We met in 2018 as parent and Specialist Support Worker and decided to turn our experience into something to help other families in June 2020, registering as a charity in December of that year.
We have benefitted from both receiving and giving practical, trauma-responsive support at home and it has made an enormous difference to our lives. Sarah’s family received the support and stability they all needed from Jade’s trauma-responsive care, and Jade received training and experience to enhance her career development as well as a fulfilling role.
To start with we offered recruitment support to families trying to find trauma-responsive childcare. We have since added services such as benefits advice and comprehensive training. Everything we do comes from a place of deeply understanding the needs of the families we work with.
“The legacy of early trauma lives in our home. It stalks around every corner, lingers in routines, haunts relationships.
We take small steps forward but this is a long game. We knew many years ago that we needed practical help at home to keep us resilient as a family, but not just childcare, not just babysitting.
We needed someone to make a relationship with all of us as a family who would sit on the floor and play Lego, make cups of tea, go swimming, but done with a knowledge of trauma and an empathetic understanding of the complex experiences of our children.
Our Specialist Support Workers validate our experiences and offer non-judgmental help, as well as pockets of respite. I can rest, get paperwork done, or spend time 1:1 with our children.
The practical help that our Specialist Support Workers offer is therapeutic because it is about relationships; a safe, trusted adult for all of us.”
“Having just completed my undergraduate placement at a secure psychiatric hospital in the summer of 2018, I was looking for a relevant role that would fit around my final year of university.
Being a Specialist Support Worker has enabled me to continue my professional development in attachment and trauma-informed care, as well as providing valuable experience in working with vulnerable children and their families.
Beyond this, working as a Specialist Support Worker has been extremely rewarding, having real potential to help others and contribute to their safety and wellbeing. I’m now studying at postgraduate level, and continue to appreciate the diversity and flexibility of my role.
Moving forward, I want to share this experience with others, not only to support children in their recovery from significant trauma, but also to help students and others gain practical experience in working with children who have been in local authority care.”
The Belay Foundation is a charity helping families whose children have suffered early life trauma.
Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1192653
© 2024 The Belay Foundation. All rights reserved.
