UK
What works? Making the difference
An award-winning multi-disciplinary service is helping families deal with parents' drug and alcohol problems.
Holding Families, which has been validated by C4EO, is funded by Bury Council's children's services and delivered by voluntary sector organisation Early Break. One of the keys to the scheme's success is the fact it works with all members of a family at the same time, explains co-ordinator Vicky Stewart. "We respond to the needs of children and adults and the family as a whole," she says.
The approach removes artificial divisions between children's and adult services and sees a range of professionals working together.
Referrals can come from parents, schools and health visitors, but mainly come via substance misuse and social services. Parents must be willing to work with drug and alcohol services and are allocated a substance misuse worker if they don't have one. Children, usually aged five and over, meet once a week with a children's worker. Parents also attend fortnightly group sessions, which focus on the impact of their substance misuse on their children.
Guest speakers include young carers and former users. Three family meetings at the beginning, middle and end of the process are crucial. These are facilitated by the family's social worker or a lead professional and make use of an "outcomes wheel" to score different aspects of family life.
"The children's views are paramount," says Stewart. "Parents have to listen and that's the key to the changes that are made because sometimes it's the first time a parent has heard what their child feels. The majority think their children don't know what's going on."
The service has helped children in care return home and seen a reduction in parents' substance misuse with some stopping drinking altogether. "Children have better relationships with their parents because they talk more," adds Stewart. School attendance increases and families are linked up to further support from youth services and others.
The service is currently working with 15 Bury families. Meanwhile, the concept has been extended by Early Break into East Lancashire and Rochdale.
Key points
Provide support for all the family, including carers, parents of substance users and non-using partners
Prioritise children and young people's wishes. Encourage parents to listen then get the whole family to formulate an action plan. Use existing resources in your area
Ensure working agreements are in place from the start so all services are clear about roles and responsibilities.
Children & Young People Now
18 May 2010
http://www.cypnow.co.uk/news/1003697/works-Making-difference/
