Families in Focus
Families in Focus (FiF) is our local name for the national Supporting Families initiative in South Gloucestershire.
Our aims
We want to improve the lives of vulnerable families facing multiple disadvantages and reduce demand on services by working early and intensively with them.
Families in Focus is an approach not a service. Our vision is that we will be able to show that services will:
- use data intelligently to plan and shape our work with people
- work with the whole family
- focus on outcomes for families.
Who is eligible
To be eligible for Families in Focus each family must be vulnerable in at least 3 of the following:
- getting a good education
- good early years development
- improved mental and physical health
- recovery and reducing harm from substance misuse
- improved family relationships
- children safe from abuse and exploitation
- crime prevention and tackling crime
- safe from domestic abuse
- secure housing
- financial stability
Our work will aim to address the needs of the family as a whole. We monitor the impact of support delivered to families from across the Early Help Partnership and social care on the 10 headline outcomes. We also use our funding to help build capacity within the early help system.
Who is involved
The partners who support and contribute to Families in Focus include:
- Avon and Somerset Police
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP)
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
- Council for Voluntary Services (CVS), South Gloucestershire
- Job Centre Plus
- schools and early years settings
- Sirona Care and Health
- South Gloucestershire Council Public Health and Wellbeing Division
- South Gloucestershire preventative services and social care
- Southern Brooks Community Partnership, Chase and Kings Forest Community Project, Caring for Communities and People, and a range of other voluntary sector partners
Privacy notice
Our approach involves supporting families struggling to cope by providing intensive, tailored support and working with the families to improve their situation.
This involves sharing of information between our departments and with other partner organisations. Any sharing will be done proportionately and lawfully for the purpose of identifying those families who most need the support of the Families in Focus programme and to ensure that services are better coordinated for them.
As part of Families in Focus, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) carry out a national impact study and family progress data updates to make sure what we are doing is making a real difference to families in the programme.
The information provided is processed strictly in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and whilst personal information is shared with DLUHC, none is included in the report itself.
You can read our privacy notices for:
Connecting Care
Connecting Care is a local electronic record that allows health and social care professionals directly involved in your care to share a summary of your medical record.
Your Connecting Care record will help those caring for you to manage your care better and allow information to be shared quickly and safely.
If you require further information about Connecting Care contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on 0800 073 0907 or visit Connecting Care.
Only authorised staff in settings across Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset can access your record. It does not contain information about discussions you have had with your GP or any information on sensitive subjects such as sexual health.