Attendance to any of these groups is completely confidential.
Family Help offer various groups to suit different ages and situations. They aim to educate, advise and encourage you to share your story and build your confidence.
Each group has its own eligibility criteria and depends on whether domestic abuse is a current or a past experience.
Groups
These groups allow participants to meet and work with others who have had similar experiences of domestic abuse.
Groups for children aged 8-16 years
Healing Together
The Healing Together programmes are designed by bringing together clinicians, subject experts, research, and experts by experience, to ensure children and young people impacted by domestic abuse, are able to access early trauma informed help.
Each session has been carefully crafted and front-line practitioners are trained to provide early trauma informed support with children, young people, parents, and carers. Children can learn about how their body and brain works together, their feelings, senses, and strategies they can use to help their body and brain feel safe. The programme has been carefully put together for children to discover ways to help them feel safer, so that their angry feelings doesn’t make life difficult for them.
Groups for parents and carers aged 16+
Freedom programme
The Freedom programme is held online (once you're enrolled, you can log in at a time suitable for you) or as group in one of our Family Hubs.
Who is the Freedom programme group for
This group is for parents and carers who have experienced or are currently in a situation of domestic abuse.
Aims of the Freedom programme group
It aims to:
- explore the different types of abuse and what constitutes abuse
- explore and challenge the beliefs held by perpetrators of domestic abuse
- look at the effects of domestic abuse on children
- help to recognise warning signs and potential abusers
- help to build self-esteem and confidence
- enable contact with other parents and carers who have similar experiences
One-to-one support
We offer personal support to families and children to improve different aspects of their lifestyle, such as parenting skills, emotional and physical health and wellbeing, and behaviour management.
Support for children and families
Brief family support
Who is the Brief family support for
Support for children and families from a family wellbeing worker for a period of up to 12 weeks.
Aims of the Brief family support
Intervention could include:
- DASH risk assessment and family help assessment (domestic abuse, stalking and harassment)
- Direct work with families and children
- Voice work which may include words and pictures. We use a variety of methods to understand how children are feeling
- Links to National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) and support of a non-molestation order
- Onward referrals and liaison with partners
Intensive family support
Who is Intensive family support for
Support for children and families from a key worker for a period of up to 12 months.
Aims of the Intensive family support
Intervention could include:
- DASH risk assessment and family help assessment (domestic abuse, stalking and harassment)
- Direct work with families and children
- Voice work which may include words and pictures. We use a variety of methods to understand how children are feeling
- Links to National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV) and support of a non-molestation order
- Multi-agency meetings
- Onward referrals and liaison with partners
Extended domestic abuse support
The Extended Domestic Abuse Team offers a service designed to extend the existing work of both Children’s Social Care and the Family Help Service being undertaken with families experiencing issues in relation to domestic abuse, working towards reducing harm through adopting an early intervention and whole family approach.
Immediate response
Support and intervention workers provide an immediate response to those families experiencing domestic abuse who do not meet the threshold for social care involvement where the need for help and support is more immediate, reaching out to them at the point of crisis. This work involves safety planning, building the family support network and making referrals to other agencies who can provide longer term support.
One-to-one targeted intervention
Engagement workers provide one-to-one targeted intervention for the adult causing harm where children are subject to Child in Need or Child Protection plans, striving to increase their accountability and understanding of the impact of their abusive actions on their children and overall family functioning, and encourage behaviour change through introducing new skills and methods for managing difficult situations and emotions.
Support for older children and care leavers
Our Strengthening relationships engagement worker supports older children in care and care leavers to develop their understanding of healthy relationships, hoping to reduce their vulnerability to abusive relationships as either a victim or person causing harm.
Support for schools
Domestic abuse liaison officers provide training and support to schools receiving Operation Encompass notifications, in order to develop the support offered to children and families after the Police are called out to domestic abuse incidents. If you're a school who is interested in this training then please email the team: OperationEncompass@leics.gov.uk
Further information and requesting a service
For further information on our services, contact details and requesting a service, please visit our Help for children and families home page.