Can ASTRA help us?

It can be difficult for parents to know what to do when their child returns home after running away. It can feel as if everyone is blaming you for your child’s behaviour and no one is listening to how difficult things have been for you.                                  

But ASTRA have been listening, and are piloting a Family Support Service to help parents deal with the difficult business of coping with an unhappy young person.

What we can offer to Parents/carers

Our Family Support Worker will come and listen to you, and will try and help you make sense of what has been happening within your family. Maybe you can see some changes that could be made to help the family function better; after all, a happy family is what we would all like to have.                                                                                        Our Family worker can give you ideas about how to deal with such issues as setting up boundaries and family rules, how to cope with joining up two step-families, and information about what to do about such things as domestic violence, drug and alcohol problems.

How does this link in with what the Project Workers do?

Our Project Workers have the young peoples interests as their first priority, but young people do not exist in a vacuum. They are part of families and communities, and must learn to function within them. Sometimes, we set up mediation sessions where young people and their parents/carers can thrash out some of the issues that have been causing problems. Our Family Workers can help parents and carers prepare for this process and help it to be more productive.

What if my child doesn’t come home?

Sometimes, a young person will decide that home is not the best place for them to be at the moment, but ASTRA believes that young people and their parents/carers should stay in contact wherever this is possible. The Family Worker will help parents and carers to stay in contact and to work on the relationship with the young person even if they are living elsewhere.

What if my child doesn’t want help from the ASTRA Project Worker?

Family support will still be available, as sometimes, simple changes in the family dynamics can make a big difference to how things are at home for everyone.

Above all, our Family Worker will be there for you and the rest of the family, offering support, advice and information.

How do I get help from the Family Support Workers?

Every young person who is reported missing in Gloucestershire, or is referred to us by another means, will receive a visit from a Project Worker. If running away has been a problem for your children, just ask the Project Worker for family support, as she will do the rest.

Confidentiality

Any information shared with the ASTRA Project Worker will be kept confidential and will not be shared with other members of the family without consent.

All records are kept separately from young persons files, and are anonomised for security. ASTRA reserves the right to share information with other professionals should anyone appear to be in serious danger of harm, but in the majority cases this will only be done in consultation with client family members.