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Trauma-Responsive
Support For Families
Support For Families
Trauma-responsive childcare and respite support can be incredibly hard to find. Many families tell us it feels isolating, exhausting, and difficult to know where to turn. We understand how much difference the right kind of practical, trusted support at home can make — not just for your child, but for your whole family’s resilience and wellbeing.
The Belay Foundation specialises in supporting families to recruit, train, employ and sustain Specialist Support Workers (SSWs). These are skilled individuals who can see the world through your child’s eyes, support their development, and help them feel safe.
We focus on long-term, relationship-based working, so your Specialist Support Worker can become a trusted and consistent presence in your family’s life. Working closely with you as parents, they align their support with your parenting approaches and values, offering practical help that allows you to rest, work, or spend meaningful one-to-one time with each of your children.
Families engage with our support in different ways, depending on where they are in their journey:
- A free introductory video
- Monthly information webinars
- Step-by-step guidance packs
- Training and support for Specialist Support Workers
- One-to-one tailored support
There’s no expectation to start anywhere in particular — you can take things at your own pace. We do emphasise the importance of ensuring that your Specialist Support Worker has the initial training and ongoing support to ensure they are able to provide the trauma-responsive support so essential for our children and families.
Learning is central to how we work. We regularly ask for feedback to help us understand who we’re reaching, the quality of our services and the difference they make. We’re grateful to everyone who shares their experience, as it helps us learn, improve and grow.
Learn more about Specialist Support Workers = PLAY WITH THIS BIT WITH TWO LINKS TO TRAINER CENTRAL FOR THE VIDEO AND TO CALENDLY FOR THE WEBINAR
Watch our short introductory video to learn what Specialist Support Workers do and how they can support your family. Download for free here — and please let us know what you think. = link and change wording
Hear from our team
If you’d like to explore whether this kind of support might be right for your family, you’re warmly invited to sign up to one of our monthly webinars, where a member of our team talks through recruiting, employing, training and sustaining a Specialist Support Worker and answers questions.
In-depth guidance: Specialist Support Worker guidance packs
If you’ve decided that a Specialist Support Worker could make a valuable contribution to your family, we offer practical, step-by-step guidance packs to support you through every stage of the process. These packs will be launched in February / March 2026 — join our mailing list to be notified when they’re available.
Drawing on our experience supporting over 50 families since 2020, each pack includes:
Clear, accessible written guidance
Supportive videos
Downloadable template documents
Access to an additional group advice webinar with a member of the Belay team
Our guidance packs:
Pack 1: Finding your Specialist Support Worker
Support with clarifying your needs, writing a job advert, shortlisting, interviewing and making an offer.
Pack 2: Employing your Specialist Support Worker
Everything you need to employ your worker safely and confidently, including contracts, paperwork and onboarding.
Pack 3: Ongoing management
Guidance on sustaining a positive, respectful employment relationship, supporting retention, and navigating endings in a way that feels as safe and supported as possible for your family.
Each pack costs £30, or £75 for all three.
Families in receipt of Universal Credit can access the packs at a reduced cost — please email info@thebelayfoundation.org.uk with your certificate.
Ongoing training and support
Our experience shows that families benefit most when Specialist Support Workers begin their role with a strong foundation of trauma-responsive training, and are then supported to reflect, learn and grow through ongoing professional support.
We provide training and supervision to support those who are supporting your children — helping Specialist Support Workers to work safely, thoughtfully and with confidence.
Our training is grounded in an understanding of developmental trauma and attachment disruption, informed by the Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP) approach. We also incorporate learning about the impact of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and neurodivergence, including autism (ASD), ADHD and PDA, recognising the complex and overlapping needs many children experience.
Training is delivered through:
A comprehensive e-learning package, and
Optional live online sessions facilitated by a member of the Belay team
This flexible approach ensures Specialist Support Workers gain the insight, knowledge and practical understanding they need to provide the support your child — and your family — needs. You can purchase the e-learning pack for your Specialist Support Worker here, and register them for a live online session here.
In addition to training, we offer group supervision (also known as group reflective practice) for Specialist Support Workers. These sessions provide a safe, supportive space for workers to reflect on their role, think together about challenges, and develop their practice — helping to sustain high-quality, consistent support for families.
Group supervision:
Takes place online every other month
Is delivered in small groups of up to four Specialist Support Workers
Requires a one-year commitment (six sessions)
The cost for a full year of group supervision is £200, paid upfront. You can read our Terms and Conditions (LINK) and register your Specialist Support Worker here.
SSW PAGE >>> One-to-one tailored support
If you would benefit from more personalised guidance, a member of the Belay team can work alongside you to provide tailored advice and support as you navigate recruiting and employing a Specialist Support Worker.
You can book:
A one-hour 1:1 session (£75), or
A package of sessions for more ongoing support
Reduced-cost access is available for families receiving Universal Credit — please email us to discuss options.