Is It My Job?

Supporting the development and implementation of protocols relating to substance misuse and children.

Overview

• Experiential exercise• Hearing children’s experiences• Short presentation • Plenary

Experiential Exercise

In small groups please spend 5 minutes considering and

recording words which describe the following :

What is society’s view of parenthood?

What is society’s view of parental substance

misuse?

Hearing Children’s Experiences

For too long the needs and welfare of children in families affected by substance misuse have been

overlooked. We must now concentrate our efforts on helping

these children.

Ministerial Forward GOPR 2003

Policy

• 1 in 10 children affected by parental substance use across UK

• 1.3 - 2 million children affected by parental alcohol misuse

(Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England 2004)

• 250,000 - 350,000 children affected by parental drug misuse in UK

(Hidden Harm 2003)

Multi-agency Local Protocols

• Children’s welfare is the most important consideration

• It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that children are protected from harm

• We should help children early and not wait

• We must work together

Implementing local Multi-agency protocols

• Multi-agency volume Briefings• 2 Day skills based Workshops• Single agency input• ‘Hard to reach’ groups e.g. GPs,

foster carers• Local reflective practice groups• Multi-agency steering groups• Focus Groups feedback to

agencies

c.7000 staff attended briefings and workshops in Scotland

Participants

other

4%

Police

1%

Voluntary

4%Housing

7%

Employment

1%

Education

26%

Health

29%Social

Work

28%

Challenges • Its Not MY Job! • Professional resistance • Different languages • Different skills?• Differences between adults and

children’s needs • Gaps in worker knowledge and

confidence• Communication and collaboration• How we engage meaningfully with

children

Light bulb moments ?• Hearing the experience of children and

families • Reflecting on serious case reviews/ child

death inquiries• Reflective practice • Same information had different

meanings to different professionals • They could directly use someone else’s

experience in their own case• Listening to someone else’s case

generated thoughts of their own• Through discussion being able to explore

more deeply a particular point

Outcomes• It is my job

Your role in effecting change

• Existing skills and strengths are valued

• Importance of local multi-agency protocols, networks, responses.

• Training is part of a wider process of change that is supported organisationally and strategically

Conclusions

• Cultural shifts• Partnership with Families• Working together• Multi-disciplinary training• Support and supervision of staff• Resources• Child at the centre of practice