Community directory

Think Family

Launched in January this year, Think Family is a DCSF-led initiative that extends the message of integration from Every Child Matters to adult services, so that all services share responsibility for family outcomes.

The first report from the Families at Risk Review, Reaching Out: Think Family, highlighted the crucial influence of the home environment and of parents in determining outcomes for children.

Think Family is an initiative that identifies and promotes best practice in supporting families. Its approach is centred on encouraging and empowering frontline staff to innovate and cooperate in response to whole-family situations. It means reforming services and systems provided by local authorities and children’s trusts for vulnerable children, young people and adults to ensure that these services work together to meet the full range of needs within each family for both adult and child and that they strengthen the ability of family members to provide care and support to each other

Services of all types may come into contact with families at risk and so the implications of Think Family are far reaching and extend to both universal and targeted services working with adults, young people, children and families.

More information on this national programme, can be found by visiting the website of the Department for Children Schools and Families – signposted to the right.

Hertfordshire’s Think Family Parenting Practitioners

Two specialist parenting practitioners are now providing services in Hertfordshire as part of the government’s Think Family policy.

Their objectives are to provide assistance countywide at ‘specialist’ level for parents with complex needs (at level 3 under the Framework for Information and Parent Support Services in Hertfordshire) with various mental health disorders including learning disabilities, substance misuse and other mental health issues.

Jan Crook and Avril Burns will lead intervention and support between parent and child in a range of situations with the aim that any necessary interventions are more effective.
The role of the Think Family Parenting Practitioner (TFPP) will be to provide a direct referral pathway without necessitating a need for a CAF and interventions will be based on SMART principles. As this is a new service the practitioners will implement a flexible, reviewable approach.

The service providers that the TFPP will link to include:

• 0-7 Partnership
  
• Specialist Children’s Service
  
• Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities (SFSC)
  
• Family Intervention Programme
  
• CAMHS
  
• YOTS and Probation
  
• ADASH
  
• CDAT (Community drug and alcohol team)
  
• SEBD Schools (social, emotional, behavioural disorder)
  
• CSF Specialist Adolescent Teams
  
• Adult Care Services
  
• Welfare/Pastoral/Pupil/Family Support Workers – Schools/colleges
  
• Behaviour Support Teams
  
• Early Intervention for Psychosis
  
• Family intervention Projects
  
• Family Support Centres
  
• Children’s Centres (Sure Start)
  
• Looked-After Children’s Teams
  
• Adoption Support Agencies
  
• Local Authority Anti-Social Behaviour Offices (ASB) (liaise between housing providers and local support officers)
  
• Health visitors
  
• Voluntary sector (Parent Line, Citizen’s Support Bureau, Hertfordshire Positive Parenting Programme)

For more information contact Jan Crook (m: 07920 284662) or Avril Burns (m: 07920 284661) on 01923 427246.