Changing Futures North East

Moving On – Mediation, Children’s Work & Family Work for Separated and Separating Families

Changing Futures North East’s free and heavily discounted services can help you reach an agreement on family issues and financial matters, and help you and your children move on from the difficulties of separation. 

If you are separating or separated and live in or can travel to Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton or East Durham we can help. 

We’re here to listen to you and offer the help that suits your family. Ways we can support you include family work, Mediation (family and financial) and conflict resolution. We can also help your children through volunteer led mentoring groups. 

The Charity’s experienced team includes mediators, adult and child therapists, youth workers, children’s workers and family support workers. 

To find out how we can help visit our website at www.changingfuturesne.co.uk/moving-on, look at our facebook page at /movingon or give us a call on 01429 891444. 

What we offer separating or separated people and families. 

Whether people have recently separated or have been separated for many years we can support them. The main ways we help are:

  • Mediation - the process starts with a meeting between the mediator and each adult separately. This is usually followed by a number of sessions with two adults together that focus on things that are important to you (for instance, children’s arrangements, money/finances). Meetings usually last an hour each, but for financial matters two hours each. We try to speak to children as part of the mediation process, if you and your child agree to it.
  • Mediation and One to One Work - where there has been a lot of conflict in the relationship or afterwards we can work with each parent separately for a number of sessions before bringing them together.
  • Conflict resolution & relationship work - this has a broader therapeutic focus to help people who are separated get along better and it may not focus as much on the specific arrangements between them.
  • Children and young people’s work - we can offer therapeutic group work, one to one counselling or one to one consultations with children and young people impacted by parental separation and/or conflict. We may also be able to offer some children longer term mentoring group work in addition to providing an individual mentor who works with them across an academic year. 

Our services will be free for most people. 

There may be a charge for some people. Based on referrals we got from Social Care & Early Help last year, we think 55 – 65% of them would have been able to get free support through legal aid.

For people that can’t get legal aid funding, we have a hardship fund for those just outside the threshold we can use to subsidise costs or provide help for free.

Where we do charge we believe we are £20 an hour cheaper than the next cheapest provider in the area. This is because we don’t seek to make a profit, but just cover our costs now that government funding for Moving On has ended. Where people finish work with us, they have better outcomes than the national average for general mediation (where about 70% achieve agreement):

  • 94% of people who completed work had better awareness of children’s needs
  • 77% reported reduced conflict
  • 82% reported a better relationship with their ex

How to make a referral

  • Just phone us during office hours on 01429 891444 and speak to Jo or James and we’ll take the details there and then
  • Alternatively email admin@changingfuturesne.co.uk and we will respond to your straight away.

 

Who to contact

Contact Name
Joanne Hay
Contact Position
Office Manager
Telephone
01429 869247 01429 869247 01429 891444 01429 891444
E-mail
admin@changingfuturesne.co.uk
Website
Changing Futures North East Website
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Where to go

Address
3, Abbey Street
Hartlepool
Postcode
TS24 0JR
View TS24 0JR on a map
Notes

Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, Redcar and Cleveland, East Durham and Sunderland.

Time / Date Details

When is it on
Monday - Friday: 9.00am - 5.00pm Accesses to services - by appointment only

Costs

Details
Most services free of charge

Availability

Age Ranges
Adults 18+
Referral Details

Self referral by parents or agency referral. Referral by phone 01429 869247

Page last reviewed: 25/08/2022

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