Family Pastoral Support | One Step Further

Families come in all shapes and sizes, with no such thing as "one size fits all"

I strongly believe the most important factors to establishing a workable relationship with any family are Trust & Respect, both qualities have to be earned, and will take time. I don't expect a family to meet me for the first time and feel comfortable to offload their innermost emotions.

There are barriers to cross, and perception plays a huge part in jumping through the barriers with enough room to support the family to take One Step Further.

Perhaps the easiest way to explain how I can support you is to give you some food for thought:

I understand why some families are:

In fear of authority - this might be because of childhood experiences, recent incidents, hearsay or genuine reasons of not wanting to engage.
Afraid that voicing a concern about their child will give the impression they are incapable of positively parenting.
Worried about how their actions will be judged
Too frightened to ask for help because they don't want to "start a ball rolling"
Confident that they are dealing with their blip themselves and leave it to crisis point before admitting defeat
Unable to put their hopes and fears into words
Ashamed of admitting that they aren't coping

I know that some families:

Will pour their hearts out and expect the professional to wave an invisible magic wand to put the concern right with immediate effect
Will expect a professional to have the answers that are already in their minds or hearts - but not know how to find them
Won't be aware of the many different tools and resources that are available to them - signposting might be the answer.
Won't engage in the way we, as professionals expect them to, if this is the case the number one priority is to find out why.

I am confident to support:

Parenting Concerns - achieving the best for your child
Relationship issues - is it a blip or a final straw
Separation guidance & child contact - this may involve signposting to legal practitioners, this will be the client's choice
Financial issues - help to work through financial pressures
Anxiety & Emotional stability for adults (I work closely with Chameleon & Free Range Forest Families, who are excellent at providing emotional support for your children)

I am happy to speak with families directly as well as referrals via professionals

We will work together to achieve the best possible outcome for you and your children.

Safeguarding of children and families is first & foremost in our service