Family Wellbeing
Family Wellbeing was developed to improve the health and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families in West Cumbria by:
• Encouraging a whole-family approach, supporting parents and families to engage and actively support their children’s development
• Supporting children to build emotional resilience, particularly at critical transition points in their lives
• Acknowledging the importance of early years (0-5 years) interventions and the need for intensive family centred support.
We recognise that to really transform children’s life chances, they need sustained interventions that meet the diversity of their needs and that participation and co-production must be a key component of any service.
The programme also addresses a need for more support to work with parents and families to establish stability in the lives of children and achieve lasting positive outcomes.
Initial funding of £600,000 was awarded in September 2020 for projects tackling issues ranging from domestic and sexual abuse and addiction to emotional resilience and improved speech and language. A mid-term report published in November 2023 highlighted some of the achievements of the first three years, with 1,456 families and 2,709 children supported by the projects.
Since 2020, Sellafield Ltd has invested £1.1 million in the Family Wellbeing programme, enabling local organisations to continue supporting children and families across West Cumbria through a range of early intervention and prevention services:
Cumbria Addictions: Advice and Solutions (CADAS) helps families affected by parental substance misuse, building emotional resilience, providing therapeutic support and helping families develop healthier coping strategies.
Howgill Family Centre improves speech and language development in children aged up to four, working closely with parents through local nurseries and group sessions to support early communication skills.
Safety Net supports children and their parents/carers affected by rape, exploitation, sexual abuse and domestic abuse, providing advice, counselling, therapy and practical support to aid recovery from trauma.
Together We delivers psychological interventions for children aged five to 11 and their parents/carers through its Together We Talk programme, helping strengthen relationships and improve emotional wellbeing.
West Cumbria Domestic Violence Support, operating as The Freedom Project, provides practical and legal support to survivors of domestic abuse through its McKenzie Friend service, helping individuals navigate family court proceedings.
