Northern Area Early Intervention Family Support Project

It is also part of a continuum of work focused on helping vulnerable children and young people and their families operating across the NHSCT area. Working closely with a range of partners, the project works with these children, young people and their families to provide early intervention and prevention of offending or reoffending and ultimately improve all areas of their lives at school, at home and in the community.

Margaret’s Story

When Margaret’s teenage daughter got into trouble with the police she didn’t know who to turn to. Her daughter’s behaviour had been troublesome for over a year at both school and at home with exceptionally low school attendance and behavioural issues. The project worked closely with the family to help their daughter with anger management and boosting her self esteem, helping her deal with situations around her in a more positive, non-confrontational way. She is now more settled at school and has not re-offended.

Margaret said: “Back then my daughter was getting into fights. It was most difficult when she was drinking. She was coming home in the early hours of the morning and the police would be bringing her home. She’d get angry and start self harming. I was so frustrated. I’d tried everything with her but I felt I was hitting a brick wall every time and I thought everyone was judging me as a mother. Within a month of coming to Action for Children I noticed my daughter’s behaviour starting to change. She was better at controlling her temper. She was more relaxed. She was stopping and thinking about what she’d do next. She doesn’t go out at all now. She is in the house every night. Her school attendance has markedly improved as has her overall attitude. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for Action for Children.”