What works for troubled families?

What works for troubled families?

Objectives what Family Intervention means spectrum of Family Intervention models in practice elements required across the partnership of agencies concerned with these families skills and attitudes required by staff undertaking Family Intervention work

Assessing Need Less Difficult FI super-light Difficult FI Light Very Difficult FI Intensive 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 Families

Degrees of the Family Intervention Service Extent of family problems/family causing problems Larger caseload Existing duties Smaller caseload FAMILY INTERVENTION super light FAMILY INTERVENTION light FAMILY INTERVENTION intensive Named lead for family with dedicated time from home agency Less intensive work with larger caseloads. 15 at any one time Intensive work with small caseloads of families e.g <5

Family Intervention?

Family Intervention? Family Interference?

What is Family Intervention? Style of working with very troubled families Rolled out by government from 2006/7, initially for the most problematic and anti social families Further projects tested different (e.g less intensive) models Original model well evidenced, consistently strong outcome data since 2006/7 Data from the National Centre for Social Research on families (5,500) to have left the programme shows: ASB: 59 % reduction Child abuse issues (neglect, emotional, physical and sexual) 36 % reduction Education: 52 % reduction (truancy, exclusion or bad behaviour at school)

Family Intervention Current situation Multiple professionals involved with different family members Agencies defeated by resistant or hard to help families. Tendencies to pass cases on or pull resources if there is no progress or the family simply costs too much. Overlapping assessments and interventions, agencies efforts conflicting and unaligned with no overall objectives or agreement about what is being aimed for with a family Existing support services lack focus on work and meaningful activity. Defeatism about these families capacity to work or contribute. Services look at individuals or single problems, no attention to how the family works as a system or family history. New approach Named workers for named families Persistence with families backed up by sanctions A common endeavour among agencies for each family, operating within agreed structures. Meaningful activity is a consistent aim for the families Rather than just thinking family - Doing family

Named workers for named families Dedicated workers for every family Low caseloads, able to provide practical support/work intensively as needed Clear, honest, authorative and assertive working styles Specialists in family functioning Training and supervision Family Intervention Factor: No limits, whatever it takes

The defining feature of family intervention is a focus on family functioning Behaviour Family functioning Values Mental health

Persistence with families backed up by sanctions Workers are persistent, tenacious and don t give up Being straight up and honest with families about the consequences they are facing A sanctions strategy for each family: use of enforcement tools at the disposal of other agencies to ensure families engage and have real incentives to change. Family Intervention Factor: all workers are authoritative and challenging

Meaningful activity is a consistent objective for the families Belief that meaningful activity and doing something useful is possible All discussions and planning has achieving work/training/volunteering for family members at the forefront Dedicated employment support provided at the right time Family Intervention Factor: Challenging defeatism, believing these families are entitled to the same aspirations as everyone else

A common endeavour for agencies operating within agreed structures Cutting through plans & assessments to agree the objectives of intervention with a family Honesty with the family and agencies so there is a clear end game and timetable an opportunity to reduce some of the significant multi agency activity that surrounds these families? Family Intervention Factor: One vision, end game and set of objectives for work with families, all of which are clear to the family

Understanding the families and all their complexity Alcohol dependency Domestic Violence Worklessness Depression Eviction & Debt Parenting Mental health Disability Parenting Time in care Sexual abuse Probation Time in care 25 yrs 12 yrs Exclusions Behaviour ASB Anger Time in care Mother 46 yrs New Partner 53 yrs Father 51 yrs 29 yrs Probation 14 yrs Carer Sexual abuse Truanting Obesity Diabetes Anger Sexual abuse 16 yrs 10 yrs Pro-criminal peer group School exclusions ASB Cannabis habit Teenage pregnancy 4 yrs 23 yrs 2 yrs Domestic Violence NEET 19 yrs 15 yrs 1 yr 17 yrs

Rather than just thinking family - doing family Being curious, gaining real understanding of family and their perspectives One family, One plan Rolling up sleeves to provide practical assistance in the home Family Intervention Factor: A whole family approach isn't about a mum in a family going on a parenting course, a 17 year old on a YOT programme and an 8 year old on a behaviour improvement plan. That is just working with different individuals in a household at the same time. Whole family working is about understanding and responding to the rhythms of the family. (practitioner)

Degrees of the Family Intervention Service Extent of family problems/family causing problems Larger caseload Existing duties Smaller caseload FAMILY INTERVENTION super light FAMILY INTERVENTION light FAMILY INTERVENTION intensive The Family Intervention Factor Named lead for family with dedicated time from home agency Less intensive work with larger caseloads. 15 at any one time Intensive work with small caseloads of families e.g <5

Family Intervention workers need the Family Intervention factor This is not a job for the faint hearted They need: - empathy - brutal honesty - assertiveness & authority - confidence - real determination and commitment In shed loads