APPROPIATE ADULT (AA) SERVICES

Nini Social Care CIC specialises in providing highly trained Appropriate Adults to support young people and vulnerable individuals during Age Assessment interviews, ensuring that the process is conducted fairly, transparently, and in a manner that promotes the individual’s welfare and participation.

Our Appropriate Adults are experienced professionals with extensive knowledge of safeguarding, child development, communication, trauma-informed practice, and the legal framework surrounding age assessments. We work closely with Local Authorities, the Home Office, and other statutory agencies to ensure that every assessment is carried out with professionalism, dignity, and respect.

Our Appropriate Adults play an important role by:

• Supporting young people throughout Merton-compliant Age Assessment interviews.
• Promoting the welfare and best interests of the young person throughout the assessment process.
• Helping individuals understand the purpose and process of the interview.
• Supporting effective communication between the assessing professionals and the young person.
• Identifying and raising concerns where the young person’s welfare or understanding may be affected.
• Helping to reduce anxiety and create an environment where the individual feels able to participate fully.
• Ensuring the assessment process remains fair, transparent, and respectful.
• Providing clear, factual observations where appropriate.
• Recording detailed information during the assessment.

In addition to Age Assessment work, our Appropriate Adults are available to support children and vulnerable adults in other statutory settings where an Appropriate Adult is required, including police custody, interviews, and other legal or safeguarding processes.

Nini Social Care CIC is committed to delivering a responsive, independent, and high-quality Appropriate Adult Service that protects the rights, welfare, and dignity of every individual while supporting commissioners to undertake lawful, child-centred, and robust assessments.

FAMILY SUPPORT WORK SERVICES

At Nini Social Care CIC, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable, and nurturing family environment. Our Family Support Work Service is designed to work alongside children, young people, parents, and carers to strengthen family relationships, improve parenting capacity, and promote positive outcomes.

Our experienced Family Support Workers provide practical, emotional, and therapeutic support tailored to each family’s individual needs. Working in partnership with Local Authorities, the Home Office, schools, and other professionals, we deliver evidence-based interventions that reduce risk, build resilience, and help families make sustainable, long-term changes.

Our Family Support Workers can provide:

• Parenting support and guidance
• Intensive family intervention
• Direct work with children and young people
• Child development and wellbeing support
• Behaviour management strategies
• Establishing routines and healthy boundaries
• Emotional and practical support for parents and carers
• Supervised family contact including in private proceeding
• Community-based support and engagement
• School attendance and education support
• Independent living and life skills for young people
• Support during Child in Need, Child Protection, PLO, and Care Proceedings
• Safe discharge planning and transition support
• Advocacy and signposting to specialist services

Every intervention is outcome-focused, with clear objectives agreed alongside the referring professional and family. Our staff maintain detailed records and provide high-quality reports that support informed decision-making and demonstrate progress against agreed plans.

We pride ourselves on delivering responsive, compassionate, and culturally informed support that empowers families to achieve lasting change while always placing the welfare and best interests of the child at the heart of our work.

RESPONSIBLE ADULT (RA) SERVICES

Nini Social Care CIC provides a professional and responsive Responsible Adult Service to support children and young people during immigration interviews and other statutory processes where the presence of a Responsible Adult is required.

Our Responsible Adults play an important safeguarding role by ensuring that children and young people understand the interview process, are treated fairly, and are able to participate effectively. We work collaboratively with the Home Office, Local Authorities, legal representatives, and other professionals to promote the welfare and best interests of every child throughout the process.

Our Responsible Adults are experienced in working with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC), separated children, and other vulnerable young people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. They are trained in safeguarding, child development, trauma-informed practice, cultural awareness, and effective communication.

Our Responsible Adult Service includes:

• Attendance at Home Office immigration and asylum interviews.
• Providing independent support to children and young people throughout the interview process.
• Ensuring the child understands the purpose and nature of the interview in an age-appropriate manner.
• Promoting the child’s welfare and safeguarding throughout the interview.
• Supporting effective communication between the interviewing officer and the child.
• Identifying and raising concerns where the child’s welfare, understanding, or ability to participate may be affected.
• Helping to reduce anxiety and create an environment where the child feels safe to engage.
• Working professionally alongside interpreters, legal representatives, social workers, and Home Office officials.
• Providing factual observations where appropriate while maintaining impartiality.

At Nini Social Care CIC, we recognise that immigration and asylum interviews can be overwhelming experiences for children and young people. Our Responsible Adults provide reassurance, stability, and safeguarding support while ensuring that the child’s rights, dignity, and best interests remain central to the process.

We are committed to delivering a high-quality, child-centred, and culturally sensitive Responsible Adult Service that gives commissioners confidence that every interview is conducted in a safe, fair, and supportive environment.