Gellideg Family Centre Gellideg Family Centre (GFC) provides a range of services designed to enable families to increase their level of functioning, using a holistic approach that encompasses the whole family.
The ethos of the centre is to work alongside families, as a whole, using well established therapeutic models to increase coping mechanisms for parents, as well as expression for children, with the overall aim of reducing harm in the home, thus reducing likelihood of child protection investigations.
Gellideg Family Centre is responsible for a variety of services, which includes; the Contact Service, which allows contact between families to take place. There are 3 Family Aides, and 7 Outreach Workers, which are managed by GFC Manager. A drug aid worker is based at the centre full time, and works closely with other team members to provide a more rounded service.
Access to the service is made via a referral from a Social Worker, the referral is discussed and allocated a service as appropriate.
The staff at Gellideg have a variety of experience, qualifications and skills which lends itself to a flexible and complimentary service.
Family Aides:
The Family Aides work on a part time basis, and concentrate on engaging with the family, following the referral from the social worker, empower the family to complete the tasks set…for example home conditions advice, routines for school and meal times, boundaries with a view to encouraging parents to manage behaviour issues. They provide practical support on a daily basis.
Outreach Workers:
The job role of an Outreach Worker at Gellideg Family Centre includes undertaking one to one direct work with children, running groups and working closely with parents and foster carer’s providing practical support, identified by the children’s services, with a view to improving the prospects of the child’s development and identifying future long term support needs.
However, staff also work on an out of hours basis with families who are included on the Child Protection Register to offer support and visit their homes on a nightly basis, as well as responding to unplanned emergencies and undertaking crisis intervention work, alongside other professionals including the Emergency Duty Team (EDT) and the police.
Staff at Gellideg are asked to respond to a variety of different emergencies within the Merthyr Tydfil area, some with families whom are familiar to us and some that who are not. Staff liaise with EDT on a regular basis during out of hours and at weekends and have, on times, assisted in certain situations or have been asked to visit different homes on behalf of EDT and at times these visits have taken priority over Gellideg’s routine visits.
Services Provided:
- Mentoring for parents, practical support
- Assessment of mental state in advisory capacity for further assessment to take place if applicable
- Group work – dealing with behaviour issues, relationship problems, self esteem, relaxation, self soothing techniques, safe stress relief strategies- for parents and children
- Keep safe work for all ages
- Life skills – for young people, over 10 yrs
- Healthy eating and health promotion
- In partnership with Drugaid, the service combines a client- centered approach within a harm reduction model of provision, aiming to motivate and sustain motivation for change. Therapeutic intervention, support and advice will be focused on substance misuse and the links between substance misuse, parenting and the effects on children.
The Centre’s opening hours are flexible around the needs of the family and can operate from as early as 7am. The centre is also open until 11pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year, thus providing support outside normal business hours.
|