Barnardo's LINK Adoption and Family Support Service
For more than twenty years Barnardo’s LINK has been providing therapeutic services and interventions to anyone affected by adoption.
LINK’s core services are aimed at supporting adoptive families with their adopted children and young people, birth families, Special Guardians and Foster Carers. Some of our services can be delivered face to face, but with recent changes in how we communicate, therapy can now be delivered virtually by telephone or live video link, such as Zoom or Google Meet. This allows us to offer our services across the country, at times which are convenient to those who need support.
Most of these services are underpinned by the principles of Dyadic Dynamic Psychotherapy, promoting the principles of PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy). The generic name that we use is Attachment Focused Therapy.
Our Attachment Focused Therapy service, in particular, is designed to encourage the attachment or bonding between the adoptive parent/s and their child/ren in order to build the beginnings of a trusting relationship, one which gives mutual attachment, predictability, esteem, and pleasure.
Funding for these services is available through the Adoption Support Fund [ASF], up to £5,000 per child per year. You can either ask your Social Worker about how to apply to the ASF, or else we can give you more information.
Contact us for further information on our other services such as Early Placement Therapy, My Life, Play Therapy and Reconnect.
If you would like any further information about LINK and the services that we provide, please email link.referralhub@barnardos.org.uk. This information will help you have a greater understanding of the challenges you may be facing as an adoptive family, and how they will support you to develop your therapeutic parenting skills.
Barnardo’s Ukrainian Support Helpline
In response to this, following discussion with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, we have set up the Ukrainian Support Helpline to provide a holistic support service. The Helpline is available to anyone fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.
Through the Support Helpline, we can support you to access dedicated and tailored Therapy with a qualified psychotherapist.
The aims of the therapeutic work are to achieve improved mental health and wellbeing, leading to greater mental health resilience.
To assist in the recovery from trauma, with increased resilience, emotional wellbeing and reduction in the impact of trauma.
To help create a stable personal and family environment and help dependents feel more secure.
These sessions will be delivered virtually: either by telephone or using a live video link such as Zoom. Access to Ukranian and Russian interpreters is available. The support comprises of eight therapeutic sessions of 45 minutes each.
The Ukranian Support Helpline can also assist with advice on a range of issues e.g., housing, accessing key health services, education, employment and more. Our trained helpline support workers are there to offer practical support - access to digital devices to ensure families stay connected to loved ones during this worrying time, as well as stimulating toys for children, vital baby items and more (subject to demand)
The Helpline is open: Monday – Friday 10.00am-8.00pm & Saturday 10.00am-3.00pm
Telephone: 0800 148 8586 Email: ukrainiansupport@barnardos.org.uk
With the conflict and ongoing violence in Ukraine causing families to forcibly leave their homes in search of safety, many families are arriving in the UK. During these distressing and uncertain times, children and adults will need continued support.
Boloh/Hong Kong Nationals Project
In Urdu and Hindi the word Boloh means “to speak or to talk”.
The service was called Boloh Helpline because by sharing your experiences we are able to support and help you.
The Hong Kong Nationals Project is a Helpline Project through Boloh that supports Hong Kong BN(O) status holders to settle into life in the UK. The helpline advisors can provide the service in English and Cantonese. The Helpline offers practical support with meeting your needs and emotional support, advice and signposting as well as helping to arrange therapy. Therapy is open to children and adults and can be provided in English or Cantonese. An interpreter can be provided for other languages. Eight therapy sessions can be arranged, and further sessions could be offered if required. Sessions will take place over the phone or web. The team of specialist advisors and therapists work in a culturally informed manner.
Help can be given with supporting parents, carers and families with guidance and activities.
The service also supports children and young people's emotional health and wellbeing. We have centres where children and young people can visit and have a trained worker they can trust and talk to. We help them build their confidence and get to the root of their difficulties.
For further information please contact:
- 0800 151 2605
- boloh.helpline@barnardos.org.uk
- Monday - Friday (10am-8pm) & Saturday (10am-3pm)
Family Support Services
During 2020 LINK developed a range of ‘Family Support Services’ to support any family with children or young people who were struggling in any way with the consequences of Covid-19 and the subsequent lockdowns, whether an adoptive family or not. These services are successfully continuing to be offered.
Family Support Services are 8 sessions, lasting half an hour to an hour each. These services are delivered virtually – either by telephone or, increasingly, using a live video link such as Zoom or Google Meet. (The latter is generally the preference of young people themselves, where they can see the person they’re talking with.)
Family Support Services are intended to be a ‘holding’ service offering immediate therapeutic counselling for a family in need of support.
Service Information leaflets available below:
LINK Families Together Service
LINK Attachment Focused Therapy Information for Commissioners/Social Workers