We can deliver family needs assessment, support programmes for Roma families and young people, assistance with parenting assessment and direct work with families throughout the child protection process.
We can work alongside professionals such as social workers, parenting assessment workers, Youth Offending Services’ case workers, teachers, health, mental health and other professionals.
We provide:
Click on the headings below for further information.
We can work alongside professionals such as social workers, parenting assessment workers, Youth Offending Services’ case workers, teachers, health, mental health and other professionals.
We provide:
- practical information and advice on how to improve engagement with Roma families
- holistic assessment of family needs, including their understanding of child protection process, safeguarding issues raised, status in the UK, social integration and parenting skills
- recommendations for future work with Roma families.
Click on the headings below for further information.
Needs assessments for troubled families
Children’s Services Departments commission us to assess the needs of Roma families in crisis and we can often help to prevent children living in troubled families being taken into care. Our expert assessment can help the agency to develop a robust plan and move forward with the family. We take a holistic look at family needs, including family composition, status in the UK, social integration or lack of it and, crucially, at parenting skills. Safeguarding of children is the paramount aim of our recommendations, which focus on what support is needed to solve the family’s problems and change the situation for the better.
Contact us for further information.
Contact us for further information.
"Partnership with the Roma Support Group was important because it enabled us to positively engage with the Roma family we worked with. We were also provided with advice about the Roma culture which enabled us to adapt our parenting mentoring programme. As a result, we were left with a bespoke programme for other Roma families as well."
- Children's Services Manager, South East England
Direct work with families
Our direct work with troubled families and families in crisis aims to prevent family breakdown, reduce anti-social behaviour, assist social integration and enable Roma families to engage with Children’s Services Departments and other agencies. We work on the identified problem areas, including boosting parenting skills and we support professionals to avoid having to take children into care. In cases of poverty and financial exclusion, we carry out benefit checks and make applications while mentoring people into employment. We assist parents and schools to communicate, mentor and tutor Roma pupils in order to improve educational attainment. We promote access to health services and improve health outcomes, through encouraging healthy eating and vaccination take-up.
Contact us for further information.
Contact us for further information.
Support for young people in difficulty
We can take referrals from Probation, Youth Offending Teams and Drug & Alcohol Action Teams and provide meaningful activities for young people in difficulties at a competitive price. Where appropriate, we will engage with the family as well with as the young person and the professionals involved in the case. We carry out an assessment and then place the young person on a one-to-one mentoring programme and/or our own activity programmes or refer her/him to suitable alternative provision, according to need.
Contact us for further information.
Contact us for further information.
“I feel our young women benefited from the project as they got involved in something that they really enjoyed. They gained some practical skills that may divert them from their offending behaviour; the result was tangible and gave them a real sense of achievement.”
– Haringey YOS Key Worker
Working alongside professionals
We work alongside professionals in school, community and health settings, supporting you to assess the family situation and identify both the problem areas and the solutions. We provide practical information and advice on how to engage with both individual troubled families and Roma communities in your area. Our support will enable your agency to enhance Roma integration, reduce social and racial tension and prevent family breakdown.
Contact us for further information..
Contact us for further information..
Service for solicitors
We can provide experts statements and testimony in legal cases involving Roma people.
Examples of our previous work, including costs
Since 2011 we have delivered a number of interventions for Children’s Services, schools and Youth Offending Services. There are some examples below. Click on the headings to see further details.
Support for social workers dealing with child protection cases involving Roma families:
Slovak Roma family in child protection procedures
Services provided: Family Needs assessment, report with recommendation; Participation in professional meetings; Assistance in delivering culturally effective parenting mentoring programme (five sessions)
Approximate cost: £3,300 (the cost would vary depending on the number of sessions with family and professionals meetings
Approximate cost: £3,300 (the cost would vary depending on the number of sessions with family and professionals meetings
Family in crisis intervention
Service provided: Three month intervention involving weekly outreach sessions which addressed welfare, employment, health, education and housing issues, including: self-employment registration, support with getting NINO, registering with GP and dentist, referrals to relevant health specialists, providing school places for children, support in accessing ESOL classes for parents, applying for housing benefits, in-work benefits, etc.
Approximate cost: £2,800
Approximate cost: £2,800
Assistance with parenting assessment
Service provided: Assistance with parenting assessment – participation in briefing and three assessment sessions; Delivery of Roma culture awareness session for professionals involved in the case.
Approximate cost: £1,500
Approximate cost: £1,500
Support for Roma children in care:
Mentoring programme for a roma child in foster care
Service provided: Three months programme involving bi-monthly mentoring sessions focusing on the areas of young person’s interests and Roma heritage. These sessions were delivered by the young Roma person who is considered as a role model in the community, with support from experienced RSG member of staff.
Approximate cost: £1,200
Approximate cost: £1,200
Roma cultural activities programme for roma children in care/foster care (six month programme)
Services provided: Roma culture sessions delivered by Roma professionals, including: Roma music sessions, Roma dance sessions, visual art sessions, storytelling/drama/film screening session, sport activities; Guidance and advice for professionals and foster carers in relation to Roma culture
Approximate cost: £5,000
Approximate cost: £5,000
Vocational Training/Self-employment mentoring for young people (three month programme)
Service delivered: Vocational training (sawing classes); Mentoring into self-employment; Information about safeguarding
Approximate Cost: £5,000
Approximate Cost: £5,000
Feedback from beneficiaries
“In February 2012 the Roma Support Group (RSG) was commissioned by the Medway Children Services, to carry out an assessment of one Slovakian Roma family. One of the recommendations was a delivery of culturally appropriate parenting mentoring programme. The programme was co-delivered over two months. As a result the family made significant changes and improved their relationship with the Children Services, schools and health professionals. Less than one year following this intervention, we are about to close the case.”
Medway Children Services
“I think that Roma Young Ladies benefited from this intervention as it gave them real life skills. I also think the intervention gave them a sense of belonging as productive members of the community…The girls were occupied productively and this took the emphasis away from offending behaviour. The other positive point is that the group was for Roma by Roma catering for their diversity. I also felt that RSG staff member and the seamstress provided them with positive role models (which in my opinion they often lack) and, being the project culturally specific, with tools for them to challenge negative stereotypes often associated with the Roma community.”
London Youth Offending Service
Contact us
For enquiries, please email: [email protected] or
call Gaba Smolinska-Poffley: 07751 496920 (Tuesdays – Thursdays 8.30 am – 4 pm and Fridays 8.30 am – 4 pm)
or 020 7511 8245 (Thursdays 10 am – 5 pm)
or call Sylvia Ingmire: 07949 089778
call Gaba Smolinska-Poffley: 07751 496920 (Tuesdays – Thursdays 8.30 am – 4 pm and Fridays 8.30 am – 4 pm)
or 020 7511 8245 (Thursdays 10 am – 5 pm)
or call Sylvia Ingmire: 07949 089778
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The Roma Support Group is a registered Charity (No. 1103782)
and a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, (No. 0464598). Registered office address: 17 Old Ford Road, London, E2 9PJ |
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