Family support for families at risk --------------------------------------

Professor Pat Dolan and Dr Carmel Devaney

UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway

Incorporating Research into Practice

Not about Static or New Solutions for Families at Risk

Family Support

Sources of Support

Informal (naturally occurring relationships with family friends and neighbours)

Formal (professional services with supportive roles for children and families)

Semi-Formal Sources (paid mentors, volunteers)

There are instances when more formal supports are necessary.

(Thompson, 1995; Gilligan, 2000; Gardner, 2003).

Importance / Evidence of Informal Social Support for Young

People at Risk

• Informal Social Support - the ‘Bread and Butter’ of Relationships (Garbarino and Whittaker 1983)

• Social Support an ‘Underpinning’ theoretical Framework for Family Support

Tangible

Emotional Advice

Balance and

Buoyancy

TEA as a model for Types of Social Support

Dolan and Brady 2012

Qualities of Social Support

Dolan and Brady. 2012

CloseAdmonishPositively

Reciprocal Durable

Informal Social Support Families at Risk

Attachment

Age/StageLifecourse

Resilience

Social EcologySocial

Capital

From Veterans – Devaney 2011

Informal Social Support Young People at Risk

Natural and AbundentNon Stigmatising

Cheap Intervention

Family Greatest Source of

Support

Family Greatest Source of

Harm

Strengths based • A strengths based perspective rather than a deficit

model - a cornerstone of practice in Family Support (Dunst et al., 1992; Saleeby, 1997; Gardner, 2006; Pinkerton and Dolan 2007).

• Smith and Davis (2010) advocate choice, participation, anti-discrimination and timeliness employ peoples own solutions at the centre

• Saleeby (1997) argues for, groups and communities to meet the challenges faced, - working collaboratively using people’s own resilience to achieve change.

Incorporating a strengths based approach in practice

1. All families have strengths. unique & depend upon culture, background, beliefs, & socioeconomic status

2. Failure of a family to display competence must not be viewed as a deficit but rather as a failure in the system to create opportunities for the competency to be displayed or learned

3. Involves a shift away from the belief that experts should solve the families’ problems & towards empowering families to master the challenges in their own lives

4. Goal of intervention – not “doing for people”, but as strengthening the functioning of families -less dependent on professionals.

5. Requires acceptance but also valuing individual difference; a shift away from the use of treatment & towards using prevention models (Dunst, 1995)

Prevention & early intervention

• Barlow et al. (2010) emphasise a focus in universal service provision on preventing difficulties arising in the first instance – Starting point is key

• Sheppard (2009) actions of families themselves, in particular parents, ought to also be included in the prevention continuum.

• Refers specifically to the actions of parents in the stages prior to the involvement of services, & the actions families will take to ameliorate or resolve a situation.

Review of Family Inquiries - Ireland(Buckley and O’ Nolan DCYA 2013)

• Kilkenny Incest Case Report (1993)

• Kelly Fitzgerald Report (1996)

• West of Ireland Farmer Report (1998)

• Monageer Report (2009)

• Roscommon Child Care Case (2010)

Review of Family Inquiries – Ireland

• early intervention, family support, out-of-hours services and staff welfarewere common themes.

Review of Family Inquiries – Ireland

• Need for better identification/ vigilance of children with signs of vulnerability/risk

• Ability to challenge the views of other professionals

• Skills Sets, including multidisciplinary training on different topics.

Policy Rich – Implementation Poor

Programme ‘itis’ – Reinventions

The Strange Case of Family Group Conferencing

(Connolly 2009- Byrne & Devaney in press)

Pecora’s 5 point Litmus test in FS work and risk

Is the Child or Young Person:1. At home2. In school/Work3. Wanted by the Law (actively)4. Mental Health ok?5. Physical Health ok?

ProgrammesFor Families at

Risk

ProgrammesFor Families at

Risk

Relationship Factor

ProgrammesFor Families at

Risk

Relationship Factor

(Style andReflective Practice)

AGENCYYoung Person

Family &Social

Network

ProgrammesFor Families at

Risk

Relationship Factor

(Style andReflective Practice)

AGENCYYoung Person

Family &Social

NetworkNuances &Flexibility

CulturalCompetent

Protective Factors

Risk FactorsResilience Factor Balance in Person(Rutter et al 2012)

Protective Factors

Risk FactorsResilience Factor in Ecology

E.G – Civic Engagement (Dolan 2012;

McArdle 2013 )

Working with Children/Youth at risk and FamiliesThrough Family Support ‘A’ - Models

• By Area

• By Age/Stage

• By Adversity

• By AskingDolan et al in press

Would this Work For Me/Family?

Would I use it or recommend it for my children parents or other family member ?