Innovative project brings families back together sooner

A new initiative that sees families coming back together sooner is set to be featured in a CPD webinar for qualified social workers.

The webinar will introduce delegates to the 'going home' project, an initiative that joins up social workers and adult safeguarding officers to support children and young people back into the family home when the time is right.

Using discussion and critical conversations as a starting point to overcome their challenges and strengthen their relationships, both the child and their parents are heard, to determine whether reunification is the best option, at an earlier stage in their journey.

The webinar forms part of the campaign, 'hear their voice, be the difference'. The campaign shines a light on family safeguarding at Portsmouth City Council and the innovations that are taking place.

Councillor Suzy Horton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at Portsmouth City Council said: "Learning is an important tool, enabling us to go on and be successful. Social work requires practitioners to continually adapt and learn to support families in new and innovative ways.

"Portsmouth is a fantastic place to practice and we would like to share our approach in the hope of inspiring others to join us. The introduction of a webinar is a fantastic way for someone who lives elsewhere to apply our learnings to their own work."

The campaign also provides social workers with an opportunity to share their experiences in the form of testimonials, summarising how the 'going home' project has supported families in the right way. 

Clare Poyner, principal social worker for children's social care at Portsmouth City Council said: 
"As social workers, we always have the best interests of the family at heart. We know children and young people thrive when they receive loving and supportive care. The 'going home' project is a step-by-step approach to reunify the family when the time is right and it is safe to do so.

"When we think about returning children to the family home, we base our thinking and practice on an approach which is restorative, trauma-informed and informed by difference. By adopting this approach, it enables us to hear the voices of the child and the parents to ensure reunification is possible."

Be the difference and sign up to watch the webinar

To learn more about the 'going home' project, join us on Wednesday 25 January from 5:30pm on Zoom video conferencing. If you are a qualified social worker and interested in finding out more, visit the 'hear their voice, be the difference' page now.