Support
Parenting intervention
Parenting programmes teach parents techniques to improve their child’s behaviour through building relationships with the child, using praise and incentives and establishing consistent boundaries with 'time out' for infringements.
Parenting programmes can be offered at the first sign of problems with a child’s behaviour. Attendance at a parenting programme will often form part of a Parenting Contract or Parenting Order. A referral for parenting intervention should be made via the Parenting Co-ordinator based at the Anti-social Behaviour Unit.
Family Intervention Project (FIP)
Family Intervention Projects work with persistent anti-social families to change their behaviour. According to need, the project provides either residential accommodation or outreach support for the family, for the duration of the intervention.
The project takes a 'whole family' approach, which considers the needs of the whole household and assesses the underlying problems driving the family’s behaviour, in order to identify which services need to be involved. It involves persistent and assertive keyworkers who make sure the family do not disengage. They will also make sure that the statutory services involved with the family do not disengage and provide the necessary support.
The project uses a twin track approach which includes help for families to address the cause of their behaviour, alongside supervision and enforcement tools to provide them with the incentives to change.
The threat or use of sanctions provides a way of curbing bad behaviour, and also helps persuade people to accept and co-operate fully with the offer of help.
A contract between the family and the project sets out the changes in behaviour that are expected, support that will be provided and sanctions that will be imposed if the behaviour does not improve.
Referrals to the project should be made through the keyworker at the Anti-social Behaviour Team.Mediation
Where appropriate we will use an independent mediation service provider (BLISS).
