The Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) ‘Help and Support for Separated Families (HSSF) mark’ is designed to help parents navigate the range of support available to them and choose a high-quality ‘outlet’ to help.
The quality mark is awarded to charities and organisations following an independent assessment in which they must show they meet a strict set of standards for promoting parents working together after the breakdown of a relationship. They must also demonstrate they help parents to come together to arrange things for their children
The new mark is designed to complement the millions of pounds the Government is investing into support services for separated parents and their children.
In April, the DWP named the seven organisations set to benefit from £6.5m, as part of a £20m investment to support separated parents give their children the best start in life.
The seven organisations are-One Plus One Marriage & Partnership Research, Relate, Howells Limited Liability Partnership, Spurgeons, Resolution, Malachi Specialist Family Support Services and Resolve Cymru.
Projects being run by the seven organisations include the delivery of parenting classes targeted at hard to reach teenage mothers and fathers, online counselling and coaching.
An extra £3.4m of funding was made available in June, which more than 60 family charities and organisations bid for.
Work and pensions minister Steve Webb said, ‘Breaking up can be difficult enough as it is. That is why we are doing everything that we can to help separated parents to find organisations that will best help them to reach successful arrangements for their children.
‘I am delighted to introduce this new mark, which will complement the millions of pounds we are investing into support services for separated parents to do what is right by their children.’
Jeremy Todd, chief executive of Family Lives, said, ‘It is important that separated parents are supported to find a way of communicating. Every year we receive thousands of calls from separated parents struggling to make contact with their children or make relations with a former partner work. Being awarded the HSSF mark is testament to our ongoing commitment to this.’
