DayBreak Family Group Conferences

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Wessex Daybreak Programme
The Wessex Project is run by Project Manager Richard Chalmers.

The project was set up in 2003 in response to a partnership of three local authorities, Bournemouth, East Dorset and Poole, wanting to offer this service to families. The project is funded equally by the partners who all have representatives on the steering group which meets quarterly. At present we are targeted to take approximately 54 referrals in total from the three partners and we have a team of 10 co-ordinators to whom we allocate these cases.

Our referrals cover a wide range of situations such as:
Children in crisis.
Child protection issues where the child's wider family can be given the opportunity to
make plans which will keep the child safe.
Avoiding children becoming looked after.
Finding ways to return looked after children to safe and supportive family environments.
These are just a few of the areas in which we have received referrals.

The programme works successfully with family members locally, nationally and internationally following all leads and engaging with all family who want to and can offer help and support.

We provide training regularly for the Social Workers who can refer to us and also to other agencies who attend the Family Group Meetings to give information and offer resources to the family.

In Wessex we are very pro-active in ensuring that the child / young person's voice is heard and listened to at the Family Group Meetings. To ensure this we offer children / young people several options including the provision of trained Independent Advocates. The outcomes from the meetings held so far have been very positive, showing that families can and will engage in this process and this in turn has produced some great outcomes for children, families and the local authorities. For a more in depth look at the project please follow this link to our most recent report.

Contact the Wessex Daybreak Programme:

Richard Chalmers
Arena Business Centre
9 Nimrod Way, Ferndown,
Dorset BH21 7SH
Telephone 01202 86 24 51 or 07980 985597
Email richardchalmers@daybreakfgc.org.uk

Support Our Charity

www.daybreakfgc.org.uk The website of Daybreak Family Group Conferences. Charity no. 1077607 Company no. 378026.

The name 'Daybreak' is translated from the Maori word 'Puao-te-ata-tu'.
This was the title of the report from which the concept of family group conferences first began.

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