Safe steps
Below is an overview of the Safe Steps service to find out more visit safestepsfostercare
This programme is designed for young people between the ages of 8 years and 16 years who have challenging behaviours and complex needs resulting in repeat placement disruption. They are therefore at risk of being placed in expensive long term residential care, or are already in long term residential care. Safe Steps is an intensive programme which facilitates and manages their transition to a stable family based environment.
Safe Steps is an innovative specialist service resulting in:
1. Superior and measurable outcomes for the young person and 2. Significant financial savings for the Local Authority.
Safe Steps - The Credentials
Safe Steps was created in 2007 as the result of a partnership between Pathway Care and Marlowe Child and Family Services. The Safe Steps team combines the knowledge, experience and resources of these two established, successful and innovative organisations.
Marlowe Child & Family Services was founded in 1991 to provide residential care, special education and therapeutic services to children and young people from across the UK. Marlowe focuses on imaginative and innovative care solutions for young people who present as challenging.
There are two well equipped residential units (Gloucestershire & Pembrokeshire) dedicated to the Safe Steps programme.
Pathway Care was established in 1996 and is an independent provider of children's services in England and Wales. It is the third largest fostering provider and offers servicest to over 50 Local Authorities and placements to nearly 600 children.
Specialist services provided by Pathway Care include Parent and Child Assessments, Disability, Complex Needs, Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) and Safe Steps.
Marlowe and Pathway Care share the same objectives of high quality care and best value and are dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for children and young people. It is their unique combination of skills, resources and innovative thinking that has resulted in the creation of the Safe Steps programme designed to meet the needs of Local Authorities who have a population of children / young people in long term residential care.
What is Safe Steps?
The Safe Steps transitional care programme typically works over a 52 week period and although highly structured it is child specific.
An intensive period of preparatory residential care with appropriate clinical input is succeeded by a heavily supported family placement which initially overlaps with the residential placement. The outcome of the Safe Steps programme is that the young person is able to avoid institutionalisation, access and maintain a living situation appropriate to their needs and enhance their life chances. For example, they are better able to make relationships, maintain a place in full time education.
The structure of the unique Safe Steps programme ensures consistency and continuity of care throughout. Residential staff, clinical staff, social work staff and foster carers all work and train alongside each other providing an holistic approach to the care of the young person. Progress is reviewed collectively (including the Local Authority) on a monthly basis ensuring that all are working cohesively and responsively toward the next agreed goal in the programme.
The programme cost reflects the nature and structure of the programme of care. It is progressively tapered as the support element to the young person decreases. At the end of the programme, it will have already delivered a significant saving to the Local Authority compared to alternative residential care.
The transition to comparatively low cost fostering will deliver significant savings to the Local Authority compared to the high cost of providing long term residential care for a young person.
(Typicallyover a 3 to 5 year period the savings are circa £0.25m to £0.5m per young person)
Who Would Benefit from Safe Steps?
Any young person 8 - 16 years old of either gender who may have had a prolonged history of abuse and trauma and may present with difficulties such as;
Complex behavioural needs
Attachment difficulties / disorders
Emotional and psychological difficulties
Mild Learning difficulties
Autistic spectrum disorders
Self injury
Conduct and behaviour difficulties
Risk taking history includingabsconding
Sexual vulnerability
Several disrupted placements
Young people faced with the prospect of long-term residential care whose situation may be summarised as one of the following:
Unable to maintain a stable family placement.
Vulnerable to the influences of other young people in long-term care such as; a follower, a victim of bullying etc.
Motivated but struggling to function within a family.
Needing specialist clinical input.
Note; Planned and crisis admissions will be considered with a full risk assessment required prior to admission. Exclusions may apply.
SafeSteps - 3 Steps to a better future
The Safe Steps programme consists of carefully designed 3 Steps each of which takes full account of the needs of the individual young person.
Education is an essential element of every young person's development and an integral part of the structure of the Safe Steps programme. Educational provision is based on individual assessment in liaison with the placing authority. This maybe mainstream provision, Local Authority Special School or a Marlowe Special Needs School.
MarloweChild & Family services run two Special Needs Schools near to the Safe Steps residential units. However it should be noted that fees for education are not included in the basic Safe Steps fee
Step1. A residential placement with Marlowe Child & Family Services of 13 (max 26) weeks. This is a period of comprehensive assessment, planning, clinical inputs and an introduction to the Safe Steps foster carer.
Step2. This comprises26 weeks in a Safe Steps foster placement plus highly intensive outreachsupport from the Marlowe team ensuring continuity and avoiding any fracturing of relationships.
Step3. This comprises13 weeks in a Safe Steps placement and is a period of consolidation and future planning that is aimed at assessing the young person's progress in managing their own behaviour and environment, it is critical to informing longer term planning post the Safe Steps programme.
Step1
Min 13wks Max 26 wks
Residential Placement with Marlowe Child & Family Services
At Either: Upper House, Pembrokeshire The Lawns, Gloucestershire
Step2
26 wks
Safe Steps Foster Placement with
Pathway Care & Intensive Outreach support from Marlowe Child & Family Services
Step3
13 wks
SafeSteps Foster Placement
Tofind out more about this new service visit safestepsfostercare.co.uk
