PRTC Young Carers Workers Conference Manchester 12 th October 2010 Louise Wardale Aileen Alexander Keeping the Family in Mind Team Leader Coordinator Barnardo’s Action with Young Carers Barnardo's Action with Young Liverpool Carers Liverpool Jane Weller Senior Improvement Officer Children’s, Families and Adults Liverpool City Council

How well are we Keeping the Family in Mind…? A collaborative approach required!

Summary Key ingredients to working collaboratively Improvements and outcomes Thinking Family Guidance Developing the guidance What does the guidance say? Taking the guidance forward Implementation sites

Why think family? One third of UK adults with mental health problems are parents Most parents with mental health problems parent their children effectively, however: Mental health problems can lead to difficulties parenting in some instances Parental mental health is a significant factor for children entering the care system Nearly a third (29%) of young carers are caring for a parent with a mental health problem

Barriers to ‘thinking family’ Challenge of interagency working Confidence and willingness to assess outside usual professional boundaries Information sharing Knowledge of services Fragmented Services

Developing the guidance June 2006 Systematic map of evidence 2006 – 2008: Practice inquiries in five local authorities April 2009 Consultation with advisory group (including children and parents) July 2009 ‘Think child, think parent, think family’ guidance produced 2006 – 2009: Evidence reviews: Research reviews on prevalence, detection and interventions in parental mental health and child welfare Parental mental health and child welfare: Review of professional education Parental mental health and child welfare: Review of policy

Key recommendations Screening Assessment Planning care Providing care Review of care plans Taking a strategic approach Multi agency led review of services Senior level commitment Supporting workforce development

‘Think child, think parent, think family’ guidance Six local implementation sites and evaluation Training and development resources E-learning Social Care TV National implementation Taking the guidance forward

Training and development resources 1 & 2 – Foundation modules 3 - Screening4 - Assessment5 - Planning 6 – Putting the plan into place 7 – Reviewing the plan 8 – Frontline management 9 – Strategic management and commissioning All staff groups Practitioners/ managers Commissioners

Implementation sites and evaluation Six implementation sites: Birmingham Lewisham Liverpool Northern Ireland North Somerset Southwark Local approaches to implementing the guidance Ongoing evaluation to capture learning and outcomes

examples of implementation plans Develop a Think Family Strategy Update protocol between CSC and AMH – to include CAMHS, Third Sector, young carers, children and parents Implement workforce development strategy Develop communication strategy Improve signposting Better involvement of parents and children Review screening tools Improve care plan reviews

Where the journey began… “They say things like ‘we only work with your mum’ but my mum lives with me so its all connected” “ Its difficult enough living with mental health problems, but it feels like me and the kids have all our problems separated out and then no one gets the whole picture and sees how we are all affected”

Why Liverpool? Keeping the Family in Mind (KFIM) Increased desire to work more closely together in identifying the strengths and opportunities for improvements across services in order to achieve better outcomes for affected families Active participants in development of Guide Practice survey FAMILY Collaborative

Improvements & outcomes so far… Jelly Baby Logo Culture change Increased visibility and social inclusion Improved access to support and services Improved identification and assessment More confident and supported workforce KFIM Pack New types of service provision

The journey continues… ‘The guidance is a great way to help staff and those people that are at the top of the organisations to really do something because it began with understanding families like ours, who are trying their best but need some support every now and again’ ‘I hope it will help to change things, and lots of staff I think do want to work together, but then they say things like’ its not really my job’, I don’t really understand how these organisations work but to me its needs those ones at the top, those senior ones to say we are going to really work on the things in the guidance because it will help families’

Implementation site objectives To work with SCIE to implement the Guidance To develop and implement a local work plan To provide ongoing evaluation to capture learning and outcomes To share information across other implementation sites To share learning and outcomes with others

Liverpool Site

Liverpool’s SCIE Work Plan… Scoping exercise complete and informed action plan: Think Family Memorandum of Understanding (Think Family Core Group) Supporting workforce development ( WFD subgroup – emerging action plan) Communication Strategy – internal & external Family Centred Care - subgroup Children’s Centre Project – steering group Young Carers Assessment Care Pathway Data Collection and Improvement

Partners details CAMHS - Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust AMHS - Mersey Care NHS Trust Liverpool PCT Engagement & participation - Liverpool Mental Health Consortium

Contact Details Jane Weller – Senior Improvement Officer (Carers) Children’s, Families and Adults Liverpool City Council Aileen Alexander – Team Leader Barnardo’s AWYC Liverpool Louise Wardale – Keeping the Family in Mind Co-ordinator Barnardos Liverpool

More information on our Think Family work please contact Contact details cont… Webpage details-

Your Experiences…… immediate reactions/thoughts, …..what’s working well for you locally… What policies and procedures do you have locally to encourage you to think family in your work? What do you think the blocks/barriers are? What are the solutions? How will you take back the information you have received today about ‘think child, think parent, think family’ into your local areas?