Whole family support service
Whole Family Support is a new service that takes a different approach to providing support for families across the Borders.
We are a team of eight dedicated family support workers, supporting families in their own homes and local community, with the aim of encouraging positive change that will lead to a better future for the whole family.
How does the service work?
- Your worker will support the whole family, rather than providing a worker for each family member.
- We work with a family’s strengths rather than focusing on any difficulties, whilst motivating you to make positive changes.
- Our aim is to develop an honest trusting relationship where families and workers work hand in hand to make your life better.
- Most families receive around three hours of support per week.
The stages below show how we will work with your family:
- Meet your keyworker – you will be allocated a keyworker who will arrange an initial visit to meet with you.
- Family meeting – a meeting will be arranged for you, all the family, and any service involved like the school, housing and health, to talk together. You can then make the decision as to whether you want the Whole Family Support Service to help.
- Listen to your family – your keyworker will listen to you and work with your family to assess and agree your needs.
- Make a plan – working together, we will plan a way forward – step by step – to look at solutions for any problems you may be having such as housing, children, school, stress or other worries.
- Practical support – your keyworker will help with practical support to help make positive changes.
- Family review – after a few weeks you will have another family meeting with other involved agencies to see what has changed for the better, and what still needs to be done.
- Positive change – you take one step at a time, making positive, practical changes.
What kind of support do we provide?
Whole Family Support will try to support you with whatever issues arise.
Below are some examples of the types of difficulties most families face at the start of our work together:
- problems with accommodation
- problems with school attendance, school exclusion, poor behaviour in school
- domestic abuse within the family
- physical and/or mental health issues for family members
- poverty or unemployment
These are some examples of the type of support we can provide to help:
- improvements with family relationships
- income maximisation
- practical help with parenting and housing issues
- link into community supports
- support to get into education, training or employment
More information
To find out more, please contact us at: wholefamilysupport@scotborders.gov.uk