For the past decade, PAFA (Parenting Assessments For All) has been transforming lives across the UK from its Wirral base, providing one of the most important yet least understood services in child safeguarding.
This year marks a major milestone as the organisation celebrates 10 years of supporting vulnerable families. The landmark anniversary was recently celebrated alongside colleagues, partners and supporters, with The Mayor of Wirral attending the special event to recognise the organisation’s remarkable contribution to safeguarding children and strengthening families.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
PAFA delivers an essential service for families when Local Authorities have significant concerns about a parent’s ability to provide safe care for their child. Through its specialist residential assessment model (MALD – Making Assessments Accessible For Those With Learning Disabilities & And Other Additional Needs), PAFA supports families, helping to bridge the gap between immediate intervention and establishing the best way forward for the parent and child.
Parents and their children live together in PAFA’s dedicated residential home, where they are supported within a warm, nurturing environment. Experienced staff provide round-the-clock supervision, guidance, using a holistic approach that considers the individual needs, strengths, and wellbeing of both the parent and child. The aim is to give parents every possible opportunity to grow in confidence, develop their parenting skills, and demonstrate their ability to provide a safe, stable, and loving home, while ensuring each child’s welfare remains at the heart of everything they do.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
Through dedication to fair, robust, and evidence-based assessments, PAFA has earned an outstanding reputation within the sector. Since opening its doors in 2015, the organisation has grown with care, purpose, and professionalism, becoming one of the country’s leading providers of residential parenting assessments.
Director Barbara Liversage said: “After losing my sister in 2009, I felt a deep personal commitment to helping parents who were facing some of life’s most difficult challenges, including substance misuse, poor mental health, and domestic abuse. I recognised that there needed to be more services offering parents genuine support, understanding, and the opportunity to remain with their children where it was safe.”
She continued: “With my background in social care, child protection, I set out to create PAFA with a clear vision: to give parents every opportunity to grow, to be supported, and to build safer, more stable lives with their children. Seeing that vision become a reality has been one of my proudest achievements. Over the last decade, PAFA has supported parents and children with compassion, dedication, and hope — and I am incredibly proud of all that we have accomplished.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
PAFA’s team consists of more than 20 highly experienced staff and professionals, including specialists in neurodiversity. Since opening its doors in 2015, PAFA have supported more than 100 families during some of their most challenging times.
Through encouragement, practical guidance, and a holistic approach tailored to each family’s individual needs, has helped parents develop the skills, routines, and resilience needed to create safer and more stable home environments. At the heart of PAFA’s work is a commitment to giving families hope, support, and every possible opportunity to move forward.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
One parent recently said: “All the PAFA staff were friendly and supportive, and they became like family for a short while. Whilst at PAFA, my partner and I faced some difficulties. My nan passed away and my partner’s mum found out she had terminal cancer. The staff were amazing and helped and supported us through the toughest time of our lives, and I will forever be grateful for my time spent at PAFA.”
They continued: “PAFA gave my partner and me a chance to prove ourselves as parents, and we also learned a lot along the way. I will forever have a special place in my heart for everyone at PAFA, and I will always tell my daughter about when she was born and where she lived. If we could have stayed forever, then we certainly would have.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
Their meticulous approach has resulted in what the organisation describes as a 100% success rate — not because every family stays together, but because every assessment delivers a clear, evidence-based outcome that prioritises the best interests of the child.
While statistics tell one story, it is the personal experiences that truly illustrate PAFA’s impact. Barbara explains: “Over the years, many former residents have remained in contact with us, sharing heartfelt messages explaining how the support they received during one of the most difficult periods of their lives ultimately kept their families together. This kind of feedback means the world to us and the work we do.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
For parents facing overwhelming challenges, PAFA offers so much more than a residential programme. It provides a calm, safe, and nurturing environment where families are met with compassion, patience, and understanding. Parents are given time, encouragement, and practical support to strengthen the bond with their children. Through a holistic approach, PAFA helps families feel supported as they work towards safer, more stable, and more hopeful futures together.
Based within its residential family centre in Wirral, PAFA gives parents and children the opportunity to remain together in a caring family environment while receiving guidance, education and day-to-day parenting help. Each family is supported with dignity and respect, recognising their individual needs, experiences, and strengths. PAFA is regulated by Ofsted, reflecting the high standards expected of residential family centres and the organisation’s continued commitment to giving families the care, support, and opportunity they deserve.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
As safeguarding professionals increasingly work with families facing complex and multifaceted needs, organisations such as PAFA have become more vital than ever. Their work not only protects vulnerable children but also gives parents a genuine opportunity to make lasting positive changes, ensuring that every decision is based on careful assessment rather than assumption.
Barbara summarises: “The past ten years have involved a great deal of hard work, but it has always been deeply meaningful and vital work. At PAFA, we are incredibly proud to stand alongside families during some of the most difficult and painful times in their lives, offering support, guidance, and hope when it is needed most.”
She continues: “Whilst PAFA’s work must be thorough and honest, it is always carried out with compassion, care, and the child’s welfare at the heart of everything they do. Over the past decade, PAFA has grown into a respected and trusted service, and they take great pride in professionalism, integrity, and unwavering commitment to helping families move towards safer, stronger, and more positive futures.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
As the organisation celebrates this significant anniversary, its mission remains unchanged: to support families wherever possible, protect children at all times, and continue setting the standard for parenting assessments across the UK. Above all, PAFA’s work carries a message of hope — that with the right support, belief, and opportunity, families can heal, grow stronger, and build brighter futures together.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAFA AND FOR REFERRALS VISIT THEIR WEBSITE
