries and help you to think about when they first started and how they might be overcome in the future.

Your family coordinator can help you in many different practical ways whether that is sorting out your home or helping you develop routines that mean your children get to school on time. They will work with you in your home and community seeing you regularly for three or four months so you feel supported in putting new things in place.

Your coordinator will set up a meeting between your family and professionals who have specialist skills and expertise in helping with your particular problems. This is

called a team around the family (TAF). The TAF helps you to create a family action plan,

which includes all the different ways different people can help

members of your family over a set period of time.

What commitment will the team give me and my family?Our commitment is to work with your whole family, involving you in all decisions that will affect your life.

What’s expected from me and my family?By working with us we would like you to agree to:• make and sign a family

agreement This will be an agreement between

all your family members to work with the Surrey Family Support Programme. It will set out where you are now, what you are aiming for, what support you will be offered and how you will get to where you want to be.

• make and sign a family action plan

The family action plan will be written and agreed with you and your TAF. We will need your permission to share information we may have about you with other professionals in your TAF.

• choose change We know that you want the

best for your family and we look forward to you joining the Surrey Family Support Programme.

Information sharing between agenciesTo ensure we are providing you with the best possible service it is essential for us to share information with our partner organisations. This helps us to identify families that might benefit from support, evaluate the effectiveness of the programme in meeting your needs and continually improve the quality of our service.

All information will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the common law duty of confidentiality. Personal information will only ever be shared with people who have a genuine need to access it, and only the minimum necessary information should be shared.

If you would like further information on data sharing please visit

www.surreycc.gov.uk/familysupportprogramme

Or write to the Corporate Information Governance

Team at Surrey County Council, Legal Services, County Hall, Penrhyn Road,

Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 2DN

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Please contact your local family support team to find out more.

Elmbridge, Spelthorne, Epsom & Ewell• General email: elmbridgeFSPreferral@elmbridge. gov.uk• Referral email: elmbridgeFSPreferral@elmbridge. gcsx.gov.uk• Tel: 01372 474 382

Guildford• General email: guildfordFSP@guildford.gov.uk• Referral email: guildfordFSPreferral@guildford. gcsx.gov.uk

• Tel: 01483 444 089

Reigate & Banstead, Mole Valley and Tandridge (South-East Surrey Family Support Team)• General email: familysupport@reigate-banstead. gov.uk• Referral email: familysupport@reigate-banstead. gcsx.gov.uk• Tel: 01737 276 089

Surrey Heath and Runnymede• General email: family.support@surreyheath. gov.uk• Referral email: family.support@surreyheath. gcsx.gov.uk• Tel: 01276 707 333

Waverley• Email: fsupport@waverley.gcsx.gov.uk• Tel: 01483 523 245

Woking• Email: familysupport@woking. gcsx.gov.uk• Tel: 01483 743 812