Think child, think parent, think family:

Parental mental health and child welfare

Hugh Constant, Practice Development Manager

Hannah Roscoe, Research Analyst

Developing the Think Child, Think Parent, Think Family guide

June 2006 Systematic

map of evidence

2006 – 2008 Practice inquiries in five local authorities

April 2009 Consultation: practitioners, academics,

children and parents

July 2009 ‘Think Child, Think Parent, Think Family’

guide

2006 – 2008Literature reviews:

Incidence and detectionAcceptability and

effectivenessProfessional education

Policy

Developing the Think Child, Think Parent, Think Family guide

June 2006 Systematic

map of evidence

2006 – 2008 Practice inquiries in five local authorities

2006 – 2008Literature reviews:

Incidence and detectionAcceptability and

effectivenessProfessional education

Policy

Parker et al. (2009) SPRU

Stanley & Cox (2009) UCLan

SCIEBates & Coren (2006)SCIE with consultancy from EPPI Centre

Parents with mental health problems

Those with dependent

children

All adults with MH problems

Those with MH

problems

All adults with dependent children

All adults

All adults

Approach 1

Approach 2

Parents with mental health problems

In a population of non-elderly adults, at any given time, around 9 to 10 per cent of women and 5 to 6 per cent of men in Great Britain will be parents with mental health problems (Meltzer et al. 1995; Singleton et al. 2001).

One in four children aged 5-16 have mothers who would be classed as at risk for common mental health problems (Meltzer et al. 2000)

Why think family in mental health services?

3. Parenting and the

parent – child relationship

4. Risks, stressors and vulnerability factors

4. Protective factors and resources

1. Child mental health

and development

2. Adult mental health

The Family Model (Falkov, 1998)

Why think family in mental health services?

Most parents with mental health problems parent their children effectively

However, in some cases parental mental ill health can be a factor in: Significant harm to children Impaired health and development of children

Increased likelihood of mental ill health in children of parents with MH problems

Barriers to ‘thinking family’

3. Parenting and the

parent – child relationship

4. Risks, stressors and vulnerability factors

4. Protective factors and resources

1. Child mental health

and development

2. Adult mental health

Think Child, Think Parent, Think Family Guide

Full guide At-a-glance SCTV

www.scie.org.uk/children/thinkchildthinkparentthinkfamily/index.asp

Key messages from the guidance

A ‘no wrong door’ approach Whole family approach to the care

pathway Build on family strengths Communications strategy Workforce development ‘Think Family’ strategy

Key messages

Listen to parents and children Manage crises and risk Be creative Increase every family member´s

understanding of a parent´s mental health problem

Why implementation?

‘...in the past much policy and guidance has relied on exhortations to collaborate rather than offering constructive mechanisms for doing so.’ (Stanley & Cox, 2009, p.5).

The sites

Birmingham

Lewisham

Liverpool

North Somerset

Northern Ireland

Southwark

Early learning

Senior sign-up

Steering group Progress

User and carer involvement

Early learning

Senior sign-up Safeguarding children’s boards Family strategy boards Parenting boards Think Family project boards

Steering group membership Adult mental health Children’s social care Users and carers, or representatives Training, communications

Early learning

“Getting to Know You” Colleagues meeting for the first time Can add to time needed to get started Trust and working relationships need to be

developed Joint training is useful in breaking down

barriers

Early learning

Northern Ireland benefits from a whole systems approach Professional education IT systems Regulation

North Somerset – champions’ group; tackling challenge of parental involvement

Southwark – strong strategic approach; focus on training

Early learning

Liverpool – lunchtime learning Birmingham – piloting in one area of the city;

employing project worker Lewisham – learning from drug & alcohol

policy; effective consultation event

Early learning

This is a guide – albeit a very robust and credible one

Local areas need to use it to inform their work, as shaped by local drivers and priorities

The evidence base is strong, but situations differ

Questions for discussion

Thoughts or reflections (10 minutes) on the evidence base on the messages on the implementation

Changing practice (15 minutes) what might you do differently in your work? what changes need to take place in your

organisation?