Uniquely, Family Action services work with parents, who are experiencing mental health problems, and with their children; ensuring both get the support they need.
Family Action operate a significant number of mental health family support services across England. See
Around the Country for more information.
Newpin works with parents and children under five where there is a significant difficulty identified in the child–parent relationship and/or an identified mental health problem.
Family Action's Building Bridges services work with the whole family unit and seek to meet the individual needs of each family member, supporting the need of the adult(s) in their role as a parent(s) and responding to the related but separate needs of the children. The approach promotes the involvement of other agencies and encourages them to work together and coordinate their services. Download the Building Bridges Evaluation.
The Key Characteristics of Our Family Support Services
- The service has been designed to meet the needs of families where parents have profound and enduring mental health difficulties.
- The starting point is the families’ perception of their needs and the issues they want to address.
- The service offered is, as far as possible, tailored to meet families’ needs and circumstances. It is flexible and holistic.
- The service is available at times when other services often are not. For example, weekends, bank holidays, evening, early morning, bath time, bedtime, the school run.
- Family Support Workers go into families’ homes to help with practical issues as well as providing emotional support.
- The service improves family relationships by enabling parents and children to have a better understanding of each other’s needs.
- The service helps parents to access and coordinate with other agencies and professionals, improving communication and relationships.
- The service uses internationally validated clinical tools to measure the effects of intervention.