Between April 2013 and March 2015, not for profit agency Malachi were one of 17 organisations chosen to participate in the Help and Support for Separated Families Project, funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The DWP published their findings in October 2016 with Malachi coming through as one of the shining lights of the project. The fund was established to support separated families, with Malachi one of the ‘talk based’ services included in the project, working to support children whose parents are separated. Using specialist knowledge in mediation and a signature therapeutic family support approach, Malachi were able to reach out and support a wide range of children from separated homes.

One of the key successes that Malachi achieved was the level of referrals in to the service through excellent networking with schools. A key finding of the report was that the longer referrals took to be actioned, the more entrenched difficulties around separation became, and the less engaged users felt. Overcoming this hurdle was vital in the smooth running of the one to one, therapeutic work done with parents who had separated.

Good engagement was “ensured through the skill and professionalism of the support workers” at Malachi. The DWP noted that Malachi were able to establish a “thorough understanding of their clients’ needs from the outset and meant project sessions could be targeted at the intervention”.

Malachi’s target group was non-resident parents, with 249 being engaged throughout the project. Key findings show that Malachi were effective in building relationships, improving psychological health and achieving practical outcomes.

“Family breakdown is at epidemic levels in the UK and there is a dire need for specialised and targeted support for families facing what is often such a stressful and sad time,” comments Laura Evans, CEO of Malachi.