Children & Young People

First Steps Derbyshire take referrals from a wide variety of professionals including GP’s hospitals, schools, youth services and community groups. The young person’s coordinator and the support worker, work in close partnership with a wide variety of partner agencies to ensure that the young person receives the most comprehensive package of care available.

Young people aged 14 and over are likely to have the greatest levels of eating disorders among young people. Yet despite this, treatment availability for those aged 14-18 is frequently of low intensity.
 
Families are often not involved in the treatment process, despite evidence showing that family relationships can be crucial to achieving and maintaining change. Family support volunteers are invaluable in managing the stresses experienced by families involved in the project and ensuring that they do not feel alienated. Family support help to build a stable environment, which will benefit all those involved.
 
We work with the young person to create a care plan which is based on their individual circumstances. It is closely tailored to their needs and take into account their own suggestions. First Steps Derbyshire aims to help young people move on from crisis support to the setting of aspirational goals and development skills for adulthood.
 
Diversionary activities such as positive outings and activities and creative art, drama and yoga play a central part in the care plan to enhance support and motivation to achieve goals. All activities contribute to the young people’s personal development.
 
We aim to demonstrate how closer working between eating disorder services and mainstream young people’s services is essential if we are to better meet the needs of young people in the future.