Supervised Contact Services and Family Development
About us
Tracey Mann, Paula Dowling, Co-Founders
We would like to tell you the story of how aDapt Family Solutions came to be; Paula and I had worked both in the social community sector (non-profit family support) and we had also spent some time working for agencies that dealt with the care of children and supporting families with children on the autistic spectrum. We had both also been involved in providing care to children and young people.
Through our friendship and professional relationship, we had often shared our thoughts on many topics to do with family life, parenting, and managing challenging behaviour for children, we also believed that there were better ways of supporting vulnerable children and their families in our community.
Our involvement working within the community with vulnerable families, and the feedback from families themselves, helped us understand and develop the aDapt service. Families talked about needing services that were delivered in the family home that were flexible and affordable (free of charge). In addition, after hours services as well as "on the spot problem solving", with a wrap-a-round approach were all part of what families wanted.
With our combined passion and dedication aDapt was born. We developed a small team of professionals who have the experience, skill and qualifications necessary to bring quality services to our community.
Since 2009 we have never looked back. What keeps us going is the many children, families, parents, grandparents and caregivers that we have met along the way that remind us that family is everything, and united we can achieve so much.
We would like to thank the many families we have worked alongside for inviting us into their home, sharing their challenges, and allowing us to be part of their journey for a better future.
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We have also been fortunate to be supported over the years by businesses and organisations within the community, we are truly grateful for this support.
And lastly, we would also like to thank Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Vulnerable Children, for their on-going support of our services, we are blessed that our work in the community is valued and supported.
Our beliefs and values
Vision
Our vision, for Aotearoa, New Zealand is for every child to be nurtured and cared for so that they may flourish to reach their full potential, that they may enjoy a healthy, loving, happy family life, and children and families will prosper and go on to perpetuate this legacy for generations to come.
Our mission and guiding principles
Our mission and guiding principles are shaped by our vision for a better future for Aotearoa, New Zealand, Family, Whanau, Tamariki, children. Our people of the land.
We want:
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Tamariki to be nurtured, loved, and supported to become all they can be
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Vulnerable children and families to have access to support for positive change and family wellbeing
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Families that are free from abuse and violence
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Whanau supported to recover from adversity and to strengthen outcomes for the greater good of Tamariki
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aDapt to share a journey in support of family and child, supporting families regardless of race, culture, religion, gender, or sexual orientation
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aDapt to provide a service built on trust, dignity, and respect
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aDapt to provide a service that is measurable and accountable (RBA)
Together, we in the community, professionals, families - we will work together as a team, and through our collective actions, we will build a brighter future for our Tamariki and Whanau.
As a community organisation, we will be committed and passionate about bringing services to the vulnerable members of our community for Children and Family.
The aDapt Family Development Program
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Working collaboratively with our clients and creating a family development plan - we start by listening. The information provided by referrers and clients provides us with the foundation for building a plan. After the initial assessment with our client we start to develop some goals. With a starting point for the plan we are able to add to these goals throughout the program. There are many topics that families want to talk about. You will see a number of our standard family development topics listed below, this is just a small snapshot and we build a customised plan for each client focusing on the points that are relevant to their unique situation. It is not just about parenting, it is about the myriad of challenges faced by families that collectively contribute to outcomes.
Child development
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Ages and Stages
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Basket principles – know your child’s strengths and challenges
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Health and wellbeing; nutrition, sleep, exercise, emotional and physical wellbeing
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Puberty and sexual health – health support services
Sensible Discipline
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What is appropriate discipline
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Identifying; rights, responsibilities, privileges, consequences
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Not sweating the small stuff
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Gaining control by letting go
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Positive encouragement - ideas and strategies
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Safety plans
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Follow-through and light at the end of the tunnel parenting
Modelling behaviour
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Being in the moment - Learn how to do this
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Understanding the connections between parent and child behaviour
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Strategies around managing self-control
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Teaching children how to problem solve
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Personal Anger Management - referrals to other services
Abuse prevention
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Brain development in infancy; domestic violence
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Breaking the cycle of abuse
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Keeping children safe – recognising behaviour
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Who to call when you suspect abuse
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Who to turn to when you need help
Dealing with oppositional and defiant behaviour
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Monitoring and logging events for discussion
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Using a script to improve outcomes
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Creating new parenting strategies
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Safety Planning
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When to get professional assessments
FASD Behaviour plan
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Understanding behaviour challenges
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Modifying parenting strategies
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Creating a supportive environment
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Realistic expectations
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Where to go for assessments
Blended Families
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Recognising and managing the unique challenges
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Providing a supportive, nurturing environment for children
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New Parental roles and the best fit
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Bringing together the old with the new
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Managing routines and changes between households
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Strengthening relationships between siblings and step siblings
Family Communication
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Reflective listening
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The power of words
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Ways to communicate with children
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Working together as a team
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Family meetings
Creating a structured environment
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Setting rules and boundaries
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Creating routines
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Creating opportunities for family fun
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Monitoring device time
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Using organisational plans
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Creative ideas, hobbies and activities
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Work life balance
Self-care and stress management for parents
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Stress Management module
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Self-care assessment and understanding
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Support structures
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Parent to Parent relationships
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Identifying challenges and brainstorming for problem solving
Working with the education system
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Communication with your child’s school
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Understanding educational plans
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Dealing with bullying
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Dealing with educational challenges
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Remote learning
ADHD and spectrum care behavioural plan
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Understanding impulse control challenges
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Modifying parenting strategies
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Creating a supportive environment
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Realistic expectations - what does this really mean
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Seeking support Whanau, friends, professionals
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Diagnoses - where to go
Single parent families
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Managing the unique challenges as a solo parent
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Managing conflict with ex-partners
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Stress management
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Managing behavioural challenges for children
Community Support
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What resources are available to families in their local area
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Other support services
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Creating a support plan
Mobile flexibility
Many families struggle to find time to travel to programmes within the community, they also have difficulties with transport, times, collecting children, working, and other challenges - aDapt offer the programme in the family home for the convenience of our clients.
Supervised Contact
aDapt Family Solutions have been operating for 13 years supporting families in our community. We are an accredited agency through Ministry of Justice, and, Oranga Tamariki, to provide supervised contact services, and other family development services.
Community Based Supervision
Supervision in the family home
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Supervision at a child-friendly location
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Child-focused and age-appropriate activities for Children of all ages
Video Call Supervision
All you need is the internet, activate from a laptop, computer, tablet, or smart phone
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Easy instructions, we send you the link, no software to download, easy to use
Centre Based Supervision
We can offer centre-based supervision at our rooms in Northcote
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Easy parking
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Indoor outdoor flow
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Crafts, toys, and activities
More about Supervised Contact and how it works
By offering community based supervision, alongside centre-based, and providing remote access via video calls for those families that need it, we have a wide variety of options. Venues and activities are child focused with some flexibility on choices which are dependent on the case, and whether the activity is suitable for supervised contact.
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The Supervisee, and the Custodial party, will both have an assessment meeting with aDapt, and this is an opportunity to learn about the services offered, ask questions, and raise any concerns.
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Once the assessment meeting has been completed, a Supervisor will be assigned to the case, and will contact all parties and discuss when, where, and how. During this process the Supervisor will take into consideration locations, transport (by parents), drop off and pickup locations, meeting and greeting the children prior to the visit, and any special needs for the children.
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About our Supervisors
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All our Supervisors are Police checked and vetted. Our supervisors come from a wide range of ethnicities and backgrounds, and have qualifications and experience in a range of subjects including; child-care, Psychology, Social Work, Community Health, Youth Work, teaching, nursing, and more. Training includes both internal and external learning. Our Supervisors are friendly and supportive and will guide you through the process of supervised contact for the best outcomes possible.
Information for Professionals
Often there are cases that have a high level of difficulty, we are able to customise supervision to accommodate many of the challenges that come with complex cases. If you are a social worker, or other professional, and seeking services for a client, give us a call and we can discuss what is needed.
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021 318 139 or 021 318 879
ADHD / ADD / Other spectrum or developmental considerations
Families who have children that have a diagnosis of ADHD/ADD or have been diagnosed with other developmental behaviours/traits are often looking for solutions to help manage the challenging behaviour with their child/children. Parenting children that have complex behavioural challenges requires a solid parenting plan that addresses specific "difficult to manage behaviours". This means making changes to the way we respond to children on the spectrum, and it means learning new parenting strategies that are likely to be more successful. Many parents become frustrated when the standard parenting just doesn't work, parents talk about their child being defiant, oppositional, impulsive as well as issues around sleep routines, morning and afternoon routines, aggression, and more. Parents have talked about sibling rivalry, problems at school, social challenges all being areas of concern. Seeking new ways of parenting their children is crucial. When families get the right support and information, they can start to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
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Building Partnerships
We have partnered with the ADHD New Zealand to work collaboratively with them to bring our clients the latest and most topical information.
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ADHD New Zealand was formed in 1977 and is a national, community based, non-profit organisation who are committed to providing up to date information on ADHD.
They have a wealth of information and support for anyone wanting to know more about ADHD, including some excellent learning modules for parents.
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Our Team
We have a small but skilled team of family support consultants, and Supervised Contact Facilitators who will work alongside our clients. Our consultants have a wide range of skills, qualifications and experience working with families with infants through to teens. We try hard to match our clients with the right consultant to achieve the best outcome. We invite you to call us, we would welcome any questions you might have.
From the Co-Founders
"It is my belief that every family has the ability to improve outcomes and manage challenges, at times they just need some traction and direction to get things moving"
– Paula Dowling
"Every family is unique, so too are their challenges, this is why it is so important to take a customised approach so our clients know that the focus is where it should be"
– Tracey Mann
Get in touch with aDapt Family Solutions
021318139 - Tracey Mann
021318879 - Paula Dowling