I am not coping well with my child/adolescent at home, their behaviour is causing me great concern. Is there anyone I could speak to about this in order to get some help?

The first thing you could do is to make an appointment with your child’s teacher to find out if there are any problems at school. In addition to this you could speak to your GP and ask if there are any support groups for parents in a similar position.

If it is impossible for my child to live at home how might I access your services?

This depends on your child as there are various ways to access our services:

a)  Through your child’s Social Worker who can contact us and we can arrange an assessment very quickly

b)  If your child has no Social Worker you can contact your local Social Work Department to request help and they in turn can be approached about our services.

c)  If your child is involved with health professionals (ie psychiatrists or educational psychologists) they may well be in a position to refer your child to our service

I am worried that you will not understand my child’s needs.

Our homes are there to ensure that the needs of children we look after are met when they cannot live with their own family. They are a place for children to develop and grow, as well as providing food, accommodation, and space for play and leisure in a caring environment. Young Foundations’ Children’s Homes look after children with many different needs. When children and young people come to live in one of our homes they will have a Care Plan. Their Care Plan says why a child is living in a home, what is supposed to happen while they are living there and what is supposed to happen at the end of their stay. We have a multidisciplinary team who ensure continuity of care by working closely with children/young people and their families to completely understand what is required to best look after your child.

Would I be able to visit my child once they are living in a Young Foundations Children’s Home?

Yes, of course. We welcome visits from family and friends to all our residents, this helps keep their time with us as normal as possible. It is very important that children and young people stay in touch with their family and friends. It is only when they might be hurt, or a Court Order says that contact is not allowed, that some children will not be able to have visits from their family or will not be able to visit them.

Will my child’s education be affected by living in a children’s home, what opportunities are there for my child to attend school?

Education is important. Children can still go to their own school if they have a school place, have not been excluded and the travel is viable. One of our main aims with is to help get them back into school. There are exceptions to this and for this we provide education on site. Some young people may attend resources in the community, for example college, placements and work experience.

When will my child be able to return home?

The time that children spend in one of our homes varies and is based upon individual cases. Most children will go home, but a few go to live with other families and a few go to live in other homes. Older children, who are not planning to return home, are given help and back-up resources to prepare them for living on their own.

Who should my Social Worker or Health Professional contact at Young Foundations to arrange an assessment or talk about my child?