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Oaktree Resource Centre
The Oaktree Resource Centre
The Oaktree Resource Centre provides a range of services to looked after children, their families and their carers, with a focus on encouraging the development of supportive relationships and improving emotional health and well-being.
For looked after children and young people, it offers a safe, secure environment in which they can take risks and build a personal sense of identity - giving them access to a wide array of facilities including an Internet Café, After School Club, Evening Youth Club, Drama and Music workshops and much more. While for foster carers, it provides therapeutic support from a dedicated team of social workers and clearly defined links with the Child & Family Consultation Service. All staff involved with looked after children are welcome to use the Centre's facilities and to join in and support any of the activities.
For more information or to speak to someone at Oaktree please call us on 01375 391127
Contact
Contact is one of the core services co-ordinated and supervised by the Oaktree Resource Centre team. It gives looked after children and young people the opportunity to spend time with their birth families, or other important people in their life.
Lifestory Work
Lifestories not only provide children in care with a record of memories, people and events from their lives before they came into the care system, they also give them a sense of identity and security, which can help them cope with the difficulties of being in care. Here at Oaktree, we work directly with the children, their families and carers to help build a “lifestory” which they can keep and refer to for the rest of their lives.
Creative and Social Activities
Oaktree is the hub for many social activities and events for children and young people of all ages, including:
- An after school group for 6-10 year olds
- A Youth Club for teenagers
- A range of activity days during holidays
- Workshops
- Music and Drama clubs
We believe creativity and fun are essential in helping children and young people gain confidence, acquire new skills and express themselves. It also helps them to develop emotionally and learn to build relationships.
To help us deliver exciting and engaging activities year-round, our team works with many internal and external groups involved with looked after children, their families and carers - such as the Arts Council, the Youth service and local environmental groups.
One of the most successful events organised by the Oaktree team is the annual Looked After Children pantomime performed by staff and looked after children for carers, parents, looked after children and other members of staff. As well as receiving national recognition as an example of good practice, the pantomime has also resulted in positive outcomes for all involved - especially the children and young people.
In addition to the activities and services listed, the Oaktree Resource Centre hosts other groups and services, including:
- Self (Supporting and Enhancing Local Foster Care)
- Carezone
- Cyber Cafe
- Foster Carer Support Groups
- Daytime Respite
SELF (Supporting and Enhancing Local Foster Care)
The SELF project (Supporting and Enhancing Local Foster Care) is a support service for Thurrock's looked after children/young people and their foster carers. SELF is there to help with many of the issues and challenges facing children, young people and their foster carers.
The SELF Project recognises the excellent and demanding work already done by Thurrock's foster carers, social workers and link workers. However, we believe we can better improve the outcomes and life chances for looked after children by working closely together with all the people involved in their care. The SELF Project is committed to working in partnership and utilising the existing skills of the foster carers, social workers and link workers. For more information about any of the services offered by SELF please call us on 01375 391127.
The aims of the SELF project are primarily to improve placement stability and to ensure that foster carers are fully supported. Some of the services that will help us achieve these aims are:
- Commissioning of services for looked after children - Working in partnership with NSPCC, CFCS and the Thurrock Looked After Children Service. This multi-agency forum will co-ordinate the therapeutic services to looked after children via a 'one stop' referral process.
- Direct work with children and young people - We will be offering short-term one-to-one direct work focusing on specific issues relating to the individual child or young person.
- Preventing placement breakdown - At times of crisis, or when placements become fragile, we will work in partnership with foster carers, providing support and assisting with problem solving, behaviour management and coping strategies.
- Transition work - This service is designed to help children and young people to come to terms with changes and enable them to move on to permanent foster and adoptive placements or, where appropriate, return to their birth families. We will work with children and young people along side their birth families, foster families and prospective adopters. This will enable us to identify what support/services are required to ensure the smooth transition from one placement to another and help ensure that the placement is sustainable over time.
- Group work for looked after children - We run a series of group work programmes for looked after children addressing specific issues such as self esteem, relationships, sexual health, drugs and alcohol awareness and social skills. The frequency and type of programmes being offered at any time will depend largely on demand and the identified needs of the children and young people.
- Consultancy - To provide social workers, link workers and foster carers with the advice, information and support that they need to enable them to deal with some of the specific issues and difficulties experienced by children and young people and the families within which they are placed.
- Training for foster carers - We also offer group training for foster carers seeking advice on issues relating to the children and young people placed in their care. The frequency and type of programmes being offered at any time will depend largely on demand and the identified needs of foster carers.
CareZone
An innovative website designed specifically for children and young people in public care. Looked after children and young people in Thurrock can register to gain access to the site at Oaktree.
Cyber Cafe
Offering IT fun, games and training.
Foster Carer Support Groups
Gives foster carers the opportunity to meet on a regular basis, sharing their problems and expertise with each other.
Daytime Respite
Offers a daytime respite service by prior agreement.
The Oaktree Resource Centre - Maintaining positive relationships, exploring innovative solutions.
This leaflet is in PDF format. Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from the Adobe web site via the link below.: This is free software which enables you to view, navigate and print PDF files.
Oaktree Resource Centre (PDF 4.6MB)
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