Connect service information leaflet

The content on this page is copied from our information leaflet titled ''Connect: a service for Child in Care and Adopted Children'.

Providing a specialist mental health support service for child in care across Suffolk

Our service

Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust recognizes the importance of good mental health and wellbeing and understands the impact that placements, family and carers have on the wellbeing of children who are looked after or accommodated.

What is Connect

The Connect service is a specialist service for children, and supports the maintenance of placements: this means providing additional support to families, households and the professionals involved with a child. We also provide individually tailored therapeutic interventions to the child(ren) via a range of therapies and contact, to promote wellbeing and contribute to the maintenance of placements.

Services offered

Connect offers a Suffolk-wide service from its main base at Walker Close (Ipswich). The needs of the child in care vary greatly so Connect prides itself on being able to offer a wide range of therapeutic interventions to meet the child’s emotional needs, help maintain placement, and, along with others, assist them to fully meet their potential.

Our service

The service provided acknowledges the wide range of skills needed to engage and help children, this includes:

• Psychometric and attachment assessments
• A range of therapies with the child
• Support and consultation with carers
• Therapy with the child and a carer together, and work with families and groups in the systemic clinic.

Individual therapies include:

• Trauma and Attachment focused work
• Art Therapy
• Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

This is open to:

• A child in care, placed at home with their birth parents
• An adopted child or young person
• The subject of a Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
• The Subject of a Child Arrangement Order (CAO)
• The Subject of ‘Children in family, friends and connected persons agreement’
• The subject of private fostering.

Following assessment, this experienced team of individuals will provide care in a supportive, goal-focused and achievable manner. Providing clear feedback and expectations regarding involvement for both professionals and the family.

Our team

We are a team of specialist practitioners with an interest in Child Mental Health, the range of services available is reflected in the diversity of skill mix within the team that includes Doctors, Mental Health Practitioners, Social Workers, Clinical Psychologists, Psychodynamic Therapists, Dyadic Specialists, Art Psychotherapists, supported by an administrative team and team manager.

Who we work with

The Connect service sits alongside existing NSFT child and family support services, but acts as a gateway between NSFT and Social Care, supporting both NSFT and Suffolk Therapeutic Fostering services. We work alongside core mental health services, so both Mental Health and Therapeutic needs can be met together. The Connect service provides support and advice to services supporting the child in care and can be accessed for advice and guidance.

Referrals

By contacting Connect we can provide you with a brief referral form to enable our team to consider the best service available to you. All referals should be sent to: connectsupport@nsft.nhs.uk, Walker Close, Bungalow 6, Foxhall Road, Ipswich IP3 8LY, Telephone: 01473 237070.

What some of our service users have to say

These are testimonials from our service users:

• “I was struggling at school and it helped me relax and calm down”
• “I liked having fun. It helped me play with other people”
• “Helped me relate to my family more, I give my nan and grandad hugs now”

Customer Services team

If you need advice, have concerns or are not sure who to turn to for help, please contact the customer service team. The team deals with enquiries by email, telephon and in person by prior appointment (when permitted) and is there to help when you need advice, have concerns or are not sure who to turn to for help. . The Customer Service team staff can be contacted on Freephone: 0800 279 7257 between 9:00 and 17:00. Monday to Friday or email: customer.service@nsft.nhs.uk 

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust values and celebrates the diversity of all the communities we serve. We are fully committed to ensuring that all people have equality of opportunity to access our service, irrespective of their age, gender, ethnicity, race, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership or social and economic status.