Child Poverty - Changing TraX case study

Preventing and Tackling Child Poverty in Newcastle case study: Child poverty themes - Improving support to families and improving financial wellbeing of families

Summary

Changing TraX works with families where there are significant risks of children becoming looked after or subject to a child protection plan because of parental substance misuse. The families have often experienced debt, unemployment and other issues associated with poverty such as poor health and low educational attainment. The work builds on the strengths of families to maintain children at home safely. 

“I was feeling down the other day, it was the day I’d been to another support service. I came away feeling withdrawn and I didn’t want to talk. I know if there’d been any drink around I’d have had it that day. Instead, I got out my folder that I’m working on with my worker and looked at the exercise on ‘decisional balance’ – looking at this reminded me about why I’ve stopped drinking and why I need to stop. I’d written in my diary: remember the kids need me to love and care for them and keep them safe – they are more important than the demon drink – I could easily get another bottle of vodka but I’d never have another Stacey and Billy”.

[Parent, Crisis Intervention Service]

“It was good to be in our own group because you could say things without your Mam hearing, and then after when you came together, you were able to say what you wanted to say to your Mam, and they had to listen, and they asked you questions, and then we had to ask them questions, so it was good. We were all talking and listening to each other”.

[Young Person, Strengthening Families Programme (SFP)]

Key learning

• Build a Team around the Family – partnership working is essential to improve outcomes for parents and children including their financial wellbeing.
• Targeted intervention and support to families is cost effective – there are savings to a range of organisations from a reduced demand for high cost services.
• The active involvement of parents and children in finding solutions for themselves helps to reduce isolation, build self esteem and creates stability in the family.  This provides a foundation for thinking about work or training or volunteering for parents and what they want to be different for their children.

Background

Changing TraX was established in April 2007 in response to the ‘Hidden Harm’ report which highlighted the need for Adult’s and Children’s Services to work together to improve outcomes for children for whom parental substance misuse was an issue. Substance misuse was an issue in 59 per cent of initial Child Protection Conferences in the city in 2008-9. 

There are two strands to the service:

• The Crisis Intervention Service (CIS) provides intensive support (24/7) for a fixed period working with parents to change their behaviour and enable children and young people to stay at home safely.
• The Strengthening Families Programme (SFP) is a seven week programme which targets parents and children and young people aged 10 to 16.

Key personnel and resources

• CIS programme is managed by a team manager and supported by three key workers.
• SFP programme is led by the SFP coordinator and supported by a virtual team of 30 staff who deliver evidence based parenting programmes.
• Changing TraX is funded by Working Neighborhoods Fund until 2011 and has obtained additional funding in partnership with Barnardos for the Parenting Early Intervention Programme (PEIP).

What did we do and how well did we do it?

• Changing TraX works intensively with families for three months and then manages a gradual reduction, staying involved for up to a year.
• Throughout this time the emphasis changes from parenting and substance misuse issues to work with parents on their aspirations for themselves and their children.
• Benefit checks and support with debt from the welfare rights service is part of the support package.
• They use a number of approaches such as solution focused, motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy to help families make the changes needed.
• The “crisis” is used as a vehicle for change, that is, it is at the point of children becoming looked after that parents frequently begin to change the way they think, their values and their behaviour.
• The quality of the approach of the key workers which provides support and challenge to the families is a key factor in success.
• Strengthening Families Programme involves parents and children attending workshop sessions covering issues such as drug and alcohol, school, punishment and rewards. The aim is to build relationships between children and parents and in doing so help to improve school attendance, reduce anti-social behaviour (ASB) and the use of drugs and alcohol.

Family A

Father had been using drugs for 16 years and drinks heavily (bottle of vodka and 8 to 10 cans of lager a day). He had a long history of offending and custodial sentences. Mum was using heroin regularly and had received a suspended sentence for trying to smuggle drugs into prison for the father.

There was a lack of parental supervision and concern regarding the children’s appearance, low attendance and poor punctuality in school. Mother was pregnant with her fifth child. Maternal grandmother had moved in with the family to care for the children.

Changing TraX became involved following the birth of the fifth child partly triggered by grandmother saying she could not manage the children and requesting accommodation. At the prospect of losing the children both parents asked for support to cease their substance use.

A key worker worked intensively with both parents (daily) for six weeks reducing to three times per week for a further six weeks and once per week thereafter. This involved

• practical and therapeutic support, family routines, organisational and parenting skills, building family relationships
• housing support
• empowered both parents to take charge of their lives, for example, managing and attending appointments for themselves and for the children
• building self confidence and self esteem
• relapse prevention work and
• working with all professionals and extended family members.

All five children have remained at home, attending school and present as happy and well cared for. Both parents attend all appointments and are producing continuous clean samples. Father has controlled his alcohol intake. The family avoided eviction and were supported with a backdated claim for benefits.

Outcomes and impact

• Between April 2008 and March 2009, 51 families were referred to the crisis intervention service.
• The service engaged with 20 families, resulting in 49 children and 31 adults having a full or beginning a full 6-12 week intervention.
• 36 (74 per cent) of these children remain at home with parents 6 (12 per cent) children are living with extended family and 7(14 per cent) children are in Local Authority care.
• Potential savings include the cost of local authority care (estimated to be £36,653 per year), reduction in custodial sentences (£113.44 per day), arrests, eviction for anti-social behaviour (estimated £6,500-9,500) etc.
• Families are referred to the Welfare Rights Service for a benefit check and support with debt.
• There are improvements in outcomes for children e.g. increased school attendance and attainment, improvements in family relationships and behaviour.
• Changing TraX significantly reduces the risk factors in families, for example, reduction in parental substance misuse, ASB and criminal activity and poor parenting. There is a reduction in the number of children at risk of significant harm.

How we could do it better?

To target the problems that families face more effectively we need to have a common vision and common processes across Children’s and Adult Services.

• Extend the work of Changing TraX with parental substance misuse to other parenting issues for example, mental health.
• Increase capacity to work with families where there is domestic violence.
• Demonstrate the savings that can be made through this approach to a range of organizations.
• Second staff into Changing TraX from Adult’s and Children’s services to build the skill of staff in this way of working.

Next steps

• Increase and target parenting and family support programmes.
• Recruit and train staff from partner agencies to deliver Strengthening Families to ensure programme sustainability.
• Support the council’s approach in using Common Assessment Framework as a means of providing wrap round support for families.
• Identify further funding to provide a monitoring function post-crisis intervention to monitor and support parents to maintain positive changes. Although follow up review visits are provided, it is recognised that after working with the family intensively for 6-12 weeks, sometimes 15 hours a week, some families will need some extra support for a longer period.
• Bring together Changing TraX and Family Intervention Projects into one intensive support service.

Contact Details

Name: Joanna Noon; Team Manager,
Children’s Services, Newcastle City Council
Phone: 0191 278 8151
E-mail: Joanna.noon@newcastle.gov.uk