SOS Village

South West England legal resources

South West England has some innovative and forward thinking resources for those going through breakup and divorce.

Karen wrote to me on behalf of Hartnell Chanot (http://www.hartnellchanot.co.uk/) about some of the excellent resources available in the South West, to help families break up in ways that support the children and encourage mediation and a collaborative approach.

"Hi Suzy

I absolutely agree about resources for children and parents. We work
very closely with Devon Family Solutions in Exeter
(http://www.devonfamilysolutions.co.uk /) - a  pioneering new service in this region to help couples to avoid messy and expensive court battles: and to create long-term solutions that mean, above all else, that children won't suffer. The company
consists of Mediators, Psychologists, Counsellors (for Adults & Children) and a  Children’s Resource Worker, Paul O'Reilly  (see http://www.devonfamilysolutions.co.uk/our-services/childrens-resource-worker
.html) who offers a confidential opportunity for children to express their
views. Paul is an experienced Consultant Psychologist, Clinical
Psychologist and Family Therapist who specialises in family and
children matters.  All of these services are under one roof and
available to anyone involved in family legal proceedings in the South
West of England.

I was invited to their launch in September 08, and their approach is a
welcome breath of fresh air and I believe that it delivers on all
three priorities of the Kids in the Middle campaign backed by Ed Balls:

1. Creating solutions for separating families which make court battles
unnecessary
2. Helping parents in conflict at an earlier stage to reduce the
number of cases that end up in court
3. Giving children whose parents are separating the opportunities to
discuss their feelings in a neutral atmosphere and with expert
counsellors qualified in engaging with children.

We are also closely involved with the Peninsula Family Justice
Council, a network of organisations and experts in Devon and Cornwall
that includes the Family Courts, CAFCASS, Lawyers and also
professionals from Medicine, Social Work and Therapy. It involves
people from many different professions who need to work co-operatively
and collaboratively to resolve family disputes and to protect family
members. At the end of November 08 they launched their own website
http://www.pfjc.org.uk - the website contains a wealth of information about the Justice System, but most importantly it contains a comprehensive A-Z database
of support services http://www.pfjc.org.uk/support-services for those
experiencing family problems in the South West."

Many thanks to Karen from Hartnell Chanot (http://www.hartnellchanot.co.uk/)for the above resource links.