Walking Alongside You (WAY) programme
Walking Alongside You (WAY) is a service that provides support to men and women in various situations. The primary objective of this service is to help participants bring about positive lifestyle changes and reduce the risk of children being removed from their care or the risk of experiencing repeated removals of children if they were to have children again.
The project aims to break this cycle and give people the opportunity to develop new skills and responses that can help create a more positive future for themselves through the use of practical hands-on support, designed around individual needs.
The expectation is that the person referred is at a point where they are willing to positively engage, and the support that can be provided will depend on the level of engagement. For some, this may be a brief period of support to access a service and for others, longer-term support may be required.
About our service
We can:
- support women and men who are care-experienced adults, who have not had children but are at risk of pregnancy
- work with parents who have had children removed from their care, in supporting breaking unhealthy cycles in life and developing new skills and aspirations
- support parents earlier, before children are removed to break the cycles of concerns
- support parents who are undergoing or have undergone the court process for the removal of children through the Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC)
How we are different
How our work is different from other professionals:
- we work closely and have the time to work intensively with our clients at their own pace
- we make sure that we are available to work intensively as required. This might involve visiting twice a week and being present at every stage of plan implementation. Gradually, we step back to build resilience, empowerment, and confidence
- we provide valuable assistance in enabling individuals to attend and engage with services that also support them to address, make and maintain change in their lives, this may be counselling and drug and alcohol services to name a few
- we acknowledge the significance of empowering our clients with opportunities that allow them to exercise control over their lives and plans. However, we also understand the importance of providing guidance and support to help them make informed decisions with ease and confidence
- we are committed to ensuring easy access to support services for our clients, and where appropriate, we have established pathways to support agencies for our clients
How we provide support
WAY will provide the following support:
- to work alongside women throughout a 2-year period to implement and sustain change in their lives
- to offer an intense programme of therapeutic, practical and behavioural support, individually tailored around the client’s own needs
- to work within a multi-agency approach, accessing support from the most specialist services available
- to work alongside clients in a supportive and encouraging way and at the client’s own pace, allowing them to identify and make decisions about what they want to aspire to achieve
- to support break cycles of repeat removals by encouraging focus on their health, lifestyle and needs
- to support participants to engage with contraceptive services for them to avoid repeat pregnancies and removal of children
- build resilience and self-esteem
- address negative issues when ready such as drug, alcohol and domestic abuse
- develop aspirations for the future
- build new relationships with professionals and others
- enable healthy relationships with partners, friends and family
- to promote positive health, mental health, improved well-being and confidence
- we will work with people in a relationship and if this is appropriate.
What WAY cannot offer
While the WAY is designed to address the issues that have contributed to children being taken into care, or being at risk of being taken into care, entering into the WAY programme does not:
- get children returned from care
- conduct parenting assessments
- provide parenting support
- support with contact
- work with the participant’s children
Getting referred
You can be referred to our service by someone else or make a self-referral using the form below.
Alternatively, you can contact us by emailing way@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.
Referrals will take place at a point where a woman is willing to positively engage. The support that can be provided will also depend on the level of engagement. For some, this may be a brief period of support to access.