Our support is primarily for adoptive, kinship and special guardianship families, rooted in an understanding of the unique challenges these families face. We offer services at different costs, with waived fees for families receiving Universal Credit. Support includes free videos, free monthly webinars, practical guidance packs and 1:1 online Belay support sessions. If anything feels hard to access, please get in touch — we genuinely want to help.
We support families to recruit, train, employ and retain Specialist Support Workers (SSWs): skilled individuals who understand your child’s needs, help them feel safe, and support their development. Our long-term, relationship-based approach means your SSW can become a consistent, trusted presence, working in line with your parenting values and giving you space to rest, work, or spend time with your children.
Families can engage in different ways, from free introductory resources and webinars to training, guidance packs and tailored one-to-one support. There’s no set starting point — you move at your own pace, with learning and feedback at the heart of everything we do. Each of our services are summarised below.
Our introductory video shares more about Specialist Support Workers (SSWs), how they can support your family and how we can support you to find the right SSW for your family.
If you’d like to explore in person whether this kind of support might be right for your family, you’re warmly invited to sign up to one of our free monthly webinars, where a member of our team talks through recruiting, employing, training and retaining an SSW and answers questions.
Launching in March 2026, these packs will draw on our experience supporting over 50 families since 2020. Each pack includes clear, accessible written guidance, supportive videos, downloadable templates, and access to a group Q&A session with a member of the Belay team.
Pack 1 will focus on finding your Specialist Support Worker, including clarifying your needs, recruitment and interviews. Pack 2 will cover employing your worker safely and confidently, including contracts and onboarding. Pack 3 will support ongoing management, retention and navigating endings with care.
Each pack will cost £30, or £75 for all three. Families receiving Universal Credit can access our services for free —you will need to contact us with your statement (please feel free to redact identifying details if you prefer).
Please join our mailing list – via our contact form – to be notified when our guidance packs are available.
We provide training and group reflective sessions (supervision) to help workers support your children safely, thoughtfully and with confidence.
Our training is grounded in developmental trauma and attachment disruption, informed by Dyadic Developmental Practice (DDP), and includes signposting to training about FASD and neurodivergence such as autism, ADHD and PDA within our community. Training is delivered through a comprehensive e-learning package, with the option to also join our monthly DDP PACE online training sessions facilitated by a member of the Belay team, giving workers the insight and practical understanding they need to support your whole family.
Alongside training, we offer online group reflective sessions (supervision) every other month in small groups, providing a safe space for reflection and shared learning. A year of group reflective sessions includes six sessions and costs £200, paid upfront.
Please contact us if you would like further information about our training and support for SSWs.
These sessions are designed to provide you with a sounding board, help you feel confident in your decision-making, and support you to put in place the right support for your family.
You can book a one-hour 1:1 session or a package of sessions for more ongoing support. Families sometimes use these sessions simply to ensure they feel on track, or to assist with a specific part of the process: to clarify what support their child truly needs, shape a role description, shortlist and prepare for interviews, or think through safeguarding and risk considerations before onboarding. Sessions can also support you to reflect on challenges, sense-check decisions, and plan next steps in a way that feels manageable and aligned with your values.
Families receiving Universal Credit can access our services for free. You just need to email your UC statement to info@thebelayfoundation.org.uk, redacting your personal details if you’d prefer. Please email us before booking a session to ensure it is free.
To book a package of sessions, to access services if you’re receiving Universal Credit, or for any other queries please email us info@thebelayfoundation.org.uk.
Our long-term ambition is that families should not have to pay for this type of support. We believe that statutory bodies should fund access to services like ours. While we work towards this through partnerships, commissioning and charitable funding, we aim to ensure cost is never a barrier.
We offer free resources, affordable pricing, and waived fees for families receiving Universal Credit. If you receive Universal Credit and would like us to waive the fees, please email us at info@thebelayfoundation.org.uk with your statement with private details redacted if you prefer. If cost is a concern, please contact us to discuss options. Our fees are based on partial cost recovery, reviewed annually by our Board. Full details are available in our Charging Families Policy.
If you are encountering any difficulties in accessing our services, please do get in touch – we really do want to hear from you.
Finding and recruiting a Specialist Support Worker | Introductory video | Free |
SSW webinar | Free | |
Guidance packs on: | £30 per pack or £75 for all three No charge for those on UC | |
1:1 support sessions with our team for specific advice and support | £75 per session No charge for those on UC | |
Training and retaining a Specialist Support Worker | E-learning for Specialist Support Workers: | £75 No charge for SSWs or those on UC |
Introduction to DDP PACE: online live training delivered monthly | £125 No charge for SSWs or those on UC | |
Online group reflective sessions for Specialist Support Workers | £200 for 6 sessions bookable over the year No charge for SSWs or those on UC | |
Packages of support | Guidance and SSW training and support: | £300 No charge for those on UC |
Guidance, 1:1 Support and SSW training and support: | £450 No charge for those on UC |
