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.
In 2024, a further £200,000 was awarded across five organisations to continue some of this work.
Cumbria Addictions: Advice and Solutions (CADAS) was awarded funding to continue its family support service, which aims to reduce the number of children taken into care and improve life chances. Families affected by parental substance abuse are taught emotional resilience techniques and how to use talking therapy and other strategies to change their behaviour.
Howgill Family Centre received funding to continue its programme to improve speech and language skills in children up to the age of four. Parental engagement has been identified as crucial in aiding children’s early communication development, so the project will continue to work with families through local nurseries and group sessions.
Safety Net supports the recovery of those affected by rape, exploitation, sexual and domestic abuse across Cumbria, offering advice, support, counselling and therapy to adults, children and young people affected by abuse and trauma.
Together We was awarded funding to deliver psychological interventions to parents and family units with children aged five to 17 through its Together We Talk programme.
West Cumbria Domestic Violence Support, which operates as The Freedom Project, received funding to continue its McKenzie Friend project, giving legal support to victims of domestic violence.
