Action on Addiction - Families

Emma BondBusiness Development Manager for Families - London

Action on Addiction

• We recognise that you don’t have to misuse drugs and alcohol to suffer from drug and alcohol misuse

Hidden Harm.....Refers to children and young people

who are living with parental/carer substance misuse

57% of Serious Case Reviews reveal evidence of parental substance misuse

Estimated that 2.6 million children living in the UK with a hazardous drinker

250-350,000 affected by parental substance misuse

Child Experiences • Impaired development

• Psychological and Attachment

• Stigma

• Isolation

• Low place in parental priorities

• Inconsistent or inadequate parenting

• Needs unmet

• Material, emotional, physical neglect

• Role reversal

• 'Sometimes I get tinsy bits of headaches because its really confusing, because I’m thinking about something I have to work on for maths, and then thinking about Mum at the same time, so its like my brain is broken inside because its all blurry, and confusing thinking of two things at the same time.' - age 10

• 'I went from being a child to an adult overnight, so when I was in the classroom I couldn’t accept people telling me what to do because I was an adult in myself, so that would make me kick off when I was spoke down to.' - age 16

Stars National Initiative – Children’s Voices 2010

An 8 week intervention working with whole families where there is parental substance misuse

The Aim

To promote and support the health and well being of children/young people and adults in the context of their whole family

• Give children a voice and raise self esteem• Reduce harm and increase safety• Increase understanding and coping with addiction• Improve communication and reduced conflict

• Children • Aged 8-17

• Adults (parents, carers)• Using and non-using • Capable of meaningful engagement

• Whole family approach • Not all family members will choose to attend

How we deliver M-PACT

Different families at the same timeWork with adults and children together and separately

The programme structure

Four+ facilitators

• Individual family assessment • 8 weekly gatherings of 2.5 hours• Post-programme individual family review

• Aftercare - pathways to additional support and employment• Continuum of support

• Reunion

• Structured sessions • Flexible to respond to service users

How we deliver M-PACT

• Health problems – Intergenerational substance misuse

problems– Access to treatment– Increased understanding of

substance misuse • Journey to stable futures

– Improved family environments– Children removed from ‘at risk

register’– Improved School attendance – Improved educational attainment

• Positive and honest communication • Greater understanding and

appreciation of each other

• Professional/Service related– Professional Development – Adult and children services working

together– Adult drug and alcohol treatment

services working together – Gateway to statutory services

• Social Problems– Broke negative patterns of behaviour – Informal networks of support– Promoted self esteem and resilience– Diversion from offending– Peer mentoring

• Identified strategies for coping• Enjoyed quality time as a family

Outcomes

“I didn’t think that an eight week programme could help me and my daughter...By the third session on M-PACT, things had really started to change, we started to learn, we became open to listening to each other, we built our relationship...I got so much from M-PACT” – Leila*

Place2Be

Place2Be• Place2Be is the leading UK provider of school-

based mental health support, unlocking children's potential in the classroom - and beyond.

• Place2Be provides emotional and therapeutic services in primary and secondary schools, building children's resilience through talking, creative work and play. We currently reach 75,000 children, helping them to cope with wide-ranging and often complex social issues including bullying, bereavement, domestic violence, family breakdown, neglect and trauma.

The Partnership

The M-PACT Plus programme, funded by The Royal Foundation and Comic Relief.

The groundbreaking initiative, which will transform families’ lives is being piloted in four areas of England over two years: Manchester and Salford; the North East (Durham, Sunderland and Northumberland); London; and Essex.

How?

• Action on Addiction’s expertise in the field

+• Place2Be’s experience in schools

• Groups take place in school/community

• Referrals via Schools

• Children and parents/carers offered on-going support via our existing Place2Be services

• Training for school and Place2Be staff in ‘Hidden Harm’

Thank youTo view the M-PACT promotional film http://www.actiononaddiction.org.uk/Family-Support/M-Pact-(UK)-Project.aspx