Who We Are Who We Are Who We Are Charity Background The charity was established in 1974 by local Derby resident Milly Wigley after reading about the death of a neglected child. Originally called “Concern Association Derby”, it acted as a meeting place for parents to attend and discuss any issues they may have been facing. The charity opened its Family Support Centre at 13 Leopold Street, Derby, in 1987. The centre provided the charity with offices, a day nursery for children, and facilities for parents. The charity continues to operate from its premises on Leopold Street, and currently provides three bespoke services; Supervised Contact, Family Support and Mentoring services. Our Mission Our founding aim is to relieve the distress and suffering experienced by families and children. In particular, those who have suffered from, or are likely to suffer from, violence or maltreatment in their homes. Our charity works to benefit vulnerable children, young people and families, making life improvements by: Responding to the needs of children where stress within the home may adversely affect their welfare or development Providing support for children who are regarded as vulnerable and who may be at risk of social exclusion Delivering community services designed to foster the general wellbeing of families with children Providing services for parents which will enable them to better respond to the personal needs and financial support of their children Our Services We currently offer three distinct services: Supervised Contact Service for Looked After Children This service provides supervised contact for looked after children so they can spend time with their families in a welcoming, child friendly and safe environment. By providing toys and equipment, we aim to ensure that contact sessions are meaningful and fun for all the family members that attend. Family Support Services Our Family Support Services (FSS) are available to families with children (up to 18 yrs old) who are living at home and experiencing challenges in their ability to parent effectively. The purpose of the service is to support parents to move forward positively with their lives which in turn has a healthy impact on their children. Our volunteers work with families in the local community providing one to one support to help families work through many issues, including the safety and welfare of their children. DBS checks are mandatory for all our volunteers. They receive ongoing training, support and supervision from our Family Support Service Co-ordinator, Fiona Rogers, to make sure that the family has a life changing experience. Mentoring Services for Young People Our Mentoring Service is a one-to-one volunteer mentoring program that provides confidential, community based support for young people aged 10 to 16 who are facing challenges at home, at school, or in the community. The aim of our program is to help children and young people to make positive decisions despite the challenging circumstances that they are facing. The mentor will build a supportive relationship with their mentee by encouraging them to participate in healthy activities and by being role models who help the young people to make positive decisions regarding their life and engaging with their peers. The young person can be assured that all dialogue is confidential, but within safeguarding guidelines. We recruit, screen and train caring adult volunteers to mentor our children and young people. Our robust screening process involves an interview, two references from previous employment or educational institution and a DBS background check. Volunteers receive ongoing training, support and supervision.