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Families Together
Families together East Lothian listen, act and build kind and compassionate relationships to enable families to have greater choice and live well within their communities and beyond.
How we work - Families Together
You know what's best for your family, and that's the starting place.
Once we have accepted your enquiry…
- First, you will meet your family outreach worker
- The family outreach worker will listen to you to find out what is working well and any areas you would like support in
- Jointly, you will plan next steps
- Your family outreach worker will stay around to help with practical support to help make positive changes for around 12 weeks
- After a few weeks you will review what has changed for the better and any areas you would still like to focus on
- You take one step at a time, making positive, practical changes
In the year since Families Together launched, we’ve worked with lots of families and seen the difference that we can make in their lives.
The following case studies help to illustrate the work of Families Together. Names have been changed to preserve confidentiality, but the stories and the successes the families have achieved are real.
Ben's story
Ben is currently in Primary 5. He lives with his mum, dad and 2-year-old sister.
Ben had a hard time sharing and making friends at nursery, as he moved into Primary school this was an ongoing challenge. He felt left out, and isolated.
He was doing okay in school but would often become very emotional and frustrated at home. His mum was upset because other parents were contacting her about Ben’s behaviour.
They asked the school for help, and Ben got to work with Lynne from Families Together. Lynne helped Ben’s parents link in with a peer-support group, and Ben’s mum even started a relaxation class to help her feel calmer. Lynne also supported the family to link in with a befriender from the Volunteer Centre which has been very helpful.
Ben’s mum is really thankful for Lynne’s help, saying she “got me back on track”
Max's story
Max’s mum got help from Claire at Families Together to support her with parenting strategies. The family got breaks when another family member looked after Max, which was good for them. But this family member was worried about how Max’s mum was raising him, which made Max's mum feel bad and caused some arguments.
Max’s mum was happy to work with Claire. She learned new ways to get along better with Max and everyone else in the family. Claire taught her some tips for parents who are under a lot of stress, and it’s helping a lot.
They all had a meeting where they talked about what’s going well, what they’re worried about, and how to fix these worries. This meeting made things much better for everyone, and they all talk and get along better now.
Max’s mum liked Claire so much that she wants her to stay and keep helping!
Anyone can ask for our support.
Get in touch to see if this service is right for you or a family you work with.