Act Family - Supporting families towards a brighter future 1

Supporting familiestowards a brighter future

Stockport Act Family Team

Act Family - Supporting families towards a brighter future

Introduction

Act Family is a true multi-agency team formed by key partner agencies working in Stockport with the aim of focussing on the whole family to achieve improved outcomes.

The team brings together a wide range of professionals from diverse agencies who work jointly, to shared goals, to improve the prospects for the Borough’s families most in need.

Current Act Family Workers have specialisms in Employment Support, Health, Housing, Probation, Police, Social Care and Welfare Rights.

This new way of working will transform both the services being delivered, and the Priority One areas in which eligible families are living.

The service is assertive, and will engage with families who may not acknowledge issues and / or be resistant to change.

Whilst not constrained by statutory thresholds for service, the Act Family Team has established criteria to prioritise families to receive a service for maximum results.

Act Family - Supporting families towards a brighter future

Eligibility Criteria

The criteria for families to receive a service are combinations of some of the following:

Mental ill-healthRecent or recurrent history of hospital admissions due to mental ill-health; involvement with mental health services.

OffendingReleased from custody in past 12 months; family member currently in custody and due for release in next three months.

Domestic abuseRecent domestic abuse incident; recent home move due to domestic abuse.

Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)At risk of losing home because of ASB; injunction served on family member; signed up to an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC).

Housing difficultiesHistory of abandonment / eviction; poor property condition and / or maintenance.

Substance misuse issuesInvolvement with CAT / CDT / MOSAIC; recent hospital admission due to misuse; criminal justice involvement due to misuse.

Financial difficultiesUnemployment; involved with loan sharks; reliance on social fund / crisis loans and subsequent benefit reductions; multiple debts.

cont...

Act Family - Supporting families towards a brighter future

Eligibility Criteria

Persistant absence from schoolChild at risk of exclusion; parent at risk of court action due to child absence.

Health / disability IssuesTeenage pregnancy; missing routine health / immunisation appointments; young carers in family; evidence of malnourishment; history of repeat hospital admissions; child statemented.

Do you think you have a family that needs engagement from the Act Family Team?

Checklist:

Does the family live in a Priority One area?

Does the family have five or more multiple needs (as shown above), or a disproportionate impact on the local community and service?

Brinnington

Offerton

Lancashire Hill andTown Centre

Adswood

Bridgehall

S T O C K P O R T

Priority One Areas

Act Family - Supporting families towards a brighter future

Brinnington

Offerton

Lancashire Hill andTown Centre

Adswood

Bridgehall

S T O C K P O R T

Priority One Areas

How can Act Family help?

If you believe the family would meet the criteria for engagement the Act Family Team can:

• meet with you and the family to understand what difficulties they are having and help plan what help they may need; and

• provide practical and targeted support from one fully co-ordinated team to address the issues.

All families will need to meet with one of our Act Family Workers to check that they meet the threshold criteria for service. Before making a referral you should gain the households consent to pass their information on to us.

It will also be important for you to be at that meeting to help understand what the Act Family Team can or can’t offer.

Whilst some families will be offered a service straight away, we will do our best not to raise expectations, as others may be placed on a waiting list or referred on to another service if they do not meet our criteria.

If you would like to know more about Act Family and the services we offer please contact 0161 474 3161 or email actfamily@stockport.gov.uk

Act Family - Supporting families towards a brighter future

A partnership between:

NATIONALPROBATION

SERVICE

Community Health StockportYour Partner in Health

Accessibility

This leaflet gives you information about the Act Family Team. If you would like a copy in large print, Braille, on audio tape or CD, please contact the Social Inclusion Team on 0161 474 2860 or email: inclusion@stockporthomes.org

Agency leaflet

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