Service Delivery with Social Services:  Working in partnership with our Children’s Houses

The NICE Guidelines (2015) recommend that strategic multi-agency working should promote stable placements and nurturing relationships. Children who have secure attachments have a solid base from which to learn the skills to self-regulate their behavior, anxiety and stress. They should also have a sense of trust in their caregivers as safe and reliable adults.

Over recent years the EPS have been working collaboratively with staff from our Children’s Houses teams at all levels to provide an effective model of service delivery involving staff development, coaching and consultation, and individual involvement with young people.

Since November 2012 90% of staff and managers from Children’s Houses have attended a four day Nurture training delivered by EAC EPS and partners (CAMHS, South Ayrshire Psychological Services) over 5 different sessions. Training evaluations have been positive and a recent research paper (August 2014) suggests that Nurture-informed practice has been adopted, is valued and is embedding in practice. Coaching and modelling sessions continue and have been positively evaluated (July 2016). Next steps include exploring flexible models of service delivery, development of enhanced Nurture training and therapeutic approaches that complement the developing model of support.