Family support: families in focus

Our Families in Focus team provides a family support service in Camden, working with children and young people aged four to 16, and their families. We aim to help families take control of their own lives and raise the wellbeing of the community.
Some services are only available to families living in the Swiss Cottage, Somers Town and King's Cross areas. We also do more intensive work with families across Camden. They may be referred to us by other agencies or they may refer themselves.

Our aim is to help families choose the best solutions for themselves and build their own resources and capacity.

Contact the Families in Focus team

Families in Focus works with families in many ways including:

• community events and projects
• family days out
• fathers' and male carers’ activities with their children
• coping with crisis and finding solutions to problems
• one-to-one practical and emotional support
• help around parenting
• structured parenting programmes
• help with managing children’s behaviour and school attendance
• help with improving family relationships and communication

Families in Focus works with children and young people in many ways including:

• kids' clubs, after-school and holiday activities
• children’s groups
• sports and physical activities
• one-to-one support
• help with staying out of trouble
• information and support related to bullying, drug and alcohol misuse, positive relationships and staying safe

If you are a parent looking for support for your family, please have a look at the information below about the parent support programmes and courses available, including those for parents with children with disabilities.

The Incredible Years course

This is a 12 week course for parents of primary school aged children (two and half hours per session including break). This course can help with various aspects including, helping your children reach their potential, manage behaviour through praise, parent-child relationship and new ways of dealing with common problems.

Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities course

This is a 13-week course, for parents of three to 18-year-olds (three hours per session held once a week). This course can help with various aspects including, strategies for dealing with problems, positive relationships for you and your children and confidence and skills to make home life more bearable.

Group Teen Triple P course

This is an eight-week course, for parents of 11 to 18 year olds (three hours per weekly session).  This course will. This course can help with various aspects including help you to manage teenage behaviour and enable young people to learn new skills that will teach independence and self-discipline, work on problem-solving and help to decrease negative behaviour.

Enhanced Triple P, Pathways and Stepping Stones parenting programmes

The Triple P – Positive Parenting Programme is one of the most effective evidence-based parenting programmes in the world. Triple P gives parents simple and practical strategies to help them confidently manage their children’s behaviour, prevent problems developing and build strong, healthy relationships.

Enhanced Triple P

This is like a mix-and-match selection of help options. First, you and your Triple P practitioner get together to work out what special support you need. You then choose from three mini-courses (modules) – selecting ones that are right for you. You can do one, two or all three of these mini-courses. You’ll do these in private, usually in your own home. It’s all about giving you individual attention.

Pathways

Pathways Triple P (PTP) is usually an individual programme for parents or carers who would benefit from individual support, particularly around relationships, stress and anger. It consists of parenting skills training and cognitive behaviour therapy approaches, targeting negative attributions for child behaviour.

Stepping Stones

For parents of children with learning difficulties or disabilities
Stepping Stones Triple P extends the standard Triple P system to address the needs of families with a child who has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). Stepping Stones Triple P aims to help you develop effective management strategies for dealing with a variety of childhood behaviour problems and development issues.

Strengthening families with children aged 10 to 14 programme

This is a programme where parent(s) and a child/young person attend together.
It is a seven-week, two-hour per session programme. During the first hour, the parents and children attend separate skill-building groups. The parents and children then come together for the second hour for supervised family activities. Topics for session include making house rules,using community resources and following rules.
Young people’s sessions focus on setting and strengthening goals, dealing with stress and strong emotions, communication skills, increasing responsible behaviour and improving skills to deal with peer pressure.
Parents discuss the importance of both nurturing their young people while at the same time setting rules, monitoring compliance and applying appropriate discipline.

Our parenting groups are for parents/carers with children in all age groups from four to 16.

Parents or carers can ask to attend a parenting programme provided in a school, children’s centre or community venue by contacting the Families in Focus team

Parents say the programme helped them to:

• manage their children’s behaviour
• manage anger and stress
• solve problems and improve communication
• enjoy family activities
• meet other parents
• improve confidence and self-esteem

There is one psychologist, Erin, working within Families in Focus who provide emotional and psychological support to parents. This often takes place alongside support from a family worker or through a parenting programme. Sessions last one hour and are tailored to the parents' needs.

Professionals from schools, social workers and community safety officers can refer parents or carers to these courses by completing a common assessment form (e-CAF) on Framework i and tasking to Families in Focus.