MYSPACE PROJECT INFORMATION PACK - SEPTEMBER 2014

MySpace Project
Information Pack
         September 2014

Working to prevent the children of today from
becoming the troubled families of tomorrow

Welcare supports children up to 13 years
  old and families who are experiencing
   challenges in their lives. We provide
family support work, advocacy, volunteer
mentors, skills training, parenting groups,
counselling and domestic abuse recovery
 for children across our six centres based
  across South London and East Surrey.

Welcare was established in 1894 and has
     an excellent reputation in the
    communities in which we work.

What is MySpace?
MySpace is an interactive 12 week course run by Welcare in
partnership with local schools to support children who have
witnessed domestic abuse. Courses are run according to age group
and children are only able to attend once they are living in different
accommodation from the perpetrator. It is advised that siblings do
not access the programme at the same time or as children in the
same class at school. The programme is delivered by two Family
Support Workers who co-facilitate the group with the help of a
volunteer.

The course is provided to enable children from homes where
domestic abuse has occurred to confront and manage their
experiences. For many children, the witnessing of domestic abuse
will affect their behaviour, self-esteem, concentration and general
emotional development, and steps towards recovery for these
children is vital to allow them to move forward in their lives and
experience happy, fulfilled childhoods.

                        Improve conflict
                         resolution skills

  Increase ability to                            Increase ability to identify &
   maintain safety                                     express feelings

                           Course
                          Outcomes
                                                              Increase positive
 Increase recognition                                         social behaviour
       of abuse

                            Decrease tolerance
                                for abuse

How does MySpace operate?
Parents are invited to attend monthly support groups in which we
will share with them the topics covered as part of the programme
and provide them with information and strategies to continue to
support their children at home.

Around 90% of our referred cases have had some history or
experience of domestic abuse. Our workers noticed whilst working
with the parents and family the children’s need to talk about their
own experiences.

Having searched for services and support for children who have
experienced domestic abuse, we concluded that there was little
available. Our staff have been trained to fill this void and to provide
such support.

Running this in a group setting allows children to realise they are not
alone and are not the only ones that have these experiences. Many
children feel like the only ones and the odd ones out in their school
not realising that other peers may share the same situations.

The Course

    Weeks 1 & 2 - Welcome to the group & group rules

    Week 3 - Feelings

    Week 4 - Feelings and Defining Abuse

    Week 5 - Children’s Experiences of Violence in
         their families

    Week 6 - Staying Safe When Abuse Happens: My
         Personal Safety Plan

    Week 7 - Beginning to Understand Responsibility
         for Abuse

    Week 8 - Anger is important: Understanding and
        Expressing It

    Week 9 – Learning about problems: How to solve
         them in healthy ways

    Weeks 10 & 11 - The Best Me I Can Be: Self-Esteem/
         Saying Goodbye

    Week Twelve - Graduation Ceremony

How MySpace helps

  The course is designed to support
  children to:

      Process in a supportive environment their
       experiences of witnessing domestic violence

      Recognise and understand the importance
       of their feelings surrounding incidents of
       domestic abuse they have witnessed

      Explore opportunities to deal with these
       feelings and find positive ways of responding
       to situations in a safe and constructive way

      Have the opportunity to hear experiences of
       children in similar situations to themselves,
       reducing feelings of isolation

      Raise their self-esteem

      Improve their relationships within their own
       family unit

Why Welcare?
At Welcare we have 120 years proven experience working with
disadvantaged, marginalised and struggling families. We provide a
holistic approach towards families experiencing difficult
circumstances, utilising our workers, volunteers and experience to
identify all areas that may be affecting a child or family at the point
where they come to us. To us, every child and every family is unique
and individual, but we use proven ways of working to enable them to
find the solutions that work for them.

We work across South London and East Surrey from 5 community-
based centres. Welcare has a long, established history of building
strong local links and relationships, and we look forward to
strengthening these by running MySpace in partnership with local
schools.

Two of our Family Support Workers attended a 3 day training course
by AVA (Against Violence & Abuse) to enable them to run the
MySpace project by building on their existing experience.

In April 2013 our Family Support Workers completed a 10 week pilot
course at Crofton School (Bromley) for Key Stage 2 (8-11 years). An
evaluation report by Coram was produced following the pilot and is
available to view on request.

We recently completed a 12 week programme at Poverest School
(Bromley) for 10 children (Years 3 and 4 – children aged 8-10 years)
with a concurrent monthly support group for the parents

Evaluation
 Two questionnaires (Coram and AVA) are completed by each child
 on the first and final sessions of the programme to assess the
 changes in their understanding of, and attitude towards, situations
 relating to domestic abuse and violence in general. Parents also
 complete a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the
 programme.

 After each session, the group co-facilitators discuss each child
 individually to note any relevant observations and agree how best to
 support. Verbal feedback is gathered from telephone calls with
 parents and at the monthly parenting group. Feedback is also
 gathered from the school and any other relevant professionals. A
 follow up evaluation is completed 6 months after the completion of
 MySpace.

 A follow up group called Stay Connected is offered to families in
 order to continue good communication between parents and chil-
 dren in a stimulating, informal environment.

What are the costs?

             Cost: £5,000 for a group of 10 Key
             Stage 2 children. The cost includes
             group facilitators, materials, evaluation
             and one home visit per family. The
             course lasts 12 weeks over school term,
             each session lasting 2 hours.

             Contribution from school: Contribution
             rates are negotiable and Welcare will
             adapt to meet the needs and budget of
             each school. A minimum of £1,000 will
             be required to ensure commitment.

             If you think you might be interested do
             contact us to discuss how we can help
             you. Contact details can be found at the
             back of this leaflet.

“It helps you to focus on other things than home” - Kia, 8

                          “If you have a problem they can help you to sort it out” -
                          Jack, 8

                          “I would recommend other children to go” - Layla, 9

                          “I have found it fun. It helps me learn what to do if I see
                          people arguing. Stay upstairs, not to try break it up, or go
                          next door for help” - Mo, 8

                          “Every time I go it gets better, and I learn how to change
                          my life, and I then talk to my mum about it at the end of
                          the day” - Rebecca, 8

“I think an important theme is that they are empowered to
talk about issues and problems, and understand that when
things happen it is not their fault” - Teacher

“Kieran has become more focused and more involved with
the lessons. He seems quite happy”
- Teacher

                      “Welcare is an invaluable service provided by no
                      others” - Zarah, mother

                      “MySpace has really helped my daughter to develop,
                      by teaching her how to handle situations better in
                      a more mature way rather than shouting and
                      arguing” - Lisa, mother

                      “I would like to thank the team for their commit-
                      ment. It’s been a success for my family”
                      - Michael, father

Our Centres
Bromley                                      East Surrey
bromley@welcare.org                          redhill@welcare.org
020 8466 0399                                01737 780 884

Greenwich                                    Richmond
greenwich@welcare.org                        richmond@welcare.org
020 8854 3865                                020 8893 9123

Wandsworth                                   Head Office
wandsworth@welcare.org                       info@welcare.org
0208 672 9372                                020 7820 7910

  For a hardcopy of this leaflet please contact us on 0207 820 7910.

 If you would like to help us continue our services for children and
     families in South London and East Surrey, please consider
 making a regular or single donation, or volunteering at one of our
         centres. Please visit our website for further details.

 Southwark Diocesan Welcare
 19 Frederick Crescent
 London SW9 6XN

 T: 020 7820 7910
 E: info@welcare.org
 www.welcare.org

 Southwark Diocesan Welcare is a registered charity (1107859)
 and a company limited by guarantee (5275749 )