2.4 Intensive Family Support Service |
Contents
1. Introduction
The service is targeted at families of children experiencing Neglect and Emotional Abuse who are on the brink of entering the care system.
The aim is to support parents and carers in continuing to care for their child(ren) and avoid the child entering the care system. Services will be provided on a citywide basis, targeting priority needs.
2. Key Features
Key features of the service
- Focus on interventions at CAF level 3, on the brink of Level 4, where social care is the Lead Professional, or at level 4 where children are at risk of coming into care.
- Referrals through Intensive Case Support Panel (see attached flow-chart).
- Targeted at children experiencing Neglect and Emotional Abuse.
- Time-limited solutions with focused interventions over a 16-week period, aimed initially at diverting children from care.
- Individually-tailored, systematic engagement with families; provision of a range of services including intensive support on a daily basis, counseling, advice and specialist advocacy, parenting interventions, assessments, direct work and therapeutic interventions for children.
- Some assessment of parenting capacity to inform Court arena.
- Supported by Family Group Conferencing at entry &/or exit points - see Family Group Conferencing Service Procedure
- Sustainability of improvements will be maintained by moving families back into the social care arena with a clear exit support strategy and from there, transferring the Lead Professional role to universal services.
3. Service Provider
The contract runs for four years from January 2009. The service provider is Family Action (formerly Family Welfare Association), an established national organisation new to Coventry. Family Action have a proven track record and offer expertise in working with families where there are issues relating to parental mental health, substance misuse and domestic violence and abuse. Their practice models and whole-family approach have been independently evaluated over a 3 year period.
4. Referral process
Potential referrals should be made to the Intensive Case Support Panel (ICaSP) and accompanied by an up to date Core Assessment, a current risk assessment and targets already identified with the family in the plan. The ICaSP will be attended by the Family Action Service Manager and will agree the level of services & outcomes required.
On the basis of this, Family Action will draw up a working agreement with the Lead Professional and the family, covering planned work, review and meeting dates. At the end of the intervention, typically after 16 weeks, Family Action will provide a written report including an assessment of distance travelled, options and recommended exit strategy. (Please see Referral Flow Chart attached).
5. Outcomes
The service is expected to impact positively on the range of Every Child Matters outcomes for children and young people, but in particular those directly relating to Staying Safe and Coventry's 6th Outcome re. Family Support. The impact of interventions on individual families will be measured through assessment of 'distance travelled'. In the wider context, the service should contribute to targets relating to reductions in the numbers of Looked After Children, numbers of children with a Child Protection Plan and numbers of re-referrals into social care.
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