Our family support service aims to work alongside young people and families to enable them to live healthy and happy lives. We work closely with all professionals and adopt a family centred approach to ensure that all our support plans are individualised and tailored to the needs, wishes and feelings of the young people and families we support.
We adopt a family centred approach to ensure that all our support plans are individualised and tailored to the needs, wishes and feelings of the young people and families we support. We work holistically with our families and actively encourage their participation at every stage of support from planning through to service evaluation.
Our experienced staff come from a wide-range of professional backgrounds including, Health, Social Services, Education, Mental Health, Supported Accommodation, Youth Work and more. Our staff share their knowledge, skills and experience with our families empowering them to make changes, achieve positive outcomes and reduce the need for future service involvement.
Our Short Breaks programme allows families with children who have disabilities and / or emotional or behavioural needs to take a break from their caring responsibilities. We work directly with our families to ensure that the support plan we develop is tailored to their specific wishes and needs.
Our staff support young people to engage in safe, stimulating, educational and fun activities in the community and promote independence at all times.
You have changed our lives! We cannot put into words how the dynamics at home have changed for the better. You are helping a middle-aged couple navigate very complicated teenagers through changes / personal growth matters and so much more. Thanks so much. We really appreciate you all.
Our supervised contact / family time service seeks to offer safe and meaningful interactions between children and their parents, siblings or other family members. These sessions can be delivered within the community, within the home or within our own contact centre based on Rice Lane, Walton L9.
Our staff are available to support families emotionally, risk assess contacts throughout and provide feedback to family members and professionals following a contact session.
Our staff provide support for new mums when caring for their babies, this can be delivered in hospital immediately post-birth or within the family home.
Our staff ensure that parents are able to meet the needs of the baby and provide guidance and assistance in areas they may find difficult.
Staff can also assist with any assessments that are in progress by providing information and feedback following support sessions.
Our behavioural support offer seeks to support families who are struggling to cope with challenging behaviours, family conflict and similar issues.
Our staff can help children, young people and their families to understand their behaviours and the impact they can have on others by exploring triggers, emotions and coping strategies that minimise risk to themselves and others.
We support young people to attend appointments and engage in community-based activities / groups as well as encouraging participation in education.
My name is Rachael Davies, and I am the family support manager at Alternative Approach. I have worked with children and families for 8 years in a variety of settings , including educational settings and family contact centres. Throughout my career I have developed a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by families and the importance of providing consistent support. These experiences have shaped my holistic approach to family support emphasising empathy, resilience and finding solutions in order to provide the best support to our young people and families.
Working as a family support manager is my dream job. Every day I am fortunate enough to support children and families, helping them to overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential. My role involves offering emotional support, practical advice, and support families to access resources that can make a significant difference to their lives.
One of the most fulfilling aspects of my job is building trust and forming relationships with families. This trust allows us as team to effectively support young people and families through difficult times and also be there to celebrate successes. Each day presents a new opportunity to make a meaningful impact for our families.
My name is Natasha Liversage, I joined the Alternative Approach Family support team as a support worker in August 2022, progressing to become a senior support worker in April 2023.
Being a mum myself, I feel it has given me some life experiences which I have been able to take with me into my job role, working with children, supporting mother and babies and working with young people, I knew as soon as I began working within the family support team that this was destined to be my career path. I thoroughly enjoy my job role and absolutely love working with our families and young people.
I am passionate when it comes to making a difference in a young persons life, offering support, compassion and guidance for them to become the best version of themselves. I strive to have a positive impact on all of our young people and families, listening to their needs, encouraging their life goals and playing a part in helping them reach their dreams – working with young people can be challenging but being able to offer support and help them reach their goals – is the most rewarding job in the world.
I am the Family Support Deputy Manager at Alternative Approach, working closely alongside Natasha and Rachael to ensure the highest standards of support for children, families, and carers. I previously worked as a Family Support Administrator within the organisation before being promoted earlier this year. I started in August 2023 and have enjoyed every minute since.
In my current role, I support the Family Support Manager, Rachael, in overseeing and participating in meetings with families and professionals and providing guidance to the team to ensure they are able to provide practical help to children young people and the families,
Background
I hold a BA in Childhood and Youth Studies with Education, which has provided me with a strong foundation in understanding child development, family dynamics, and effective support strategies. My experience within the Family Support team has allowed me to grow my expertise in communication, safeguarding, and multi-agency collaboration.
Focus Areas
Fun Fact
I’m currently working on my “Fifty Things to Do Before I’m 50” list — and I’ve got four years to complete it! I’m always open to fun suggestions to add to my list.