The Issue

A number of factors for parents impact on their ability to parent well andimpact negatively on their children in terms of both immediate safety andlonger-term outcomes, including if a child is taken into care. Mostprominent amongst these vulnerabilities for parents are drug misuse,alcohol misuse, mental health problems, domestic abuse and offending.These vulnerabilities are often linked, overlapping and mutuallyreinforcing. Families with multiple vulnerabilities present challenges forservices, cost the local authority and health services significant amountsof money to respond to, and are difficult for staff to work with effectivelyacross social care and partner agencies.

Policy Context

The new Government has committed to helping families with multipleproblems. Nationally, there has been a raft of policies over the lastdecade placing greater emphasis on the importance of the family,including Think Family, the Drug Strategy, the Youth Alcohol Action Planand Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance.

What Works

There is a growing evidence base to support the efficacy of whole familyinterventions that demonstrate improved outcomes for vulnerable andcomplex families and provide evidence of cost savings or cost avoidancefor public services. These have been shown to be effective for familieswith parental substance misuse, domestic abuse and mental healthproblems. These programmes include Westminster Family RecoveryProject, Family Intervention Projects, Strengthening FamiliesProgramme, Option 2, M-PACT and Family Drug and Alcohol Courts.

Delivery Options

Using the evidence of what works and the local needs analysis, we havedeveloped a set of principles and characteristics of effective programmesthat should underpin any future service development, joint workingprotocols and training. We have also outlined three delivery models totake this work forward:
1. A multi-agency joint working protocol2. A programme of training, support and co-location3. Adopting an evidence-based programme

Identify

• Conduct an exercise to identify the top 400-600 complex familiesthat cost local authorities the most money to deal with.
• Pool training resources by bringing together budgets, expertise, venues and overlapping issues (e.g. parental drugs, alcohol, mental health, domestic violence) into a single set of training programmes to: (i) help identifying agencies to spot signs and engage complex families; and (ii) develop whole family working practices across key agencies 
• Pool communications resources to ensure that key messages about working with complex families go to all staff across agencies in a joined up way, spreading evidence of what works
• Commissioning priority should be given for parents with vulnerabilities and complex families, with commissioners actively ensuring an appropriate response from service providers

Intervene

• Improve inter-agency working through developing and implementing a specific protocol to drive improved joint working for complex families. Key agencies need to sign up, setting out expectations and commitments from each agency in line with evidence of what works.
• Consider adopting evidence based programmes to deal with complex families more effectively.
• Bridge the gap between adult and children's services by joining up the safeguarding functions and championing a multi-agency approach to complex families, in line with evidence based programmes.
• Consider whether the current use of money for drug testing and substance misuse experts in child care proceedings could be more effectively used to fund specialist drugs worker input co-located with children's social care to joint work these cases.

Prevent

• Address the current gap in support after a child goes into care when parents have vulnerabilities, by ensuring appropriate family strengthening support and parenting skills for the parents and specific support for the children who may experience long term problems.
• Establish self support groups for parents (esp. mothers) going through these issues.

The above information was produced by us and our partner organisation Tonic as part of their work with local authorities and other providers to better support families with complex needs.

Alongside The Training Effect they offer a range of services that can help local authorities and other providers to better support these families, saving money, improving efficiency and improving outcomes for children and families.

For further information please take a look at our websites

About the Author:
Mark Bowles is the founder of The Training Effect a leading provider of specialist training and outsourcing services to the public and private sectors. At The Training Effect you can find further details on the range of training courses we offer, learn why we only use expert's not generic trainers and find out how we can save you money whilst maintaining your current training delivery.