Women with children

Our philosophy and practice are based on mothers living with and caring for their children as a family unit in a secure environment. The aims are to enable them to gain the necessary skills and equip them to live an independent life as a family unit when they complete the rehabilitation programme and return to the community. For children, the aim is to maintain family units and continuity of care by their mothers. The rehabilitation programme includes modules designed to develop parenting skills in promoting children's physical and psychological health, social integration, education and general development.

Parental Responsibility

Mothers have full responsibility for the care of their children outside the programme hours whilst living at Ashcroft House. At evenings and at weekends Ashcroft House is staffed by support workers who monitor and observe each mother in terms of parenting, day and night routines and general child care. This is observed through Individual care plans and risk assessments which include regular monitoring. Apart from the times spent in treatment programmes, mothers carry out their usual parental and domestic responsibilities and tasks e.g. laundry, cleaning, assisting with the preparation of meals and washing up and entertaining their children.

In-house Nursery

Nursery Nurses care for children under school age during the times that their mothers are engaged in treatment programmes which will normally be on week days from 9am to 4pm. For children of school age, suitable arrangements are agreed for them to be enrolled in a local school, as part of the family treatment plan prior to admission.

The nursery is staffed by qualified nursery nurses and child care assistants under the supervision of the Nursery Manager. Cardiff Social Services (Local Children Safeguarding Board) is notified of all children coming to join their mother at Ashcroft House and also of any care orders or directions/restrictions.

• Our Child Protection Arrangements and Procedures (AC01)   (You should have Acrobat Reader to view the file.)
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Our Child Protection Arrangements and Procedures (AC01) are made available to all placing agencies. Each child will be allocated a named childcare key worker who will monitor the child's development and offer parenting advice and support to his mother.