We recognise the most important influence in a child’s life is family. Children who grow up with safe, stable and nurturing relationships form stronger friendships, develop greater resilience, achieve more in school and are more likely to build positive relationships throughout their lives.
We are child focussed in our intent but recognise that the most effective way to help and protect children is to work alongside the whole family. Therefore strengthening families is central to our aims as we know that families have greater capacity for change when we work with them as partners. This is part of an evidence based approach known as Restorative Practice.
We aim to embed a culture across our workforce where dignity and respect is the basis for our interventions. Every member of staff will understand the principles of Restorative Practice and its ethos will underpin all of our work and align to the borough vision of ‘Forging a Future for all’.
History and Successes of Family Safeguarding
Family Safeguarding started In 2015, by Hertfordshire, who were concerned about the dramatic rise in children coming in to care and the increasingly adversarial relationship between families and children’s services that often inhibited parental engagement.
They realised that children’s social workers, acting alone, lacked the expertise and resources to meaningfully address issues around parental mental health, domestic abuse, and parental substance misuse. Instead, they sought to bring all professionals working with a family, including adult specialists, together in one team. They also believed that professionals should engage with families using a shared approach of Motivational Interviewing, an evidence-based practice methodology proven to support change. Hertfordshire County Council successfully secured initial funding to design and implement the Family Safeguarding model through the DfE’s Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme.
Since 2015, the Family Safeguarding model has expanded across England. In 2017, the DfE funded an expansion of Family Safeguarding in four additional local authorities: West Berkshire, Bracknell Forest, Luton, and Peterborough. The successful outcomes of Family Safeguarding have led to its continued expansion across England with implementation and practice support from Hertfordshire’s Centre for Family Safeguarding Practice.
