Flintshire County Council: Targeted Support Team

Introduction

The Targeted Support Team (TST) works with children and families with care and support needs under Part 3 of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act. TST is part of statutory services but is a voluntary service where parents are required to give consent for assessment and intervention. We also undertake Part 3 Assessment and Part 4 Care and Support Plans for direct payments, which empowers the families to develop their own plan based on individual needs.

Targeted Support offers a variety of support services including Family Support Team, who provide parenting support and court directed supervised contact. Family Support Team run various parenting programmes including the Challenging Years and the Nurturing Programme. They also provide support with ‘keep safe’ work for young people, independent living support, routines and boundaries for parents, self-esteem work and confidence building, alongside relationship work and mediation work.

The team also comprises of the Integrated Young Persons Service, which is designed to prevent homelessness for 16-18 year olds. It also gives advice and support in setting up benefits, including universal credit for young people.

The TST also has an Adolescent Strategy Team that also works with families to prevent family breakdown, keeping children and young people with their parents or main carers.

Likewise, within TST, the management group and staff manage a variety of cases ranging from children with care and support needs, including child protection and looked-after children.

Andrew.drummond@flintshire.gov.uk