The Lakes Residential Families Together Programme in Welwyn Garden City offers three beds for young people aged 12-17 living at home with their birth or adoptive family - one bed can be used as an emergency.
This programme provides intensive therapeutic support from our multidisciplinary team for 4-8 weeks with a package of support returning home.
Once the referral has been accepted, we'll contact you to discuss further details.
The family are allocated an outreach worker before the young person moves into the Lakes FTP where an assessment provides a formulation of the needs of the family and a plan of support. The outreach support continues throughout the stay and for about 3 months after the young person has left the Lakes FTP.
As the case holder, you will liaise with the parent/s for them to sign the section 20 for their child's stay at the Lakes FTP. The plan is for the young person to return to the family home following the package of support for the entire family.
During the FTP, we ask that you attend a weekly network meeting with all relevant professionals as well as the parent/s (the young person is invited to attend).
As well as network meetings, the family will need to attend weekly family therapy sessions (siblings/grandparents can be invited) and engage in weekly family and individual therapeutic sessions with the FTP staff and their outreach worker. Parents are also encouraged to attend our parent group and participate in a family day. Family contact is supported with an overnight stay at home, expected within the first week. This is gradually increased throughout the stay.
Young people who come to the Lakes as an emergency will be encouraged to join the Families Together Programme.