Building stronger families in Sussex post-Covid 19

Our work in action
Our local community of Family practitioners help families with young children through challenging times. Our approach is as individual as the people we’re helping. Practitioners visit families weekly and offer practical and emotional long-term support helping parents to grow in confidence, strengthen their relationships with their children widening their links with the local community.
We make sure help is available when it’s first needed – not later down the line when the situation has reached crisis point. In 2020/21 we supported 382 families. Support costs an average of £30 per family, per week.

Families in Crisis
The Covid-19 pandemic has been extremely difficult for the vulnerable families we support. The impact of this has led to more parents than ever coming to us for help as a result of domestic abuse and isolation through lockdown; and from the strain on families as they try to cope with mental health challenges, job losses, substance misuse problems, bereavements and more as a result of the pandemic.

With waiting lists for mental health support extending to more than a year and changes to the social security system meaning people are finding it even harder to get support, we are seeing referrals increase 10% month on month. Working families who were already on the brink of poverty now face an even greater threat this coming winter as unemployment peaks, Universal Credit is cut and fuel prices are set to skyrocket. 

As the impacts of the virus become apparent, more children, young people and their families will need support. Some of those will need significant interventions, including child protection plans. But for many, they will just need some extra help to get through a difficult period. 

Our practitioners will provide support with parenting and mental health difficulties, getting children to school, managing money, debt and housing needs, employment support, family relationship difficulties, managing the impact of domestic abuse and keeping children living in the family home. For those who are especially vulnerable, our practitioners will provide deliveries of food from our enhanced foodbank service, including help with fuel bills through our fuel fund and Children’s Holiday Fund

Need
With a team of 15 practitioners now working throughout Sussex, our ability to reach and help more families has never been greater. But our funding from all sources has dropped dramatically since April, emergency funding is not available and competition is intense with so many charities seeking to replace income. We also have a reduction of staff in our fundraising team and volunteering capacity which has impacted us greatly. We are now facing the real prospect of having to cut back in some areas, at a time when our families need us so much.

£10,000 will help sustain our core work and ensure that we can continue our vital services ad prevent families from falling further into a crisis.