FDAP Conference: 17 June 2016 We’re in recovery too: Enabling effective family work Oliver Standing Director of policy

Policy change Big stuff that’s happened over last few years has affected us as well as treatment / wider drug sector Health and Social Care Act Public crisis (?) in confidence in charities Changing face of drug use Less money for all

Policy change Big stuff that is happening will affect us too: Drug Strategy 2016 ACMD priorities 2017 (2 nd order harms) Clinical Guidance (Orange Book) Dame Carol Black review Substances Act 2016 Life chances strategy

What’s it like for families? ‘I once thought love was the ultimate guarantee; I was wrong, love just makes losing someone sadder.’ ‘He cheats, steals and lies. But I keep praying and hoping that one day my dad sees what it’s doing to my mother and me, and realize that this is not the kind of life he wants. I love my dad and I hope he gets help soon.’ ‘They made me feel like I was responsible. The only thing I’m responsible for is giving birth to three beautiful children, and the only thing I’m guilty of is being there for them.’

We need to recover too!

So what helps? We think families need: One-to-one practitioner support: listening, signposting and advice Information: on drugs and alcohol, treatment options, communication, boundaries, keeping safe, enabling and other important topics Peer support: often, but not exclusively, delivered in a group setting

So what helps? We think services should: recognise the need to support family members in their own right, and not simply as a source of ‘recovery capital’ for those who use substances. Have a supportive, ‘client centred’ ethos responsive to individual circumstances. (Echoes emphasis of recovery as personalised and a journey not an end state)

So what helps? We think families should: Be supported in their own right, but also To act as recovery capital for loves ones (= better offending, employment, treatment, parenting outcomes) Be able to ‘speak out’ about their experiences if they wish to Access as much support as other carers (contested term)

What’s the workforce like? Multi faceted / hard to pin down – Not a discrete body which can be easily pointed to Varied – no standard route in, includes – Family members (usually mums) affected by D&A – Volunteers – Drug/alcohol workers – Workers in carers centres – Generic services Dedicated – Lots of amazing people doing amazing things Struggling

What does it need to look like? - Competent -In delivering support - Trained / supported -Just as much with volunteers as paid staff -Connected -To local drug/alcohol services, carers centres, police, bereavement services, mental health services etc. - Non-judgmental “because there’s a drug user or an alcoholic in the family, a lot of services think the whole family’s the same so you’re all judged on that person’s behavior or that person’s lifestyle”

What’s happening to the sector? Being asked to ‘do more for less’ – just like everyone else Grassroots services closing or being absorbed in larger tenders Therefore increased need for all substance users trained / supported to work with families (?) Services commissioned as part of wider children’s services and/or public health Very high regional variation

What’s happening to the sector?

What’s Adfam doing about it? 1. Work with decision makers – Policy consultations / media / public affairs / local focus 2. Work with practitioners – Capacity building / training / forums / briefings / newsletters 3. Work with families – peer support – bereavement, older carers, kinship carers, domestic violence – Info / signposting / publications ‘I started volunteering at drug and alcohol services and could tell my story… being able to talk about it was such a relief.’

A final thought With non statutorily required services being cut can economic and moral necessity of protecting children and keeping them out of care drive support for families – and investment in treatment?

Thank you