Coventry LA Women’s Family Intervention Project

Louison RickettsLead Senior Manager for FIP

November 2011

Why Women’s FIP?

• Corston Report• NOMS National Service Framework• Needs and characteristics of women offenders

differ from men• Coventry LA commitment to ensure the right

interventions, services and support are provided for families with multiple needs

• “Think Family” Funded Project

What is the Women’s FIP model?

• Whole family approach• Gripping the family • Intensity of intervention• Persistence • Assessment • Contracts• Reviews• Exit strategy.

Criteria

Three or more of the following has to be met• Been involved in acquisitive crime• Experienced, or is experiencing domestic abuse,

mental health problems, poor health, low self-esteem and lack of confidence

• Children who are in need of family support, education, emotional and behavioural support

Assessment – Levels of Need

Referral Process

• Two routes to accessing the Women’s FIP• Statutory women offenders – direct referrals

from Probation Offender Managers• Non statutory women – referrals from the Police

Offender Managers via the IDOM Local Case Management Forum (multi-agency meeting)

Assessment Process

• Secure agreement from the service user and commitment from agencies already involved to work in the FIP way.

• Undertake comprehensive “whole family” assessment

• Brokering and sequencing of interventions• Contract issued to family – ownership• Strong focus on working together with the

allocated Probation or Police Offender Manager

Continued…

• Robust reviews (at least every 6 weeks)• Appointments for women on statutory

supervision are enforceable• “True” multi-agency problem solving• “Total Place” approach

Women’s FIP Agencies

Wo

men

’s FIP

Offen

ders

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES

SOCIAL CARE PROBATION

VIBES

CHILDREN'S CENTRES

FAMILY LINKS

JOB CENTRE PLUS

SYSTEMIC THERAPIST

REWIND (Hate Crime) DEFUSE

COMPASS

POLICE

HOUSING

FAMILY GROUP CONFERENCING SWANSWELL

CAB

RELATE

PARENTING

EDUCATION

PCT: PMHT CAMHS MIND

Substance Misuse Services

• Compass Young People’s Services

• Suitable for any young person under the age of 18 years living within Coventry

• Key worker works with the young person• Offers 1:1 advice and support (eg. harm

reduction)• Provides specialist alcohol and drug services• Provides a range of specialist targeted

interventions, such as substitute prescribing

Cont:

Offer support and advice to parents, carers, significant others and families;

Provide consultancy and support to professionals and volunteers working with children and young people

Assertive Outreach Model - Work alongside local communities, neighbourhood forums and key partners to respond to local hotspot issues as part of a co-ordinated multidisciplinary approach.

Addaction/Cranstoun (1)

• Addaction, in consortium with Cranstoun, will

provide drug and alcohol treatment services for adults across Coventry and Warwickshire from 1 December 2011.

• Drug and alcohol treatment services were re-commissioned for a number of reasons:

• to encourage a step-change towards a recovery-oriented treatment system, in line with the new National Drug Strategy.

Addaction/Cranstoun (2)

to extend treatment options for clients and ensure services which were previously under short term funding become part of mainstream provision

• to ensure services provide value for money by working in a multidisciplinary approach.

The 4 C’s of FIP Case Management

• Continuity – there needs to be a continuity of core treatment, but also a reasonable degree of continuity of relationship running through the whole length of the intervention.

• Consistency – the family needs to experience a consistency of message and behaviour both by the same person over time and by different people working with the same family at the same time. This is essential for delivery of service – not constantly changing key worker.

• Commitment – the family need to experience the behaviour of staff working with them as genuine not just going through the motions.

• Consolidation – gains will be short lived if new learning is not turned into normal behaviour through a process which re-enforces and rewards it.

Success Stories

• Statutory case: AB case referred to us through the Probation offender manager• Non-statutory case: MM referred to us through police case manager• Quotes from Police: ‘We’ve been waiting for a service like this, we have seen how

effective it is and that it really helps these women get a grip of their lives and prevents them from re-offending’

• Probation OMs: ‘Working with the Women’s FIP has been great, initially we were unsure but now we have seen the value of this service, the support that they give the women in real terms is amazing. They have reduced our workload by working so intensively with these women, and they have also ensured that appts with us are kept thereby reducing the number of potential breaches.’

• Women Quotes: I didn’t know that this level of support was out there, I have benefitted from help with debts, finance and training for employment, the children have benefitted from the support they receive from FIP both in and out of school. My mom has noticed the change in me and feels that she has also benefitted from this service.

The Future

• Securing funding – working in partnership with the IDOM Development Team, Police HQ

• Development and expansion of Women’s FIP, including engagement of TSAs

• Implementation of Activity Requirement• Consideration of Conditional Cautioning • Cascading learning and good practice to the

other LA areas within West Mids CJA.

Any Questions?