Some of the top questions we get asked by referrers and parents to help you make a decision whether Majestic is right for you.
Frequently Asked Questions by Parents
You will need to bring your clothes, toiletries (we do provide a welcome pack on arrival however), any important documents such as your birth certificate that you may need for applying for benefits. You will need to bring clothing for your child, your child’s red health book and any important documents for them. If you have any items such as a moses basket, cot bedding, a steriliser, bottles, a pushchair and car seat please bring those. If you don’t have essentials for your child or yourself then please do let us know before you arrive.
Most Majestic assessments are 12 weeks in duration. However, we will consider requests for shorter assessments. You will be clear about the length of your assessment before arriving as this will have been agreed by the Court or the Local Authority.
Yes, you will need to provide your own food for yourself and your child whilst you are here. We will undertake cookery sessions with you during your placement to develop your skills in this area.
We are based in East Kent, just a 10 minute walk from the nearest train station.
Yes, we encourage friends and family to come and visit as we realise that you are away from home and links with home are important. Any visits need to be planned in advance and in agreement with the Local Authority.
Yes, we encourage you to go out with your child. In the first part of your assessment, you will be accompanied by staff when you go out into the community with your child.
Each home can take a maximum of eight families at any given time.Â
Most of these family units will consist of one or two parents with one child, although sometimes we may take larger family groups.
Majestic staff will look after your child in these situations. Our staff will also care for you child when you have sessions at Majestic where it may not be suitable for your child to be present.
We would encourage you to speak to whoever you feel most comfortable with at Majestic. This may be your key worker, one of the managers your lead assessing social worker or another member of the team. If we cannot resolve this issue for you, there is a complaints procedure document in your bedroom which outlines the process for how to make a formal complaint.
You will receive daily feedback from staff at Majestic. They will encourage you think about how you can build upon your strengths and any improvements that could benefit you and your child. You will also meet with your key worker and lead assessing social worker every week and they will feedback how the week has gone as a whole, looking at ways that we can support you with any areas you may be struggling with. You will also take part in review meetings throughout your placement where we will sit down with your child’s social worker and review how things are going and whether there needs to be any changes to the plan.
Frequently Asked Questions by Referrers
Majestic will consider admitting parents who have been known to misuse drugs and alcohol leading up to the point of referral. However a commitment to wanting to engage in drug and alcohol services is crucial and that we can see that the parent has been honest about their drug/ alcohol use and is open to testing.
Yes, many of our families in placement comprise of couples. We also take single parents families. We will accept both single fathers and single mothers.
Many parents that we work with have diagnosed learning needs. As a service, we are highly experienced in working with parents with a range of learning needs. All of our parenting assessments are completed by our Lead Assessing Social Workers using the CUBAS dynamic Parenting Assessment model. The model is fully Re-D compliant and inclusive, and its bespoke software and facilitation processes combine to routinely provide for parents with additional learning needs. CUBAS ensures accessibility for all parents, timely professional reporting, and consistently comprehensive assessments that address all obstacles to safe care. Having worked closely with the authors of the model since its inception, Majestic Family Services has developed and implemented a number of compatible tools to ensure parents are fully supported to understand the concerns, and to engage in tangible and tailored interventions for change.
Yes, however, we would not normally consider accommodating a family group with any more than three children.
The optimum period for a residential parenting assessment is 12 weeks. However, we recognise that in the context of PLO arrangements, and tight court timetabling, in addition to public funding constraints that consideration will need to be given to shorter assessments and we will work as creatively as possible to consider placement requests for less than 12 weeks.
We are situated in east Kent close to train stations and the M2.
Make a referral
All referrals are carefully assessed to ensure that the family receives the best possible placement. We understand the busy nature of social care and we ensure that we respond to all referrals as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Making a referral