Arklow Springboard Family Support Service
Background
Since 2002 Arklow Springboard Family Support Service has provided a community based family support service to local families in Arklow Town and surrounding areas.
The Springboard initiative recognises that families should be supported within their own communities. Arklow Springboard Family Support Service is therefore locally based, accessible to local families and is user friendly in the approach undertaken to family support work.
Programmes/Courses
Arklow Springboard devise and implement a range of programmes and courses to meet the indentified needs of families and young people. These programmes change to adapt to the evolving needs of the client group. Examples are:
• Parenting Programmes: delivered on an individual or group basis.
• Homework Club: Wednesday and Thursday afternoons
• ADHD Family Support Group: For parents
• Transition Programme: For students preparing for the transition from primary to secondary shool
• Peer Mentoring Programme: To train 6th year students identify and look after needs of 1st year students in Arklow Community College and the Christian Brothers School.
• Adult Programmes: have included 6 week courses in photography, cookery, computers, pottery, DIY, beauty, etc.
• Children's Activities: 2 week variety summer camp, christmas party and other seasonal activity days like Halloween and Easter.
• Children's groups: have varied from after school activity groups to groups for children with behaviour and emotional difficulties.
Family Work
The nature of the work with the families is dependent on the needs identified by each one.Individual, intensive work has included direct work with children (re emotions, separation, drug & alcohol use, etc) and direct work with parents/families (re parenting, power of play, routine, etc). The work with families can involve the following:
• Home visits; individual work
• Office meetings;
• Liaison between service user and other services such as social services ;
• Referral to outside agency such as Treo Nua, Mabs, ISPCC etc;
• Counselling for Parents;
• Budgeting, routines, household planning etc;
• Confidence Building, goal setting etc.
Health Quality Mark
Arklow Springboard Family Support Service was awarded the Gold Health Quality Mark Award in 2010. The Health Quality Mark (HQ Mark) is an innovative initiative from the National Youth Health Programme (NYHP) part of the National Youth Council of Ireland, which acknowledges organisations that have achieved a high standard of quality in promoting health across their organisation including young people, staff and volunteers.
Referrals
Arklow Springboard accepts referrals from families themselves, agencies working with families such as schools, Public Health Nurses, Social Workers, Gardai, I.S.P.C.C. and other agencies working with families.
