Guildford Family Centre is a space set up to be welcoming to all families within Guildford borough. It does exactly this, with a friendly face at the entrance of the building or on the phone to be available and knowledgeable about the services on offer. By having staff that keep things running and organised, the rest of the Family Support Worker team are able to focus on their tasks by meeting with families and tailoring their support all whilst keeping the child at the forefront of their work.
Creating and maintaining networks with the various stakeholders is vital to ensure that services on offer at the Family Centre meet the varying needs of the families within the community. Members of the team focus on researching what local authority services and partners offer as well as engaging with local charities. The Family Centre aims to bring these groups together with the intention of creating a joined-up approach and widening the network by introducing new people and services. By developing these networks, the Family Support Workers at the Family Centre are able to tap into this network for efficient and targeted support for their families.
The Centre also hosts network meetings around various themes such as financial support, social care, substance abuse and physical health. They embed an inclusive approach and aim to ensure they reach all groups and provide appropriate support within Guildford such as the Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) community. They invite professionals along to talk about their expertise and the information they share is passed onto the Family Support Workers to draw on as they need, depending on who they are working with.
The Centre shares a regular newsletter which is circulated to professionals and partners within the network, such as families and schools and settings. Within this newsletter, the team share information on low cost or free events for families that are happening in the area, or different groups that families can attend or perhaps activities over holiday periods. They provide information on education, health services, mental health and well-being events such as local walks and parenting groups.
Creating communities takes a nuanced approach – families don’t want to be judged by others or professionals. Ensuring the power balance when community building is vital, which the team do well by focussing on the needs of the family whilst maintaining dignity of the family. The support that the Family Centre provides is on offer to those that want to engage with it. If families find that they are not able to accept the support, there is no obligation to continue. Either way, the Family Centre team are available for the families if and when they are ready to work together. The work they do is to empower the community, through informal visits or meetings, as well as regular groups.
In one visit I observed, a Family Support Worker shared with a mum that she was entitled to do a background check on any future partners she had through Clare’s Law in order to ensure she was keeping herself and her children safe. By sharing this knowledge, the support worker was able to empower her in making decisions and choices for herself.
The Family Centre prioritises building communities that nurture connections and relationships. The Young Parents group (for young parents and their children) specifically mentioned how the group was a safe space for them. The young parents had attended other groups with their children and felt judged because of their age. Instead the Young Parents group (created and led by themselves) developed a space specifically free from judgement and offered support to their peers.
One of the Family Centre’s community spaces that offer opportunities to create connections is the community gardening group. This group develops connections differently, by offering access to the community garden to all local residents. This invites a wider group of people and helps to tackle loneliness with an opportunity to be out in nature and working together to nurture plants, fruit and vegetables.
The community garden is also a space to share ideas, vent about things going on and share celebrations with others. There is a parallel between nature and caring for self and for others. When the hands and body are occupied in cultivating fruit and vegetables, often the mind is also occupied and there is a chance to gain perspective on ongoing issues in life. The opportunity to be outside is known to support mental health and well-being.
The gardening group is led by a member of the Family Centre team however, they all learn together – working out which is the best way to care for certain plants, and how to harvest vegetables and grow again from the seed. Many of the members of the community gardening group take vegetables home and cook with them to share together with their family. For some, this group is a chance to be outside and to care for nature that they might not have space for at home.
The ongoing approach to developing professional networks and building local communities is underpinned by all the work the Family Centre team does. In their consistent, forward- thinking and proactive approach, they find ways to empower families and provide the best care, support or advice they can for their community.
by Rachna Joshi (Freelance Writer and Early Years Consultant)