Freemasonry supporting Communities in Middlesex
Family Based Solutions (FBS) is a Middlesex based Charity which supports families experiencing child to parent abuse (CPA) from ages 6-18 and were recently awarded £15k from the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF). They support those recovering from domestic abuse and work with adult perpetrators to prevent abusive behaviours. They have a trained volunteer who will support clients with housing/budgeting issues, write off debts, reduce fuel bills and signpost families who require food, legal advice, positive activities, individual counselling and support in school if these are causing extra stress on the family. The aim of the charity is to support families and young people recover from domestic abuse and to end the intergenerational cycle.
Family Based Solutions support families in Enfield where they have experienced abuse and those recovering from domestic abuse with adult perpetrators, but also focus on child to parent abuse. Unfortunately, child to parent abuse can occur when the child has experienced domestic abuse in the home, and this was the case for 72% of young people they have supported. FBS consider their work to be early intervention, preventing the child from becoming a perpetrator later in life. They work to support young people to recover, repair family relationships and improve their mental wellbeing. They also support young people for 6-12 weeks on average, offering 1 to 1 support either at school, in their offices or online with additional online peer support groups. 40% of the young people the charity works with are aged 6-11, and 24% of them were also struggling with drug and alcohol misuse issues.
Good Evidence of Impact
The charity reported good evidence of impact, which stated that 78% of young people had a greater understanding of what healthy relationships look like and 89% reported improved resilience. Additionally, over the years, 25 parents who have benefited from FBS’s services have since become volunteers, which speaks to the impact of their support. MCF funding will mean that FBS can provide 110 more sessions for this group of young people.
