Young people - activities and advice

Children and Young People Team

Introduction:

The Children and Young People Team evolved from the new community schools initiative and an integrated approach to service delivery. The team consists of family support workers and youth strategy workers and is split into three sub-teams that are organised geographically. Each team has a complement of staff that is deployed to cover the relevant schools clusters in their area. Staff teams are based in schools across West Lothian and are managed by three team leaders who are based in our Bathgate office.

What are our aims?:

The team exists to provide early intervention and preventative supports to those referred to the service in order to help maximise their potential and;

• promote positive relationships between children, young people, their parents and school
• along with other professionals, identify and support children, young people and their families who may benefit from support

By early intervention we mean working with families when their children are in the early stages of their school life, however this is not exclusively the case as we also consider early intervention in relation to the life of a particular problem or issues. As a result we work with a range of school-aged children, young people and their families.

Our Service Standards:

In addition to adhering to the Childern and Families Service Standards, we will;

• work with at least 700 children and young people at any one time
• work in partnership with other agencies to raise school attendance
• attend all Cluster Resource Group Meetings
• review case plans every three months
• ensure and maintain clear communication with all partners
• deal with referrals within 14 days of receipt
• provide 50 groupwork initiatives per year

How do we work?:

Individual/family support - Support offered to children/young people and their families which helps them to identify problems and find solutions/strategies in order to promote the positive educational, health, social and emotional development of the child/young person. This support is offered both in and out of school settings.

Group work - Group work programmes for children/young people offer opportunities to discuss common issues or experiences in a safe and supportive setting and find ways of dealing with them.

Areas covered can include:

• improving self confidence and self esteem
• anger management
• peer support
• behaviour management
• decision making skills
• therapeutic interventions
• relationships
• attendance
• transition to high school

We also provide group work opportunities for parents and they can cover issues such as;

• understanding children's needs
• relationships
• behaviour management
• peer support
• assertiveness

Who can refer to the service?:

We take referrals from a range of agencies including social work, education and psychological services. Parents and young people looking to access support can self refer and can be supported to do so by a member of staff.

For further information please contact the Children and Young People Team or your nearest social work centre;

Contact information:

Children and Young People Team
25a North Bridge Street
Bathgate
EH48 4PJ
Tel. 01506 776929
Fax. 01506 776930

Livingston Social Work Centre
Cheviot House
Owen Square
Livingston
EH54 6PW
Tel. 01506 777777

Broxburn Social Work Centre
Strathbrock Partnership Centre
189a West Main Street
Broxburn
EH52 5LH
Tel. 01506 775666

Bathgate Social Work Centre
69 Whitburn Road
Bathgate
EH48 1HE
Tel. 01506 776700