Nexus Family Connect in Stafford offers supervised contact and family support

A family contact centre in Stafford is offering supervised contact, family support and specialist assessments for parents, carers and professionals.

Nexus Family Connect says its aim is to help families maintain and rebuild important relationships in a safe and supportive setting. The service is based around supervised contact, but the website also sets out a wider range of support for families, social workers, solicitors, local authorities and other professionals.

What Nexus Family Connect offers

Nexus Family Connect says it provides:

• supervised contact at its family centre

• supported and community contact

• virtual sessions

• parenting support

• separated parenting support

• specialist interventions

• social work assessments

• child-focused reports and court-related work

The service says it works with self-referrals, professional referrals and health, education and community partners.

Who can use the service

According to the website, the centre supports:

• parents

• children

• grandparents and extended family members

• foster carers and guardians

• local authorities and social services

• courts, solicitors and family lawyers

• schools, GPs and healthcare professionals

• charities and voluntary organisations

The centre says its work is designed to keep the child’s safety and wellbeing at the heart of each arrangement.

Self-referrals and professional referrals

Nexus Family Connect says parents and carers can contact the team directly to ask about support and supervised contact.

It also says professionals can refer families for contact arrangements, assessments and reports. The website highlights work with local authorities, courts, solicitors and social services, including more formal family support and assessment work.

How the referral process works

The website says the process usually starts with an enquiry by form, email or phone.

From there, Nexus Family Connect says the next steps may include:

• completing a referral form

• initial screening

• meetings with the adults involved

• a child-centred induction where appropriate

• a tailored plan for contact or support

• agreed dates for sessions

The centre says contact can take place at the family centre, virtually or in the community, depending on the needs of the family and the arrangement in place.

Assessments and reports

Nexus Family Connect says it also provides specialist social work assessments and reports.

These include:

• parenting assessments

• ParentAssess assessments

• risk assessments

• sibling assessments

• protective adult assessments

• Section 7 reports

• independent social worker reports

The website says these are completed by qualified and experienced social workers to help inform family decisions and court proceedings.

What the centre is like

One of the main things Nexus Family Connect highlights is the environment of the centre itself.

The website says the rooms are designed to feel warm, welcoming and child-friendly, rather than formal or clinical. It shows a number of themed spaces, including the Ohana Room, Hakuna Matata Room, Wonderland Room, Infinity Room and a Sensory Clubhouse.

The centre also says it has:

• a main reception

• separate waiting areas

• a separate waiting room for vulnerable users

• an onsite kitchen

• a disabled toilet

• a gender neutral toilet

The website also says there is no parking on site, but nearby street parking is available.

Extra support offered

As well as supervised contact, Nexus Family Connect says it offers support around parenting, separated parenting and wider family relationships.

The website says this can include practical guidance, supported sessions, child-focused planning and help for families going through difficult periods.