Dorset Council launches project to 'Safeguard Families Together'
It's being trialled in Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester
A new programme's been launched by Dorset Council, with the aim of helping families to keep safe and well.
Safeguarding Families Together is being piloted in Weymouth, Portland and Dorchester first.
If it's successful, it'll then be rolled out to the rest of the county.
The scheme brings together lots of different agencies to improve health and education outcomes for families.
Dorset Council say the ultimate goal is to make the county 'the best place to be a child'.
To begin with, substance misuse workers and domestic abuse victim support staff are starting to work alongside social workers - with probation and mental health professionals joining in the New Year.
The idea is that so-called ‘whole family working’ will help to meet both the child and adult needs, by working together and sharing information between professionals to provide the right support when they require it.
It's also hoped the project will reduce the number of children having to enter the care system and increase capacity for social workers, meaning that they can spend more time working directly with families and less on administration.
Cllr Andrew Parry, Portfolio Holder for Children, Education, Skills and Early Help, explained:
"Multi-disciplinary teams made up of children’s social workers and adult specialists in mental health, substance misuse and domestic abuse will work alongside families.
"Adults within the household are assessed and provided with specialist help without the need for wait times and appointments. Through individual and group work programmes, perpetrators of domestic abuse will be supported and educated. Victims of domestic abuse will be offered help and support.
"Substance misuse workers will undertake screening, testing, prescribing medication and lead individual and group work programmes for alcohol and drug reduction. Mental Health workers will be able to assess and provide therapeutic support and necessary interventions to prevent mental health from escalating.
"Everyone working with our families will be trained in motivational interviewing, one consistent practice approach which provides empathy and promotes self-belief to facilitate positive change with an emphasis on helping the family to use their own strengths."