We provide practical and emotional support to help people challenged by mental health issues to retain their independence, choice and community involvement as well as services that support general wellbeing in order to prevent escalation to more severe mental health issues.
Family Support Services
We work with families dealing with mental health problems, difficulties with parenting or with their own relationship, domestic abuse, children with behavioural difficulties, problems engaging in education, emotional or physical welfare issues, supporting older members of the family, and financial and material hardship. Our work is based on the principle of empowerment, working with families, supporting them into universal services until they are able to manage without support.
Perinatal Support Services
We work with families from before the baby is born to at least one year after.
Taking a multi agency approach, we work closely with midwives, health visitors, GPs, Children’s Centres and existing perinatal teams to enhance what is available to families where mothers are suffering with mental health difficulties. Safeguarding, training and regular supervision of volunteers are key standards.
Emotional Health & Wellbeing Services
Family Action offers a range of services that support the emotional health and wellbeing of individuals and families.
Our services are set within local communities offering services users a familiar and non-threatening environment where they can engage with our highly skilled practitioners and work with our volunteers and befrienders.
Our Social Prescribing services are GP based and aim to improve mental health and quality of life and/or to improve symptoms by linking patients with non-medical sources of support within the community; helped by the support of volunteer befrienders.
Our highly successful WellFamily services provide recovery-focused and holistic interventions including a mix of individually targeted and flexible practical and emotional support. The service, which can be based in a number of different settings, provides a ‘single door’ NHS-based approach to families in need so that users with complex problems do not have to deal with several different agencies and professionals.
Supported Housing Services
Family Action provides supported housing services to people experiencing mental illness, enabling them to remain within their community. Services are managed and funded in a range of partnerships involving NHS Trusts, local authorities, Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) and Supporting People.
The emphasis of work is on co-production with service users taking an equal part in planning and skills development; including house meetings, health and safety and attending staff and management meetings. Service users are expected to play a full part in their recovery, attending key work sessions, workshops and fully engaging in the support process. The support provided is service user centred, holistic and recovery driven in approach and aims to engage with the service users on the areas of their life they see as important for development.
Training and Consultancy Services
Family Action can offer a range of training and consultancy services relating to our areas of expertise in Early Years, Children and Families work, and Adult Mental Health and Wellbeing.
We work with both statutory and non-statutory organisations across local government, health, education, social care, commercial, and the voluntary and community sectors. Our staff have comprehensive front-line experience and are able to tailor our service to meet your specific organisational or local needs.
Deputy and Trustee Services
Deputy is a person appointed by the Court of Protection to manage the affairs of someone who lacks the capacity to do so for themselves. There are two types of Deputy, one for Property and Affairs and one for Health and Welfare.
Usually the Deputy will have a connection to the person who lacks capacity such as a relative or friend, or a professional such as a solicitor or accountant. Where there is nobody closer to the client who is willing or able to act the Court of Protection can appoint a professional Deputy from a list of just over sixty Panel Deputies working across England and Wales.
Family Action’s Head of Deputy Service is approved to act as a Property and Affairs Deputy by the Court of Protection.
We work with a small number of clients which means we know most of them well and can provide an efficient and personal service. We are committed to making decisions in the best interests of the client.
Examples of powers we may be given on being appointed Deputy are:
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dealing with day-to-day finances such as bank accounts, benefits, pensions, tax returns, rent and care home fees
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sale and purchase of property
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investment of funds in stocks and shares
Trustees are appointed to look after a person’s money or property and the terms of their appointment are set out in a ‘Trust Deed’.
Currently Family Action provides this service for two award schemes: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) and the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB).