Centre spotlight: Staff and volunteer team provide family services in Blackburn and Nelson, Lancs
Grassroots Contact Services offers a variety of services for children and families affected by separation and divorce, including:
- Supported Contact at St Aidan’s pre-school Nursery in Mill Hill, Blackburn
- Supervised Contact at St Philip’s Church Centre in Nelson
- Mediation for couples regarding arrangements for children
- Separating Parents Information Programme (Court ordered and for self-referrals)
We have a team of 11 paid staff, 2 full time and 9 on a sessional basis, and 14 volunteers. 4 volunteers work at both the supported and supervised settings and 2 of them have also assisted with SPIP delivery.
Two members of the paid team run the supported centre with help from volunteers and also do supervised contact and SPIPS. This crossover really assists us to encourage attendance on the SPIP and reflect back with parents when they have been on the course. Six of the paid staff team deliver SPIP, two of these also supervise contacts and I do a bit of everything! The theme of dispute resolution runs throughout our work, whether we are at the supported or supervised centres, delivering a SPIP or a mediation session.
Lesley Jenkinson
Contact Service Co-ordinator
