Introducing Arun Hope

We celebrate achievements and positive steps forward, no matter how big or small, and hope that families have a positive experience with us at the centre

Ellise Simpson, Deputy Manager

The Arun Hope Site & Surroundings

Arun Hope is located in Littlehampton, on the West Sussex Coast, offering easy access for families, visitors, staff and professionals. It is a large, welcoming house with space to support up to 6 families, with ensuite bedrooms, a large kitchen, lounges, communal gardens, and bespoke therapy rooms.

The centre is superbly placed for access to local amenities. We are within short walking distance from local rail and bus links, as well as a range of places of worship, health and wellbeing services, and parental support groups.

We know the importance of building and strengthening family relationships, and the small town of Littlehampton has a lot to offer. From the centre, families can easily visit the seafront and local River Arun, as well as the town’s many amenities – including the cinema, leisure centre, local parks and a whole array of shops and child-friendly cafes.

What We Offer

We are passionate about ensuring the families we support have the best possible experience at Arun Hope. We have made a number of commitments to deliver on this.

• We provide a tailored 16-week parenting assessment completed by a qualified Social Worker, using the preferred assessment models as detailed in the assessment model section below.
• To ensure all the family’s needs are taken into consideration, we devise a comprehensive risk assessment in conjunction with the Local Authority and parents where appropriate.
• Safety and security are paramount. The centre is staffed around the clock, and 24/7 CCTV coverage is in place in all communal and outside areas, as well as family bedrooms (dependent on assessed needs of the family). Each child’s bed or cot features a 24/7 baby monitor.
• Each family will receive weekly 1-to-1 and group therapeutic support from specialised professionals, as detailed further in the clinical support section below.
• Families will have a dedicated, skilled and experienced key worker allocated to them to support throughout their time with us at Arun Hope. They will support with daily tasks, offer emotional support and will be key in ensuring and delivering 1-1 sessions surrounding specific topics of need, which will help underpin the assessment.
• Parents have access to a wide range of support, including parent education sessions and focussed support and guidance surrounding practical skills such as child wellbeing, safer sleep procedures, budgeting, health and safety, diet and nutrition, and household management.
• We support in-house and community activities to aid a variety of play and sensory opportunities, and have links with local playgroups, baby and toddler groups, rhyme time, music and play, baby massage, baby Signing and suitable swimming centres with hydrotherapy pools.
• We are able to support parents with a range of presenting complex needs, including learning disabilities, mental-health, substance misuse and DVA. Our expert, multi-disciplinary team can adapt and tailor support to fit specific needs, whilst remaining within regulatory frameworks.

We aim to assess parent’s ability to care for their children using a fair, supportive and nurturing approach, which is both enabling and empowering.

Keshia Eaton, Video Interactive Guidance Practitioner

Our Family Assessment Model

Each assessment takes up to 16 weeks to complete, which includes an initial 2-week settling in period for the family at the beginning, followed by a 12-week parenting assessment, with an additional 2-week transition phase at the end of each assessment to support with the families next steps into their journey when they leave Arun Hope. This last 2-week period also supports with the completion of the final report.

Clinical Support

Throughout their assessment at Arun Hope, parents receive weekly psychological support via a combination of one-to-one and group interventions. These sessions are trauma-informed and sensitive to individuals with complex needs.

Assistant Psychologist

Arun Hope’s Assistant Psychologist works closely with the families to support their wellbeing throughout their assessment journey. During the early weeks of their arrival at the centre, a personalised mental health support plan is created – this plan is constructed to enable staff at Arun Hope to understand the individuals in their care and ensure that the delivery of their support is adapted to the unique circumstances of each parent.

Therapeutic tools

Self-report measures are used to provide valuable insights that guide interventions, evaluate progress, and inform recommendations – such measures may include, but are not limited to:

• VARK Learning Style Questionnaire
• Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ)
• Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)
• Parental Stress Scale (PSS)
• Self-Esteem Scale (RSE)

Psychoeducational workshops are also provided on a weekly basis. These workshops offer a safe and informative space to discuss a range of topics that are selected dependent on the presenting needs of the individual referred. Through exploration of these topics, parents are encouraged to examine how their life experiences, mental health, and parenting practices are interconnected. The goal of this is to empower parents to make positive changes that support their well-being, as well as that of their children. Underpinning the parenting assessment process, session themes may include, but are not limited to:

• Child Development
• Interpreting My Child’s Cues
• Bonding with My Child
• Mentalising My Child’s Experience
• Positive Parenting
• Keeping My Child Emotionally & Physically Safe
• Post-Natal & Parental Wellbeing
• Coping with Stress
• Self-care
• Emotional Regulation
• Managing Anger
• Loss & Grief
• Understanding My Diagnosis
• Healthy Relationships
• Boundaries
• Communication
• The Impact of Substance Misuse on Parenting

Art Psychotherapist

Art Psychotherapy is provided with the families for the duration of their time at Arun Hope. The therapy is to support, assess and identify areas that they would benefit from working on regarding their mental health alongside their assessment journey. Art Psychotherapy is a creative, reflective and confidential space. The Therapist specialises in knowledge of attachment, complex trauma and is sensitive to individuals with complex and diverse needs.

During the early weeks of their arrival at the centre, a personalised mental health dynamic care plan with risk assessment and a therapeutic plan is created with parents. This care plan works alongside the support plan completed by the Assistant Psychologist. The therapeutic plan is made jointly with the parent, that focuses on areas they would like to work on regarding their mental health. The care plan covers areas such as physical health, significant life events, strengths, difficulties and wellbeing needs. The dynamic care plan is for parents to use during their stay at Arun Hope, to enable the staff to support the needs of the parent holistically and made to be available to use when they leave our services.

Art psychotherapy services provide parents a therapeutically creative space to digest and process their journey when at Arun Hope. It is also a space to reflect when parents are transitioning and ending their time with our services. In these sessions the Art Psychotherapist creates a space where they can feel empowered, safe, and grow resilience. Through the art materials, they can nurture self-awareness to then foster change and growth on a personal level using creative materials as an outlet in a consistent, supportive and nurturing environment.

Services are flexible, so they can best suit the needs of the parents and child(ren).

Services provided at Arun Hope:

• Art Psychotherapy
• Talking/non-talking psychotherapy
• Relaxation therapy
• Mindfulness
• Mentalisation based therapy
• Psych-education-somatic and polyvagal
• Dyadic art psychotherapy
• Perinatal art psychotherapy
• Couples therapy

In addition to working with the parents and their children at Arun Hope, the Art Psychotherapist also provides regular reflective practice for all Family Support Staff, to enable them to feel supported in their work, allowing them to best support the children and parents at Arun Hope.

VIG Practitioner

Video Interactive Guidance (VIG) is a way to work with parents to promote a change in their usual pattern of parenting.

The VIG Practitioner provides between 3 and 6 cycles of capturing special moments of interaction between parents and their children via recording sessions. All families will then experience shared reviews and will receive a summary of all their special moments to take home for a lasting memory.

The VIG Practitioner shows parents the tiny details during those moments with an aim for the parent to want to replicate those positive interactions with their child. This in turn leads to parents making a change in their behaviour that benefits the child and enables parents to be empowered with the knowledge that they are having attuned, intimate and beneficial interactions with their child.

The VIG Practitioner shows parents how their child responds to their positive stimulus. Parents often have many interactive and attuned moments with their child and are not always fully aware of just how much of a positive impact this has on the child’s development.

Solihull Approach

At Arun Hope, our trained staff deliver Solihull parenting workshops, which focuses on providing support and resources to parents whilst they are in placement with us.

The workshops aim to enhance parenting skills, foster positive relationships with children, and address common challenges faced in parenting.

Parents can expect interactive sessions, discussions on child development, effective communication strategies, and group activities.

Key support offered, may include:

• Expert Guidance, led by experienced facilitators or child development professionals.
• Community Support, offering opportunities to connect with other parents and share experiences.
• Practical Techniques, including strategies and tools for managing behaviours and fostering emotional well-being.
• Topics Covered, which may include discipline, communication, understanding children’s needs, and building resilience.

The Solihull parenting workshop provides a supportive environment to help parents navigate the complexities of raising children.

The facilitator of a parenting workshop leads discussions, provides information, encourages participation, and guides activities. They support learning, address concerns, and help build community among participants, creating a positive and engaging experience.

Make a Referral

If you wish to refer a family to Arun Hope, please email [email protected] or call 01903 946386. For all other queries, contact [email protected]