What does a family support worker do?

[JadesRollerDisco]

Hi, anybody who is or has a family support worker can you explain what it is that you do or what they help you with? I don't really understand what the role means but have been referred for one. Thanks

I was forced to have one during the family court process, when my daughter was put on a child protection plan. She came round weekly (stinking of smoke) and proceeded to judge my character and parenting and take inaccurate notes.

So they don't do much useful, in my experience.

It depends on the reason for your referral, and of course the worker themselves, some can help with practical parenting skills, boundary settings, even things such as applying for benefits etc. Maybe ask the organisation/person that made the referral for the purpose, and hopefully the FSW will set out what her role/remit is on the first visit.

I have a family support worker after I had a MH breakdown last year. She is amazing and I'll be sad when she stops seeing us in 2 weeks. She has helped me formulate a safety plan for if I start feeling Ill again, helped me identify my support network and how exactly each person can help, focussed on the things I do well as a parent and helped me improve on the things that weren't working, helped me establish boundaries that work for our family and disregard rules and boundaries that don't, helped me communicate better with my ex who I coparent with, helped me talk to the DC about why I got Ill in an age appropriate way.....There's lots more.....

I thought they were employed where the LA didn't want to pay for real SWs. (Yes, I am very bitter....!) We've had a number of them over the years to "advise on ways to access support" and were pretty much a waste of space. There were no services in this area that we could access. We did eventually graduate onto real SWs....

Oh, and helped ds1 who has autism and school-related anxiety by coming to meetings with myself, exh and ds1 to talk to the SENCO about his needs and requirements.

It depends what the referral is for.
Mine is supposed to help me with getting my house organised and clutter free. (Hording issues caused by mh issues). So she sets me a small achievable task each week and I also have to maintain previous tasks.

I haven't heard from her for 4 weeks now

There's a bunch of issues really. Domestic violence/abuse and subsequent ptsd/trauma, learning and behaviour issues (kids), health issues, debts, etc.

I would at a guess say they might refer you for a parenting course to deal with the behaviour issues and help with budgeting. No idea about the DV aspect.

I don't mean behaviour like being naughty I mean they are waiting for referrals diagnosis for learning and behaviour like ADHD/ASD etc.

I'm not an FSW but families I work with are referred to them regularly for a number of reasons. They can attend meetings with schools and other agencies as moral support and to advocate for parents who find those situations stressful. Off the top of my head, they do the following

-Behaviour management strategies
-Freedom Programme
-Parenting Support (things like Triple P programme)
-Advice around housing and benefits
-Emotional support
-Direct work with children and young people around things like managing emotions or protective behaviours

There are some amazing FSW's out there and some not so good ones, like any other profession really. The majority of the parents I work with who have had a FSW have found them helpful.

In my experience they'll send you on triple p anyway. Mine made me do it and then told me they had no concerns about dcs behaviour, and that they were some of the nicest teens they've ever met