Creative & Innovative Social Work Practice

“This is the best relationship I’ve had with a professional”. These are the words of a young person supported by the Futures service – and a clear testament to the impact it’s making.

The social work led service was set up in response to local and national evidence about young parents who were vulnerable to experiencing the repeated trauma of losing children through care proceedings. It aims to prevent repeat proceedings, and improve the life circumstances, and physical, emotional and mental health, of this service user group.

Futures started taking referrals in March 2018, and focuses its work on care leavers and parents under the age of 25, who experienced the removal of their first child. They help young people to achieve stability in a number of ways, including accessing new education, employment, and training opportunities, and providing support with housing difficulties.

One quality that shone through this nomination was the way staff listen to the young people. This has led to improvements in the design of the service, with the introduction phase adapted to provide more clarity about the social work role. But it’s also given this vulnerable group a much-needed voice, and the confidence to move forward in their lives.