SectionA:TheorganisationsandgroupswithinthepartnershipLeadapplicant

NameofOrganisation: SignpostTypeofOrganisation: RegisteredCharityContactdetails: Contact- WilliamAllen

Email- ceo@signpostcounselling.co.ukPhone- 01923239495Address-

Summaryoforganisation:

Signposthelpsyoungpeopleembracetheiruniqueness,findtheirvoiceandforgetheirfuturesbyprovidingcounsellingandothersupportthathelpsthemovercomeill-health,underperformanceatschoolanddisengagementathome.Inourtriangularpartnership,Signpostprovides:a)Home-Startwithspecialistexpertise,proceduresandpremisestorunacounsellingserviceforparents.b)IntensiveFamilySupportTeam(IFST)withacounsellingandcoachingservicefortheirclients’children

Partner1NameofOrganisation: Home-StartWatfordandThreeRiversTypeofOrganisation: RegisteredCharityContactdetails: Contact- EmmaPower

Email- emmapower@home-startwatford.org.uk

Phone- 01923248010Address-

Summaryoforganisation:

Home-Startpromotesthewelfareoffamilieswithyoungchildrenthroughprovidingpracticalandemotionalfamilysupportinthefamilies’homes.InourtriangularpartnershipHome-Startprovides:a)Signpostwithacounsellingservicehelpingyoungparentsovercomedepression,historicabuseanddomesticviolence,enablingthemtobreakdestructivecyclesandgivechildrenbetterlifechances.b)IFSTwithanurturingandwelcomingfamilygroupencouragingparentalinvolvementintheirchildren’slearning.

Partner2NameofOrganisation: IFSTWatfordandThreeRivers

TypeofOrganisation: HertfordshireCountyCouncilProgramme

Contactdetails: Contact- DebbieStoneEmail- debbie.stone@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Phone- 02084285434Address-

Summaryoforganisation:

IFSTprovidesintensive,practical,wholefamilysupporttofamilieswithmultipleandcomplexneeds,includingworklessness,anti-socialbehaviour,education,domesticabuse,physicalormentalill-healthandsubstancemisuse.InourtriangularpartnershipIFSTprovides:a)Signpostwithpremisesandspecialistsupportinprovidingacounsellingandcoachingservicefordisengagedyoungpeopleb)Home-Startwithpremisesandspecialist,focusedsupportwithfamilieswheretherearemultiple,complexproblemsandissues.

SectionB:Partnerships&StoriesWhatthepartnershipisachievingandlearning1. Yourpartnership’sprojectorinitiative.

Ourpartnershipaimstostrengthenfamiliesandimprovethelife-chancesofchildrenandyoungpeoplebyprovidingajoined-up,complementaryservice,whichwouldnotbepossibleifthethreepartnersworkedinisolation.Afamilyexperiencingdifficulties,includingmentalill-health,domesticabuseorlowaspirations,canthroughoneinteraction/referralhaveaccessto(Signpostinblue,Home-Startingreen,IFSTinorange):• Accesstocounselling/coachingforchildrenaged10-18• Accesstosocialgroupsandsupportgroupsforchildrenaged10-18• Emotionalandpracticalsupportinthefamily’shomeonaweeklybasis• Nurturingfamilygroups• Accesstocounsellingforparents,withvolunteersupporttoremovebarriers• Akeyworkerhelpingovercomebarriers• Referraltomediationservicestoimprovefamilyrelationships• ‘MyLife’courseforwomenwhohavebeenvictimsofdomesticabuse

2. Howdidyourpartnershipcomeaboutanddevelop?

Allthreepartnerssupporthard-to-reachfamiliestoovercomebarrierstosuccessfullyengagingwithservices.SignpostandHome-StartindependentlyidentifiedthatresidentsofSouthOxhey,oneofHertfordshire’smostdeprivedwards,tendnottotakeupservicesaswellasothercommunities,eveniftheyareavailableascloseasWatford.Toovercomethis,bothagenciespartneredupwiththeIFSTandasaresultofthiscollaborativeworkingsomeofthemostdeprivedfamiliesenjoyaccesstospecialistservicesonfamilies’doorsteps,including:- Specialistyouthcounsellingandcoaching- Nurturingfamilygroups,parentingsupportintheirownhomeandaccesstoopen-ended,freeofchargecounselling.ThesecondstageofthedevelopmentofthepartnershipwasSignpostandHome-Startcollaboratingtoovercomechildcareandotherbarrierstodevelopacounsellingservicespecialisinginsupportingparentswithyoungchildren.SeveralbeneficiarieshavebeenyoungclientsofSignpost’s.Thecurrenttriangulararrangementdidnotstartasapartnership,buthasevolvedfromcollaborationonindividualareasofdeliverytothedevelopmentofastrategicvisionoftheofferthatfamiliesandyoungpeopleneedtoovercomedifficulties,suchasmentalill-health,domesticviolenceandlowaspirations.

3. Impact.Pleasedescribewhatoutcomesyouareachieving,yourimpactorhowyouaremakingadifference.

Outcomesfordisaffectedteenagers-Adam,atwelve-year-oldIFSTcaseofafro-Caribbeandescent,fromasingleparenthouseholdwithahistoryofdomesticabuse,experiencednon-confrontationalrolemodelsandadifferentstyleof‘maleness’througha‘pizzaandproblem-solvinggroup’.Previouslyreluctant,becauseofthegrouphesawPeter[aSignpostcounsellor]one-to-one‘coshe’salright!’Overcomingtheidentityissuescausedbyhisfather’sabsence,Adamavoidedpermanentexclusionfromschool.Heislessangryandappliesbetterproblem-solvingindifficultsituations.Outcomesforyoungparents-Polly,ayoungmumwitha4-year-oldboywithADHDwasofferedahome-visitingvolunteerwhoprovidedweeklyvisitsof2-3hoursfor9months.MumwassufferingwithpanicattacksandwasreferredforcounsellingatSignpost.Shereceived16sessionsduringwhichshetalkedaboutaprevious,unhealthyrelationship,andprocessedtheimpactofherson’sdiagnosis.Thisincreasedherself-esteem,reducedherpanicattacksandenabledhertomoveawayandstartanewlife.Outcomesforfamilies-Ben,permanentlyexcludedfromtwoprimaryschoolsduetohisbehaviour,receivedIFSTsupportenablinghimtoaccesseducationsothathisneedscouldbeassessed.WhileBenwaswithhistutor,Leah(mum)accessedtheHome-Startgrouptogetparentingsupportforhertwoyoungerboys.Thisenabledhertodevelopstrongerrelationshipsandpreventasimilarsituationoccurringinthefuture.Bennowhasaplaceinaspecialschool.

4. Howpartnershipworkingishelpingyoutoachievemore.Asseparateprojects,wewerelikepolesintheground-insecureandunrelated.Leantinoneachotherandinter-connectedwearenowawigwam.Ourstructuresarestrongertogetherandfamiliesbenefitfromamoreconnectedandholisticapproachappliedbythethreepartners.Morespecificbenefitshavebeen:- TheuseofIFSTpremisesbySignpostandHome-StartprovidesSouthOxheyfamilieswithaccesstoservicestheywerepreviouslydistancedfrom- ‘PizzaandProblem-solvinggroups’deliveredbySignpostusingIFSTpremisesandreferralsprovideanoutreachtodisaffectedyoungpeoplewhichenables50%toprogressintocounselling- UsingSignpost’spremisesandcomingundertheumbrellaofSignpost’spolicies,clinicalsupervisionandriskmanagementapproachhasenabledHome-Starttosetupacounsellingserviceforparentswithouthavingtogototheextensivetroubleandexpenseofsettingupaservicefromscratch.Withtheuniquesupportofavolunteer,italsoenableshard-to-reachparentstoaccessacounsellingservicewithoutthedifficultyoffindingchildcare.Collaborationbetweenthethreeagenciesenablesclientstomoreeasilyaccessthesupportthatmostsuitstheirneedsandensuresajoined-upapproach:youngparentscomingtoSignpostcanaccessspecialistparentingsupportfromHome-Start;parentsbeingsupportedbyIFSTcanbeofferedone-to-onesupportfromSignpostforanystrugglingteenagersinthefamily;strugglingparentscomingtoHome-StartcanmoreeasilyaccesssupportfromIFSTandsoon.

5. Howyouaremakingsurethatthepartnershipisworkingeffectively.

The‘pizzaandproblem-solvinggroups’startedfromfundingSignpostreceivedfromHertfordshireCountyCouncilandhavesinceevolvedintoacost-sharing,matchedactivitybetweenSignpostandIFST.Thereisasharedreferralprocess;thegroupisrunbyonememberofIFSTstaffandonememberofSignpoststaff;Signpostprovidesthematerials,IFSTprovidesthepizza;thereisameetingeverytermtoidentifynewrecruits,reviewprogress,planfuturecyclesofworkandpreparefundingapplications.Home-Startthroughtheircorefamilysupportservicebecameincreasinglyawareofthenumberofparentswhowouldbenefitfromaccessingcounsellingandthebarriersthatpreventedthemfromdoingso.Withtheaimtoreducetheimpactofparentalmentalillness,domesticviolenceandaddictions,theHome-StartcounsellingservicewassetupinpartnershipwithSignposttodevelopaserviceforparentswithvolunteersupportforchildcare.ThepartnershipwithIFSTfurtherenabledHome-Starttoprovidefamilygroupsforparentstobegintobuildtheirowncommunitysupportnetworks.InthecurrentfundingclimateneitheroftheseprojectswouldhavebeenpossiblewithoutpartnershipsupportThepartnershipstartedasthreebilateralarrangements.Sinceithasbecomeclearthatweeachenjoytheseparallelrelationships,theManagers/CEOsofthethreeorganisationshavestartedcollaboratingasagrouptoexplorehowthetriangulararrangementscanbestrengthenedandthecollaborationmoredeeplyembedded.Newideascomeoutofthis,suchasthepossibilityofpizzaandproblem-solvinggroupsforyoungparents.

6. Whatyouarelearningfromeachother.

SignposthaslearntfromIFSTandHome-Starthowtomeettheneedsofdistinctgroups.Wenowreachouttoyoungpeoplethatneedusratherthanjustthosethatfindus.WearenowapplyingthislearningtodisaffectedyoungpeopleinHemelHempsteadandyoungpeoplewhoareLesbian,Gay,BisexualandTransgenderinWatfordandThreeRivers.Home-StarthaslearntfromSignposttherigoursandethicalboundariesrequiredofacounsellingservice.Home-Startnowembracesamoretherapeutic-mindedapproachtootheractivitiesindifferentarenas,suchasdeliveringregulartrainingonmentalhealth,solution-focusedapproachesanddomesticviolencetohome-visitingvolunteersandplanningthedeliveryofaperinatalmentalhealthprojectforparents.IFSThaslearntthatpartnershipworkingwithcharitableorganisationsisequallyandoftenmoreeffectivefordisadvantagedfamiliesthanworkingwithstatutoryservices.ManyofthefamiliesandyoungpeopleweworkwitharenaturallydistrustfulofstatutoryservicesandasIFSTworkswithfamiliesonavoluntarybasis,thepartnershipwehavewithSignpostandHome-Startmeansfamiliesaremorewillingtoengagewithusandthusourinterventionsresultinpositiveandsustainedchangesforthefamily.