Implementing the Think child, think parent, think family guide - Implementation sites
SCIE is working with the five integrated Health and Social Care trusts in Northern Ireland, and five sites in England to pilot the implementation of the guide. The sites in England are:
- Birmingham
- Liverpool
- London Borough of Lewisham
- London Borough of Southwark
- North Somerset
The sites are currently developing their implementation plans and it is anticipated that these will be finalised early in 2010. SCIE will continue to support the pilot sites for two years (three years in Northern Ireland) as they implement their plans. SCIE will also be working on an evaluation of the projects to determine the impact of putting the guide’s recommendations into action.
More information about the work in Liverpool is available on the Liverpool City Council website.
Characteristics of a successful service
The guide is very clear that this work requires a co-ordinated and collaborative multi-agency response. This needs to be at all levels, so recommendations in the guide are set out to highlight what organisations, managers and practitioners need to do and change when adopting a family centred model. Additionally, the guide uses the evidence base to emphasise the characteristics of a successful service. These include:
- respecting individuals’ wishes and needs and their roles and responsibilities in a family
- utilising the strengths and building on the resilience of family members
- intervening early
- understanding the developmental needs of children, and parenting capacity to respond to these needs
The guide has implications for strategic level activities and workforce development, and recommendations are made in both areas.
SCIE recognises that working across traditional service boundaries is challenging, yet the evidence says that this is a much more effective use of resources in the longer-term, and can prevent situations worsening.
The guide also reinforces the need for multi-agency training as a much more effective method of embedding a think family model. Again, this is based upon evidence, and is a valuable and successful way to increase the confidence of staff to work with a family rather than child or adult. SCIE will be producing eLearning materials for this work and it is anticipated these will be available in summer 2010.
Top tips for getting started
What is clear so far is that this is not easy work. If you are considering implementing some or all of the guide, here are some of the key messages that have come from the learning so far:
- You will need a multi-agency steering group to organise, plan and co-ordinate the work. Representation on this group should be from both statutory and voluntary services, from both adults and children’s services, and ideally from parents and young carers (or staff who are able to represent their needs)
- Getting senior sign up and sign off for your plan is essential. Ideally, we would recommend that your LSCB provide governance and sign off of any changes
- Scope or map your existing services so you are clear about the range of provision in your locality. You can then identify what is missing and use that to inform your plan
- Make sure you consult with and involve parents and young carers in the development and delivery of your plans, from the beginning. Their experiences are essential in helping you understand what needs to change
- Don’t be surprised at how long it takes to get a plan together. Part of the process is about familiarising yourself with others’ roles and responsibilities and getting to know staff in your area, with whom you may have had little or no previous contact.
- You may find it helpful to have a template for writing the plan (see blank template - 46kb Word file), ensuring you cover a range of essential components for making sure the work is done, is effective and makes a difference to families
- Allocate a lead for each work stream of your plan. This does not mean that person has to do all the work, but they are responsible for ensuring it is done and reporting to the multi-agency steering group
“Implementing the SCIE guidance in Liverpool is a fantastic opportunity to work with a range of partners that together can challenge the perceived organisational barriers to family working. We can use the guidance to support innovation and collaboration across all the partners to achieve much better outcomes for the families of Liverpool.”
Carol Bernard, Director, Mersey Care NHS Trust
If you would like to get in contact with any of the implementation sites to share learning, please contact hugh.constant@scie.org.uk
If you are a member of one of the implementation sites you can log in to our project website.
