Contantj: Légal and Admlnlitratlon Chalrpefson Report L•8al Ind Admlnlitratlon Mana8•mint ComMltta• Laura Flannlgan Chalrperion 8rldgeen McKenna Secretarv Geraldlne O'Nelll Treasurer Peter Murphv Member Clare Mcconway Member Charlty Roilgtratlon Numb•r NIC107518 Cornpany Number N1661087 Prlnclpal Addreii 134 StewartStown Road Belfast 8T119JQ Ind•p•ndent Examlnér Mccieery Turklngton Sto¢kman Ltd l Lanyon Quary Belfast OTI 3LG 8ank Ulster Bank Unlt G, Westwood Centra, Belfast BTII 98Q Our Purposa Our puipose Is to promote the benellt of the Servlce users who are Ilvlng wilh a d19ablllty and thelr famlly and carers In the Belfèst, Llsburn and County Antrlm Iherelnafter called the 'area of beneflt'l area wlthout dlscrlmlnatlon ol 88e, dlsabllltyi sexual orlentation, natlonality, èthnlc Identltvi polltlcal or rellglous oplnlon, by the provislon of advlce, Informatlon, resources, educatlon, recreallonal actlvltles and support wlth the object of Improvlng thelr conclltlons of Ilfe.
OUY Hl$tory Kld$ Togéther ha5 been worklng to provlde servlcès lo thlldren and young pÈoplÉ with complex néeds and dlsabllltlés and $upport to famlllés $ln¢e 2005, As we havÈ grown comslderably In the last 8 years, we have always pursised to ensure that any new Inltlatlve or fundlng programme rèmalns allgned to our core othos and f¢cu$sed on dÉllvéring potsltlve outtomes for the chlldreni yovng people, and famllles that we work wlth, Chalrp•rion R•port (Laura Flahag8n) As an orsanlsatlon Klds Together Bellagt IKTBI haj navlgated through th past 17 years, dellverln8 sérvl¢e$, and evolvln8 to meet the growlnB needj of our serv1¢¢ ui•r$, Th1$ endurance and re$lllènce aré iymbollc of our commltmént to the people that we provld Jervlcoa lor. Yh• 8oird of KTB are éxtremely proud of thé management and staff for the work and support they 8lve to famllles of the chlldren and youn8 people throughout thls year, It Is aljo a testament to the man•i0ment and staff that the feedback In evaluatlonj whlch wa$ 8lowln8 from thos• famlllés supported throughout thlj year. KTB contlnue to Ilourljh and grow. Fundlng thfough DOH lor Communlty Ment81 Health admlnlstrated through the Communlty Foundatlon Nl In Aprll 2022 allowed KT8 to addres5 the needs of mental health of famllles Ilvlng wlth dliablllty, The program entalls lamlly iupport, mentorlns, Lego-835ed Therapy program for chlldr•n and young peopll, play therlpy and chlldr•n'J counsellln8, Thls program $upported chlldren and young people wlth ASD to addréss thelr anxlety, mental health, and thelr 50clal skllls. KTB through thls funded program and along wlth other tunded programg support some of the most marglnalSzed chlldren and youn8 people In our communltles, A second round ol fundlng throush DOH for Comrnunlty Mental Health admlnljtrated through Communlty Foundatlon Nl In Aprll 2022 allowed KTB to develop a wlde range ot programs to •ddreJs parents/carers mèntal health, thlj Involved walkln8 groups, therapie$, and support 8roup$. Due to the 8rowth and ne•d ot KT8 Transltlon81 Learnlns Centre, KTB hav• opened thelr thlrd project at thelr new premlses on Sprlngfleld Road whleh ¢an yupport up to 24 young adults. KTB rented thls property until January 2023 when KTB secured a 10.yo4r mortsa8e from Communlty Flnance Ireland t¢ facllltate the purchase of the Sprlnlfleld Road bulldln8. KT8 took part In the Falr Start pllot pro8ram funded by DOE, whlch support 24 chlldren 38ed 2.4 who are under a¢hlevln8, There are 4 pllots across Belfast who work In partnerjhlp wlth Belfast Health and Soclal Care Trust Speech & Languase Theraplsts, Occup3tlonal TheraplJt$ from CDC and Educatlon Psychologljts from EA. The o¢JtcomeJ from th15 pro8ram for the chlldren were outstandlng. KTB recelved fundlng through the DFC to fltout the Hannahstown project wlth a sensory room and also fundln8 from the RTE Toy Show Appeal for a sensory sym at the StewartStown Aoad slte. l also would Ilke on behalf of KT8 Board to thank all the fund•rs that has SUPPOrted us before and Ihroushout the pand•ml¢', O•partment of Communltles,, Salarles, runnlng cojts and equlpment, 8BC Chlldren In Need,, Salarles. Lottery Communlty Fund: Sal3rle$, runnlng costs pro8rzm5. 8HSCT Early Interventlon Team; Famlly Support. 8HSCT,, Programs and rurtnlns c05t5, BHSCT Federatlon of GP: Tralnlng. CFNI S3larSes, runnln8 costs & pro6rammas
6élfaJt city Councll; Runnlng costs, equlpment & prosramj. Pathways; Salarlei, HSCB Brlght Start,, Salarlej, runnlns co$ti. HSCB Falr play; Salarlej, Hscb: Equipment. EA,, Program$ and runnlng costs, See below breakdown of 311 th• Indlvld(Jal groups tunnln8 In Kldj Togethér 8ella$t. Ralnbow Aalnbow group for 2-3-y•ar oldj has béen runnlng from 2015 and fundéd by Early Years- Ihe Organlsatlom's Pithwjy fund, Thlj fund Supports 15 placements and the Natlonal Lottery Communlty Fund supports further 10 placementj, Our Ralnbow 3.4 a8ed group has bégun runnlng alonsilde the 2-3 progiamme from SeptembÈr 2022-June 2023. The 2.3 and 3-4 progr3mm*i are a part of a Pllot Programme from th• 8•llaJt Wlde Early Years P8rtnershlp, We work alongslde health prole551onals (Speeth and Language Theraplsts and Occupatlonal Therop15tsl from the Belfast Trust the Chlld Development Cllnlc, the leadlni partner solas, Ealt 8elfait Surestart and Glenbrook Surestart, KTB have 3 groupi of 6 chlldren In each group for the Ralnbow Group runnlns weekly wlth a total of 9 $e$slon w•ek, We al$0 provlded • summer s¢h•me In July, Crlt•rla lor entry 1$ a dlagnosed dljabiiity or th• ehlld has been referred to the Chlld D•velopment Cllnlc for asJeJJment and dlJgnosl$, The ¢hlld Is roqulred to be referred through the Belfast Trujt Health and Soclal Care Servlceg and the chlld needs to meet the threshold of needlng spoech and lan8ua8e therapy as well as occupatlonal therapy. There Is a parent expéctatlon to be Involved wlth Ouf orsanlgatlon by attendlng the stay and plays/make and tako SeSslon$ and thelr chlld's placemènt 1$ dependant of thls. Seg$lons Include actlvltles from thè Ralnbow Program, actlvltleg that would challenge a chlld on th• autlstlc Jpectrum. The SLEAM program Is also factored Into the dally runnln8 of the $•Jslon$ to promote Speech and Language development through the medlumg of Exerclse, Art and Muslc. Th4 dally sesslon remalns th8 same Itructure for contlnulty and predlctabillty skllls for the chlldren, We Implement Structured work tasks followlng the TEACHH method and every day the chlldren wlll have a have a sroua 8roup Attentlon Autlsm iesslon, Aft•richooli The undef 12 afterschools prosramme currently has 56 chlldren aged 4.12 year old, attendln8 Monday. Saturday In our maln bulldlng acro55 2 floors, Kld5 Together provlde 11 under 12 afterschools sesslons per week. 8etween Aprll 2022.March 2023 we provlded a total of 668 sèsslons to our larnllles Includln8 7 weeks of Summer Scheme whlch had 4 sesslong per day 5 days per week, The over 12,5 after$chools runs dally on our bottom floor wlth 24 young people aged 12-18, provldlng 6 Jes$lons per week Monday-saturday, Klds Tosether dellvered 323 sesslons from April 2022-March 2023 Includlns 7weeki of Summer Scheme, Kldl 708ether offer a varlety of After 5thool'g sesslons and programmes from Monday through to Saturday wlth some programmes 5tartln8 at 1.,30pm and rLtnnlng to 6pm. Our varlety of afterschools pro8rèmmes run on 3 floorj and $upport approxlmately 34 chlldren and youn8 people per day. The afterschools program supports chlldren and young people wlth a range of Joclal attlvltles to help encourase development through play and recreatlon.
In the after$thool'È se$slon we alm to Jupport each chlld In all areèj ol development through many types of play, Théi8 Includé ctsgnltlve, Joclal & émotlonal, gpeéch & languag, fine & 8ro$s motor skllls and not only reach thelr Own Potentlal, b¢tst ¥l>o have fun and enjoy different experlence$, Each se55lon 1$ Structured wlth attlvltles to tover eath area of development. We alm to provlde an ¢nvlronment where chlldrÉn feel happy, safe dnd Included wlthln thelf community. So¢l•l Group Soclal Group Is a program treatèd for chlldren and Young people wlth ASD and/or moderate lèarnln8 dliabllltles. The program Is desl8néd to allow chlldren wlth A5D the chance to soclallse wlth peers who stru88le wlth slmllar Isjues such as anxlety, emotlonal regulation, soclal communlcatlon and ioclal Intorictlon, Soclal group 1$ mad¢ up of 2 age groups, Under 12, 6 to 12 years 12 + years, 12- 18 yeari Soclal Group offers tallored a¢tlvltle$ whlch wlll help the chlldren bulld emotlonal re$lllence, develop self confidence ind $élf-eJteqm Jkllls aj well aj offÉrlng $trate8leJ that they can uso durlng tlmes of stre$$ whlch wlll In turn help them to functlon In the communlty. It alio glves the Jèrvlce u$erJ a space where they can ultlmately be themselvej, These a¢tlvltlé$ Include board 8ameJ, artj & crafts, group gameii group dlseusslonsi qulzzes, movle nl8htJ aj well as tlme set aslde for dally check In'i wher• the group ¢an talk and process thelr day as well as get support from peers who are golns through the Same dally Jtru88le$, Sensory tlme 1$ vltal wlthln th4 goclal 8ro(Jp, It allows the chlldren wlthln the group tlme to proco51 thelr div Ind regulat• emotlons In a Safe and calm envlronment, Youth Group Kldi Together Youth consljts ol provlslon to chlldren and young adults a8•s 12.18 and 18+. Our youth club has conslstently evolved over the last number of years. The young people that attend our youth club are able to èccejs and Joclallse wlth thelr peerJ In an envlronment that 5upport5 thelr Indlvldual needs and encouragès thelr progres$lon throu8h bulldln8 on thelr personal skllls, soclal development, 8roup work and partlclpatlon In a fun, $afe and enjoyabl• envlronment. The alm of the youth club Is to en¢oura8e the young people to develop Ilfe skllli throu8h playlng 8ameJ, soclallslnB wlth peer$, partlclpatlon In actlvltles and prornotlng Independence when sultable. Addltlonally, dependlng on the youn8 people In the 8roups, actlvltles wlll vary to Include,. sportg, musl¢, table top actlvitles, board 8ames, qulzzes, dlsco$, sengory playi OUtln8S, trlps, arts and crafts and group sames such 3$ bowlln8. Throughout school holldays and at 4lternatlve polntj In the year we wlll also run summer schemes and outlng5 wlth our 12.18 youth Includlng resldentlals, We Jolned our Irlends from solas and went on resldentlal In Grèenhlll In Newcastle thls year after a few years of no regldntlal due to Covld fle$trlctlon3, It wag an amazlng succesg and all the youn8 people loved Itl Our 18+ youth runs slmllarly and at various polnts In thé year 6et opportunltle5 to attend local facllltles such a$ the Beechlawns Hotel for the MAC club and 18+ dlsco for Indlvlduals wlth dlsabllltles. Some of these youn8 adults also attend our TLC programme and wlll $pend the day In TLC 8ettlng beautlfled for the dlsco Includlng make-up, halr, nalls etc,
Our youth algo engaged prOèttlvé In flghtlfig for thelr rlght> thli year through proté$tlng at thé EA bulldlngs tLg Éeek support for our youth provl$lon, It was • great succes9 and WÈ look forward to beglnnlng our EA Youth fundlng In Aprll 23. In thlj year wé ran 188 In houié évènlng $eiilons and 122 outreach support sejiloni. Wé Jupport4d 3008 placemontj In house for approxlmately 100 youth and young adult $ervlc4 US•tJ. Tranjltlonal L•arnln8 C•ntr• ITLCI Kldj Together 8ÈlfaJt offèr a range ol programmes Irom fhe age of 2.19 years and In Septémber 2018 we developed a Transltlon Programme for 5¢hool leavers and those 19+ called TLC (Transitional Learnlng Ctntrél, The purpose of the ILC 8roup la to en$ure young èdult$ wlth dli3bllltlÉs have an approprlate post- •¢hool placemént whére thelr needs are and they have a senié ol belonglni, The group work$ hard to remove bèrrlers to access In the local ¢omMunlty, enyurlmg all of our youns people are bulldlng 5kllls for Ilfe, creatlng lastlng relatlonshlps and redutlni feelln85 of Isolatlon, OurTLC 8roup haj gone from JtrenBth to Jtrength, wé started In 2018 wlth lust I servlce user and now hav• 48 servlc• user8 acros$ our 3 TLC Jltej. Thls growth reprè$entS the need for thé serv1¢• and also the Juc¢esJ of both the staff and youns people In the 8roup who work so hird io mak• It Juccejjful, The TLC 8roup dellverj a wlde range af tallored s•rvl¢ei for idulti wllh dliabllltles, Includlng iklllj bulldln6 and target Jettlng. Sklllj are Indlvlduall$ed and targeted on the netdj of the young adults as well as promollng cholcl and bulldlng on Independence, creatlng a partnershlp worklng wlth the servlce user, thelr famlly, professlonalg and any other relavant persong, Thé weeks are packed wlth outlngi, actlvltlés, $klllJ development and other servlc¢s, Each month follows a new theme wlth lots ol opportunltles for learnlng and fun. Throuihout thls year we have had v151tg from bu89 and beastlej, trlps to the beach and the Ulster Folk and Trangport Museum, We took part In a hockey skllls day at Ll$n38arvey hockey club and we were Invlted to Ilfe$tyle and performance gym to take part In varlous workouts to help ralse funds to buy deflbrlllatorg for the local area, We paitlclpited wlth the KTB fundralser lor Chlldren In Need. We held our very own ma$queride ball and Dlsco for all our 184 Sarvlce Users In the Ballymac Hotel, We completed OCN'S In Perjonal Confldence and Sell- Ègteem wlth Sprlngboard, Thls wa$ all whllst completlng our daily actlvltles In TLC, doln8 the ihopplns, the cleanlnii exercl$lng and havln8 lots of lun, Th1$ year we facllltated 48 Jervlce users through a rnlxture of full tlme and part tlme placements, We ottered 15 sessions per week acrojs out 3 sltes Aprll.June and September to March. In the Summer of 2022 we merged 8roups for the Summer and ran out of 2 Jltes, In total throughout the year we offered 679 5es$lon$ for our young adults In TLC Group Mentorlni The Group Mentorlng project funded by the Communlty Foundatlon almed at chlldrén and youn8 people wlth Autlsm IASDI or awaltlng dlaBnosls, who are also 8rappllng wlth poor mental health, The program 1$ deslEned to address challénges related to anxlety, emotlonal regulatlon, soclal comrnunlcatlon and Interaction. The Inltlatlve 5pan$ 12 weeks and has been Instrumental In creatln8 a supportlve envlronment for partlclpants, The Group Mentorln8 project was $peclfl¢ally tallored to facllltate soclallsatlon among ¢hlldren wlth ASD, fosterlng connectlons wlth peers facln8 $lmilar Issues. The Inltlatlve was made posslble through the senlrous support of the Communlty Foundation Fund, The structure of tho program Includes a staff.to-partlclpant fatlo of 2,,8 to ensure adequate support for each chlld. The ade Broups are dlvlded Into 6-12 years and 12- 18 years, recognlslng the unlque needs of each developmental stage.
The programme runi over5 days 2 hour$ pef se$Jlon, At the Ènd of éach ¢ohort we have a celebratlon évent Jhd a famlly day so that the youtsg p#oplé that took part cjn have thelr achlev&ment$ célèbrated, The 12.week programme eovéis a dlvérse rangé of topl¢s crltltal to th¢ well.being ol the partltlpantj, These Intlude; What IJ Mental Hoalth; Provldlng a foundatlonal underjtandlng of méntal health to èmpower partltlpantj wlth knowledge. R•i1114nc• 8ulldlng; Equlpplng ¢hlldren and younB people wlth tools to bounce back from ehillenge$, f05terlnB a sense of $trèngth, UndtrJtandln8 My Emotloni: A$slstlng partlclpantg In réco8nlslng and mana8ln8 thélr omotlonj efe¢tlvely. Und•r•tandln8 R•l•tlonihlpi: Nurturln8 $klll$ for bulldlng and malntalnln8 poJltlv¢ relatlonshlpj, My Communlty and M•: Encouraglng a sense of belonglni and understandln8 wlthln the communlty, Coplni Sti•t•il•J Introduclng prictlcal Jtratèsles to copi wlth Jtre$sorJ and challeng41, The prlmary 6oal of tha Group Méntoring project IJ to croaté a g•le and supportlve Jpace whero young people wlth ASD Can develop the ikllly necessary to navlgate J soclèty that may not fully comprehend thelr unlque needs. 6y addre$ilnB mental héalth, emotlonal régulitlon and ioclal Interactlon, thi programme Ilmj to empower partlclpant6, ¢rthan¢e th•lr $¢lf.03teem, and ¢ontrlbute to thelr overall well.b•lng, Throughout the 12 week proleet$ wlthln the tlm¢ frame, the programme has wltnesjed notable •chlèvément$, Partlclpant$ have demonstrated Improved soclallsatlon, Increased emotlon81 regulatlon and greater understandlns of mental health con¢eptJ, The Intentlonal d•slgn of the program, Includlni th• Itaff.to"partlcipant ratlo, has allowed for perjonalljéd Support, contrlbutln6 to th• suc¢qJJ of the pro8ramme. The Group Mentorlng project h3J proven to be a vltal resource for chlldren and young people, The Impact on partl¢lpants' ioclalliatlon, emotlonal regulatlon and ov•rall well.beln8 underscores the Importance of onsoln8 $upport for Inltlatlvej addre$3ln8 the unlque needs of thlj demographle. Couns•llln8 S•rvl¢• Klds foBether Belfast, counielllng Jervlce has catered to 14 Chlldren & Youn8 people from Aprll 22 to March 23. Counselllng In the form of l..1 talklns therapy has been cruclal th1$ year for Improvln6 mental, emotlonal, and physlcal health of the chll(Jrén and youn8 people wlthln the servlce, It has led to Improved r•latlon$hlp$ between $lblln85, peers and Improved overall wèll.belng ol each cllent, These reJult5 can be séèn vla self. report m¢asureJ such a3 cllent questlonnalre51 parent31 feedback and observatlonal tools from the theraplst. The therapeutlc approach used 13 the eclectlc approach whl¢h uses both dlre¢tlve and non.dlrectlve methods, thlj Is tallored to Jult eich Indlvldual chlld, Madlums ar¢ used In order to help the chlld feel comfortable wlthln th• se$$lon and open up to the théraplst, There have been a lot of to¢lJ and medlums Used throughout the year whlch are vltal In the counselllng process, The$e have been tallored to address speclflc ther8peutlc goals for each cllent, A few examples of these would be the use of therapeutlc games facllltatlng communlcatlon, encouritslng teamwork and developlng problem-501vlng skllls, Vlsual èlds have a$slJted tho$e In under5tandln8, manaBln8 and expresslng thelr emotlong. Teachln8 breathlng exerclses, mlndfulnes$ relaxatlon and developlng personall$ed toolklt$ has proved beneflclal for many chlldren and young people and challénBlng negative thoughts has béen fundamental, Thls Involved Identlfyln8 and restructurln8 negatlvÈ thought patterns that contrlbute to emotlonal d15tress whlch has beÈn done throu8h discussluns, work5heet$ and stlmulatln8 real.llfe soclal scenari05 for those sufferlng wlth soclal anxlety, Thls servlce has been vltal for the famlly unlt and balng able to support chlldr4n and youn8 people through thelr therapeotlc Journ•y has been rewardlng both personally and professlonally.
Thérap•utlc Sérvlt•; 'Play Thérapy, Thls year, Kld9 Together have been able to offer Pl3y Therèpy support $Érvlceg to 18 chlldren and thelr familles struggling with a rnge of $oclal, emotlonèl and behavioural1ssuÈs. Our Play Therapy Intervenllon supports chlldren ed 4-12 yeary old, by ujlng a I;1 Integratlve, holl$tlc aporoach whith utlli5e9 play èrtd hf treatlvÈ modalltlés Includlns,. aft, music, drama and Jand play to hélp children proceis a varlety tsf Issués affÈttlng thelr émotional and psychologlcal wellbelng, E8,, medleal Issuq$, fèmlly trauma, dlff Icultles wlth soclal skills and Interactlon. Wlthln the therapeutlc geJ$lon, ¢hlldren are Bulded by a tralned theroplgt to use the play materlal$ a$ a meani of ¢%pre591on and communlcatlon. Lèndrèth {2002) stat•J that durlni the Play Therapy sésjlong, 'ploy become$ the chlld'j lanouoqe and toy$ become thelr wordg,, Int•rv•ntlon Duratlon Klds Together Belfast Play Therapy Jervlce$ are offered ai l-hour wéekly Jes1lonJ for a duratlon of 12 weeks, depÉndlng on the referral needs of the chlld, The famlly Is provlded wlth an Inltlal parèntal consultatlon wlth the therapljt. The chlld'j famlly hlstory and reférral l•sueJ are dlicusjed and the hopej and expe¢tètlonJ for the Interventlon are outllned, A parental revlew meetlng tak¢$ plate at the half-way polnt ol the Interventlon to evaluat• the chlld'g progress and dlscu$J any new or em•rsln813gues or behavlours wlth the chlld. At the end of the 12-wéek proceii, a flnal clojlng meetlng IJ conducted wlth the famlly. An assessment tool, 'Goudmon's strenqth and Dlffl¢ultleJ Questlonnolre5 (SDQ), Is used 'pre' and 'post' therapy, to evaluate the Impact of the Interventlon and Indlc8te the ¢hlld's areas of need whlch may stlll requlre addltlonal lisnpostlng or lurthér support, By olforln8 these therapeutlc servlcej to our Immedlate Weit 8elfait communlty and the surroundlng areas, Kldj Togethér are helping to tackle the Stark $tatlstlcs found wlthln the, 'Yotsth Wellbelnq Prevolence Survey, 120201 whlch outllned that, '1 In 8 chlldren In Nl are experlenclng emotlonal dlfflcultle$' and that the rate of anxlety and depresslon In chlldren In Nl15 25% hl8h•r than the re9t ol the UK, A ca$• study from one of the famlll•s who have b•nefltted from our Play Therapy servlces state that,. 'As a parent, Ifeel the Kldi Toqether J¢rvl¢• li a vltal tQo1 In our ¢ommunlty,' It offerilamlly support that IJ much needed to promote the overall mental health and wellbelng of ¢hlldren ond famllles In Welt 8elfa$t. I would personolly Ilke to thank Kldj foqetherfor thelr Play Therapy supportlor my daught¢r and lumlly In our tlme olneed. I can only pralse and hlqhly recommend the sérvl¢• oAthe Klds Tooether team,. Famlly Support v the end ol March 2022 KldsTogether Belfast had a Famlly support Team made up of5 dedlcated member$ of Staff, The servlce provlded a 12.week Home Vl$itlnB 5ervlce to 147 famllles and an addltlonèl 74 famlllÈ$ of chlldren wlthln the mentorlng projectj who recelved 4 rnlnlmum of 3 home vlslt5 durln8 thè 12 week programme, that have ¢hlldren/youn8 adults wlth Sensoryi Learnlng or physlcal dlsabllltles and/or Autlsm or awaltlng an ASD Dla8nosls with 3,634 sesslons belno carried out, The team met the numbers ol the hub almo$t hall way through the year and In prevlous years the hub would provlde addltlonal monles to provlde more 5ervlcas however thlj wasn't the c85e whlch meant we had to Stop taklng referrals from the Famlly Support Hubs whlch shows the rellectlon of a low number wlthln the
répurtlng perlod, Additlonally, ai part of the Communlty Fund, wé récèlvéd funding to provldé famlly whlch we partnered up wlth the BÈlfJ$t TrLJ$t lrt the 8ireemeMt that rèferral$ would malnly come from the Famlly Support htsb5, Thlg wès 8 blg Stresg r¢lea$er for the hubj as through the addlllonal f(Jndln8 théy were able to atcesa OLJr famlly lupport $trvlce, At the beglnnlng of thé 12 weeks the fimlly, along wlth thélr Suppurt Wtsrkér, woll carry ¢ut a Famlly star. Throughout the 12 week> thé famlly and worker wlll r¢vlew the Famlly star to monltor the pro£res$ bélng madé, Together the Famlly and Support worker wlll a8r*• on area$ of nted to work on over the 11 weeks, An exèmplo of support provlded would be: Sleép routln4s/so¢lal storlel sehavloural managemént Jtrate8le$ Vljual aldi Support In fllllng out approprlate lorm$ Se a Ilitenlng ear for lamlllej Llèli• wlth relevant profe$Jlonal 518npoJt to relevant organl3itlonJ and gupport servlces Our team hav• a wéalth ol knowledge when It comes to $upportlng chlldren ind famllle$ wlth Dl$abllltlaJ Wlth 8 range ol experlence In day care $ettlngs wlth chlldren wlth d193bllltlesi personal Ilved expérlencej, managlng Day Care $ettlngs and worklng wlth Young Adults wlth Dlsabllliies to name a few. Uslng a person- centred approach our team $trlve to make thé famllles we support feel welcomed, supported, heard and empowerlng parénts wlth the knowlèdge to meet thelr chlldren'3 needs, L•80 BaJ•d Th•ripy Leio-8ased Therapy project IJ a transformatlve programme funded by the Communlty Foundatlon, speclflcally designed for chlldren and young people wlth Autlsm Spectrum Dlsorder IASDI or awaltlns dla8noslJ, Thlj 12-wéek program h8$ proven to be a valuable resource In f05terln¢ communlcatlon, so¢lal Inter•¢tlon, and émotlonal relulatlon. Lego-Based Therapy IL8T) IJ a structurèd Interventlon that utlllses the unlversal appeal of Lego brlcks to enhance $oclal and communlcatlon skllls, The programme, sponsored by the Community Foundatlon Fund, 1$ tallored for chlldren and young people aged 6.12 years, Wlth a Jtaff-to.partlclpant ratlo of 2,,6, the program ensures suffl¢lent support for each chlld, losterlng a ¢ondu¢lve envlronment for growth and development,4 L410.BaJ•d Thorapy Rolo• The Lego.8ased Therapy sejslons are ¢rganlsed Into small Éroup$, wlth each partlclpant a$sl8ned a spÉclfl¢ role., 8ullder,' Rèjponslble for con$tru¢tlng the Le80 model, Thls role encourages flne motor skllls developmenti spatlal awarene$g, and collaboratlon. Suppller,, In char8e of provldlng the nece$Jary Le80 pleces lo thé Bullder, Thls role promotes communicatlon, turn.taklngi and under5tandln8 the needs of others, Englneer., Tasked wlth readlng and Interpretln8 the building Instructlons, f8cllltatlfi8 communlcatlon, and reinlorclng the Importance of clear communlcatlon wlthln thi group.
Pro8raM £ffactJ; Th¢ Lego-Ba$¢d Therapy pr¢Je¢t hai demonstrated several posittve Èllectj on pèrtl¢lpants; Enhancéd Communlcètlttn Sklllj; Partlclpantj, who Inltlally $truggléd wlth communlcatlon, ghowed lrnprovements In exprejslhs thelr thought>, Idéa$, and needs, The $trutturéd nèture ol thé Légo actlvltv provlded a comfortable platform lor tommunlcatlon dèvelopment, Émotlonal R&gulatlon', Childrén and yourtg peopl fatlng emotlonal overwhelm found the Lego sesslony to be a therapeutlc outlet. thè handg.on nature ol the actlvlty, coupl¢d wlth the gupportlve group envlronment, contrlbuted to irnproved effiotlonal regulatlon. S¢clal Interattlon,. Ihrough the asslgned rolé$ and collaboratlve bulldlng procéJJi participants dévelopd eis*ntlal soclal sklllg such al téamwork, turn.taklng, and understandln8 the pérspéctlvés of othérs. Frlénd3hlPJ formed durlng thé program extended beyond th¢ Lego ieJilonJ, Increased Conf Idence,, As partlclp3ntJ successfully completed Lego projecti, a sense of a¢compllJhment and Increased self.estèem émerged. The program provlded a non.ludBmental $pace wher• èach chlld, contrlbutlon was valued, Tha iuccèjs of the Le80.Based Therapy project warrant$ consldératlon for expan$lon and suytalnablllty. The Le80-BasÉd Therapy prolÈct has prov•n to be a valuable asset for ¢hlldren and young people, The structured approach, couplèd wlth th¢ engaglng nature of Lego 8ctlvltle$, ha$ contrlbuted to slgnlflcant po$ltlve outcomes In communlcatlon, emotlon31 résulatlon and soclal Interactlon. Parental Support Groupj Parental and Carér Support Pro8ramméJ Klds Together 8ellast 1$ able to facllltate safe space lor parents/caref s who care for chlldren wlth dlsabllltles, encourage them to provlde support ancl Share thelr personal experlences wlth each other If they feel comfoftable to do Jo, Many parents/carer's attendln8 the support groups have shared slmllar feelln85 of helplesJneJJ, joclal11013tlon and poor mental health. Slnee attendlng the support qroups parent$ have fest less alone In thelr struggles from havlng the opportunlty to speak to other parents who understand. Even If thelr chlldren may not have the same dlsablllty or thelr chlldren may not be Ihe sarne agei parents wlthln these 8roups have empowered and supported eèch other by $howlns a11stenln8 ear wlth no Judsement, Our 12.week mental health programm• Is a great way to brln8 pzrentstog8ther over the ¢OUfSq of 12 weeki, encourage them to get to know each other and enjoy self-care theraples provlded by servleej wlthln our communlty. Our 12.week programme Involvès beauty treatmènts, a wlde range of hollstlc theraples and team bondlng experlences, We also are abla to provlde Iree counselllng servlces for any parents and carerfs who feel It would be benef Iclal to them, Any parent or carer can attend the 12.week programme however we algo provlde a separate Iroup specilically for "dads" to encourage mile carer$ to Come together and Support each other, From tralnlns provlded to our parent co-ordlnator by the psychologlst Stephen Blddulph, It has been found the Importance of thè 'latherhood role, can be unfortunately overlooked and can hève a major Impact on chlldren's Ilve5, We want to encourage dads/stepdad$/male carer'y to also prlorltlse thelr mental health and support each other where posslble. From Klds To8ether creatln8 a dad'5 group we have been able to facllltate a safe space for Irlendshlp$ amongst male carers to grow whl¢h Inevltably can empuwer and strengthen th• famlly dynarnlc as a whole. We alm to promote soclal incluslon, confldonce and boosting self-¢st¢em for tho parents who take part In any of our parental jupport groups,
Some of tfrre progr3ffimes So tèr have Involved.. Reflexology treètment9 Mas$agé4/Sport M35$a8e Fbclals Be3utytroatmentJ $u¢h aJ halr, nail and éyebrow appolntménti Art Therapy Breathwork and Medltatlon Clasjès Actlon Méntal Health Workshopi Parental workshops provlded by STRIVE Nl and Gamcare Goal 5ottln6 and $elf.reflectlon io