AMBIT

The young people are referring to have long histories and may have already experienced multiple different elements of care or help: systems that do not always appear to “agree”. Workers immune to such stress would be inhuman, and probably unsuited to such work, but the paradox is clear: people work in conditions where stress is inevitable, and where despite our best efforts to mentalize, this capacity is rendered fragile. AMBIT has its foundations in mentalizing and attachment theory, and thus there is a strong emphasis on the building of relationships, and the first one is the one with the young person. The primary professional in contact with the client is referred to as the ‘keyworker’ in AMBIT, not necessarily being a formal role; it may simply be the worker who is currently “key” in the mind of the young person – with whom there is some epistemic trust – and in a network, this person may change over time.