All too often, the circumstances in which Advanced CCA are instructed to assess families present issues that can be the catalyst of mental health problems. When children and families are immersed in challenging domestic situations; where physical illness, addictions, financial concerns, homelessness, cycles of violence and the pressures of professional intervention it can become overwhelming or some parents. Our Independent Social Workers frequently work with clients with mental health problems and it is crucial that they have some level of understanding about the impact for parents and their capacity to meet the needs of their children.
Dedicated and specialist therapy, support and advocacy will empower many parents to manage the personal and social factors which might typically trigger mental health problems faced by individuals caught in such scenarios. However Advanced CCA works to transform people’s lives and wellbeing in broader ways.
Awareness and Involvement of Other Learned Experts, Enables Our Independent Social Workers to Support Vulnerable Families
Our Independent Social Workers benefit from a wealth of first-hand experience and learned skills in mental health throughout their profession and some have specific training and experience that they can draw from. Despite being actively involved with both children and parents who find themselves in troubling environments, it may be that at the point of referral, any underlying mental health issues are not known, however later arise during the assessment process.
Our Independent Social Workers closely liaise and collaborate with mental health service providers involved with families as part of our assessments, to ensure families receive the support that is needed to move forward in their lives and develop the skills to overcome their difficulties. Whenever mental health problems are identified our team will make every effort to ensure that the family receive the help, guidance, and support of mental health professionals whenever a case requires such interventions. Decisions are focussed on keeping families together wherever possible however, our priority must always be to ensure the child is fully safeguarded.
Mental Health Advocacy in Family Social Care Settings
At Advanced CCA our Independent Social Workers are well versed in identifying key indicators of potential mental health problems when they visit families. These can include being witness to snapshots of parents’ obsessive compulsive or delusional behaviours, physical or emotional harm to children, and harmful situations that have the potential to escalate.
Should our Independent Social Workers have reason to consider that a child or a parent is suffering with mental health issues, then referrals will be requested through liaison with the Local Authority accordingly, so as to fast-track the appropriate interventions and quickly and efficiently work towards alleviating additional psychological stress.
Identifying Why Mental Health Issues Might Present
There are various reasons why parents and children suffer mental health issues, which our Independent Social Workers will explore thoroughly when they prepare and present their comprehensive Parenting and Risk Assessments.
From personal, financial, housing and employment issues to the impact of Coronavirus and the changes in people’s lives, livelihood and living arrangements, there are numerous factors which can contribute to mental health conditions developing, or exacerbating existing problems. For some, these circumstances merely compound a genetic disposition that runs through the generations of their family.
Ultimately, trying to find coping mechanisms with ever-changing challenges may make it difficult for parents to provide children with the level of care they need. This is why our Independent Social Workers play a crucial role in determining how to best support these families, offering them optimal chances to make necessary changes to their lives and promoting the best outcomes for children.
Fostering A Culture of Support and Synergy Between Agencies
As Independent Social Workers specialising in creating comprehensive and evidence-based reports, our duty of care extends to working alongside specialised adult and children’s mental health services in order to achieve the best outcomes, while ensuring the physical safety and mental wellbeing of children and recognising the needs for adult mental health management from the outset.
Our comprehensive assessments consider the broader ability of parents/carers to meet the individual and collective needs of children where families have been identified as showing susceptibility. Assessment offers the opportunity to explore the family’s circumstances and identify risk factors. Our aim would always be a person centred approach, enabling parents to improve their own insight and to support them to develop methods to improve their circumstances and provide their children with an enhanced narrative of family life to draw from within their own adulthoods. In turn, the cycle of perpetual intervention can be altered for future generations.
For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
