our services...

In 2014, Polaris Children’s Services began working in partnership with the Family Fund to carry out eligibility assessments. We have recruited and trained staff to carry out assessments of families who have applied for a grant and provide signposting to services that can support the family, as well as ensuring a rigorous quality assurance process for all reports prior to submission.

99.8%

1777

Hampshire SENDIASS is an impartial Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) that aims to make a positive and lasting difference for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) and their parents and carers. We do this by providing timely confidential, impartial information, advice and support through our online resources, at events and workshops, via our helpline service and through individual casework.

North Somerset – Turning the tide’s aim is to reduce the need for children and young people to be looked after, by either working with families to keep children safely at home, or by keeping care placements short and reuniting children and young people with their families as soon as possible. The service uses a strength based intensive multi modal intervention over a 12 or 18 week period which involves delivering practical support to the heart of the family in their own home.

117 children supported via STARS

“We have had some great results in terms of step downs, placement stability and children returning home from being in care. Some foster carers would not agree to take certain children if they didn’t have the support of STARS.”

- Professional

STARS is an innovative evidence-informed service that supports children and young people in local authority care and on the edge of care to achieve better outcomes, covering the local authority areas of Nottinghamshire, Derby City and Nottingham City. The service aims to achieve stable placements for children and young people whether stepping down from residential care to fostering, or remaining at home with their primary carers where it is safe to do so. .

South Gloucs Harmful Sexual Behaviour Service assesses children and young people in South Gloucestershire from 12 up to the age of 18, and if appropriate, offer a therapeutic intervention programme which will consist of a tailor made plan to address the concerning behaviour, offer advice and support to family members, carers and support networks.

Cafcass SPIP and WTFC (SPIP in Wales) plays a vital part in supporting separated parents and families with the planning for their child when there is a disagreement relating to contact issues.

SPIP was a 4 hour programme run during the day, evening or at the weekend to fit around family life. Those attending could either be referred by the court or self-refer if they choose to take a proactive approach to explore ways that may support them through the difficulties associated with being part of a separated family.

“Karen delivered the presentation very well. She made me feel safe and comfortable to communicate and engage in difficult discussions”

- Parent

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Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) THOR began on 1st June 2022. This replaced other CWAC contracts as well as some add on’s and became a “Super” contract. This service provides therapy and therapeutic outreach work, as well as therapeutic parenting to children and young people across the continuum of care, their parents and carers. This is a consultation based service that supports those within CWAC and within a 40-50 mile radius of the border. The 2023 aim is to hire associate therapists to cover the rest of the country.

“It was so lovely to see a team working together FOR the YP, instead of writing him off, because we all have such lovely things to say about a child who is otherwise described as problematic.”

- Social Worker

On average

63% of children improved in the area of “feelings and behaviour” on their My Star assessment

A total of

616 sessions were delivered to CYP and their families

Progressions (the name chosen by young people) is a service which delivers support to 16-25 year olds who are closing to CAMHS and who do not meet the criteria for CAMHS. The service is to support the transition from CAMHS, enabling the YP to access additional services that are available as well as support the YP with building their resilience, supporting with anxiety and low mood.

“Thank

Wirral Emotional Health and Wellbeing

Knowsley Emotional Health and Wellbeing

Both our Emotional Health and Wellbeing contracts provide therapy and therapeutic outreach work to children and young people in Care and Care Leavers. We also support the professional network around the child or young person, including their foster parent/s. This can be one to one interventions, training sessions, consultations, attending meetings and providing therapeutic oversight. The staff deliver this work transiently and meet the individual where they are at, including locations that feel safest for them!

777 sessions were delivered to CYP and their families

58 new referrals received in 2022

100% of families received therapy within 6 weeks

British Forces Social Work Service is for the whole service community including serving military personnel, their families, and civilian staff that work with them. Our Social Work footprint will be wherever there are British military and associated civilian personnel and their families in Germany, Europe, Canada, Kenya, Belize, United States of America, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Gibraltar, Singapore, Falkland’s and British Indian Ocean Territories (BIOT). In 2022, this grew to include a provision in Nepal.

“‘Thank you for your support throughout this case there has been a noticeable change in the family circumstances and has had a great impact.”

- Teacher

In BFSWS Overseas, there were

Referrals

STARS children and young people being very brave at a recent participation day at Mill Adventures, Mansfield. As well as being lots of fun, children can share feedback on the service and develop relationships with peers and their families.

Around 3 years ago, Hampshire SENDIASS met with students at Andover College to talk about how SENDIASS could best support them. We also used the session to invite students to apply to volunteer with us, to act as a voice for their peers and co-deliver the college sessions going forward, that’s how we met Phoebe Curtis. Fast forward 3 years and Phoebe has successfully:

• Helped to design and conduct research into what the SENDIASS offer should include for young people,

• Co-delivered a suite of SENDIASS sessions in Andover College and been involved in designing the SENDIASS Young Person’s offer for other colleges in Hampshire,

• Co-chaired the SENDIASS steering group for almost 3yrs. In addition she’s completed her college education and her supported internship and has secured a permanent job in a nursing home.

We know that her experiences working with Hampshire SENDIASS have helped Phoebe to develop skills and experience for the workplace but really we’re the lucky ones! Phoebe is fabulous at holding us to account and reminding us that young people want different things to parents. She brings energy and resilience to our meetings and projects that we couldn’t do without!

Below is a letter written by one of our children aged 12 who received intensive support from the STARS programme, ‘fostering stability’. They wrote this letter to express how much they have grown in their new foster placement with the support of STARS.

The Story of Mr Tree

Once upon a time, there was this tree called ‘Tree’, otherwise known as ‘Mr Tree’. So then, he became a walking human tree. How did ‘Mr Tree’ become a human tree? Someone splashed him with a magic potion. It made him feel happy because it gave him a chance to have a life, explore the world and find out where he came from.

So one day, he met all the people who weren’t trees. Then they started having a chat but the people were a little bit frightened. So then the people got used to him and they lived happily ever after.

The End

Things Mr Tree did to make people get used to him:-

1. Talked nicely to each other – about how they met, what they thought about each other.

2. Eat together – sticks for the tree, wooden bacon, wooden sausages, wooden chocolate, wooden crisps, sitting outside together.

3. Play together – football, basketball, badminton.

He was pleased to get on with the people, so that they could eat together, play together, talk together and help each other. They would need each other and help each other.

He doesn’t know much about the world yet. He’s only just found out about the world and he doesn’t know very much yet.

He doesn’t know how to be afraid. But he’s learning. They can teach him about football, badminton and basketball.

The people can teach him about his feelings, like:

• Sad

• Happiness

• Funniness

• Loveliness

• Emotions

• Anger

• Frightful

• Hurtful

• Hurtless

• Lonely

• Excited

• Safe

• Suprised

The difference between being a tree and being a human = happy, suprised