About the Family Intervention Project

Family Intervention Projects (FIPs) were initially developed out of the Government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy.

Research identified around 50,000 families in this country who have complex needs and have received multi-agency intervention for considerable periods of time. In many cases, positive outcomes have not been achieved and these unsuccessful interventions represent huge cost and a drain on resources.
In many cases, the behaviour of family members’ impacts negatively upon communities and most significantly, children do not reach their full potential. Where support is not effective research shows clear patterns of intergenerational workless ness, offending behaviour and parenting difficulties. The FIPs’ role is to break this cycle and support families towards greater social inclusion.

The Home Office describes FIPs as a cost effective and tried and tested way of working with families with complex needs. FIPs were designed specifically to tackle and challenge the root causes of all forms of exclusion and anti-social behaviour.
The Basildon FIP is formed through a partnership between Basildon District Council, Essex County Council and Family Mosaic Housing. Other stakeholders include the Youth Offending Service, Police, Social Care and St Georges Housing. The project is overseen by a Steering Group consisting of multi-agency representatives who meet on a monthly basis.

Aims and objectives:

• To prevent families from entering the Homelessness system
• To reduce the number of anti-social behaviour complaints
• To reduce offending
• To improve children’s and young people’s attendance and behaviour at school, reducing the level of truancy and exclusion.
• To reduce alcohol and drug use both of children and young people and their parents.
• To prevent children from becoming “looked after” by the Local Authority
• To help improve outcomes for all family members

The FIP will work with all members of the family to address the problematic areas of their lives. By identifying the root causes, we can coordinate specific support to help overcome challenges and, where necessary, improve behaviour. We take a positive approach and build on existing strengths to support families to achieve change.
Integrated working is a vital aspect of this support. FIPs work in partnership with a range of other agencies in the provision of agreed services and interventions. These agencies contribute to the assessment of the family and commit to delivering their services through the resulting “support contract”.

The Basildon FIP integrates with the local Multi Agency Allocation Panel (MAAG) to access specialist services for children.

Who is referred to us?

Any agency or individual can make a referral. You can download a referral form from the Family Mosaic website (go to www.familymosaic.co.uk and type “FIP” into the search box) or contact the Basildon FIP directly.
The team works intensively with a small number of families who are identified as having complex and multiple problems. The threshold of need for those entering the Project is extremely high. There are other support services available for families and the FIP does not seek to duplicate what they offer.

Our referral criteria are rigid in that we can only accept families with at least one child/young person under the age of 18 years (or under 25 years of age if identified with Special Educational Needs).
Three or more of the following risk factors/issues must be present:

• Risk of Eviction
• Anti-Social Behaviour
• Rent Arrears/Debt
• Truancy/low attendance/School Refusal
• Drug and/or Alcohol misuse
• Domestic Abuse
• Offending Behaviour/Risk of Offending
• Mental Health Issues
• Parenting concerns
• Safeguarding Concerns

In line with best practice, the referrer must inform the identified family about the FIP and gain consent for a referral. If consent is not forthcoming, we can contact the family and attempt to gain consent ourselves.

Enforcement actions do not have to be in place prior to referral. Actions may be pending or threatened and referral to the FIP can represent a final chance for a family in a number of circumstances.

For example, Enforcement actions, Notice of Seeking Possession, Child Protection Plans and Supervision Orders, Good Neighbour Contract and ABC’s can incorporate engagement with the project as a condition. FIP work can be incorporated into Child Protection and Child in Need Plans and actions can be postponed or suspended when a family are engaging with a Family Intervention Project.

If the referrer would like to discuss a family’s suitability for the project or requires any other information please contact:-
Tracey Laidlaw – FIP Manager - Tel - 01268 499186 - Email: tracey.laidlaw@familymosaic.co.uk

How do we aim to help?

• FIPs offer a whole family approach.
• Support is delivered through a multi-agency support contract.
• The contract is overseen by a Key Worker in the FIP team who can ensure the provision of a level of support that is tailored to meet the needs of the family.
• Key Workers have comparatively small case-loads so they can offer intensive and concentrated support as required.
• We do not rotate staff within the Project. The family will receive consistent support from the same allocated Key Worker throughout their support contract.
• If the Key Worker is away, another team member will step in to offer case management in their absence.

We aim to help families to:

• Avoid eviction due to anti-social behaviour and/or rent arrears
• Enjoy family life and nurture their children so that they are able to lead fulfilled, positive lives.
• Improve attendance at school, college and training courses
• Seek employment opportunities
• Improve  their financial circumstances
• Prevent or reduce offending behaviour
• Live within the community peacefully
• Understand the risks and harm from alcohol and substance misuse and to reduce that behaviour

None of this is easy but these aims can be achieved if the family are willing to accept the support we are able to offer. National research on FIPs’ plus our own experience shows that the model can be successful.

How will we support your family?

• The FIP will work with you and your family to try and improve things that are worrying you, things that you may be finding difficult and things that are affecting your family life in a negative way.
• The support which the FIP offers will be regular. Your Key Worker could be seeing your family daily when support first begins, reducing to 2-3 times a week and then moving to weekly or less over time. It all depends on you and your family’s needs. We can support you for as long as you require.
• FIP staff may work with you and meet you in a variety of places.
• Signed consent to the sharing of information is a condition for acceptance into the FIP.
• We will need lots of information about you and everyone in your family. This is to make sure that the FIP is able to give you support that is right for you and your family. We will get this information from you and from other services working with your family.
• We will ask you to sign a consent form allowing us and services working with you and your family to share information about you. This will help us work well with other services to give you the right help.
• Information about your family will be treated with respect and we will tell you when we share it with other services.
• Information about your family will be shared between FIP staff so that we can all provide you with a service that best meets your needs.
• Written records will be kept on your family. These will be stored in line with Family Mosaic’s policies and guidance on data protection and confidentiality. You may request to see any records kept by us about you.
•  Staff will contact other services without your consent if they have evidence that a child or young person is at risk of significant harm, or to prevent or detect a serious crime.

Your Family Support Contract

• Once you agree to work with the FIP, we will request information from all the different services that are working with your family.
• You will be invited to a “multi-agency meeting” with someone from all of the services that are working with your family. We will try to arrange this meeting at a place that is close to where you live and we will tell you who agrees to come to this meeting.
• Your family will be allocated a Key Worker.
• At the multi-agency meeting, the services working with your family will be able to let us know how they are supporting you. Your family will be asked for their views - your Key Worker will be able to help you with this.
• The multi-agency meeting will help to put together support plans for each family member. Plans cannot go ahead without the agreement of your family and all the services at the meeting.
• At the multi-agency meeting, we will set a date for a review about six weeks later to look at all the support being provided to your family and to see how it is working.
• Following the multi-agency meeting, your Key Worker will begin an assessment with your family. This is when we will be asking for lots of information. We need to do this to ensure that the best support can be provided to your family.
• After the assessment, your Key Worker will put a contract together that sets out the support plan for your family. It will list what everyone will be doing to improve your situation. Everyone included in the plans will be asked to sign the contract. This is because we want everyone to show their commitment to supporting change with your family.
• This contract may include sanctions and incentives which will be agreed with you and your family.

Working Together

We will be working very closely with you and your family, so we ask that you:

• Make a commitment to work with us
• Keep appointments that have been made for you
• Treat all  FIP staff fairly
• Attend all activities that you have agreed to take part in
• Share any concerns which you have with your Key Worker

And please note - we will not tolerate any verbal abuse or aggression from family members towards any FIP staff.

When do we Work?

You and your family will be able to contact the FIP by telephone during office hours (9.00am-5.00pm Mon – Fri).

If your Key Worker is out you can leave a message for them and they will get back to you as soon as they can or you can speak to another Key Worker who will be able to help you.

If you call the Office outside of these times you can leave a message on the answer phone. Your Key Worker will give you and your family their mobile number. When your Key Worker is away from work - e.g. holiday or sickness - you and your family will be able to speak to or see another Key Worker from FIP.

The Key Worker may want to work with you and your family in the evening, the early morning or at the weekends if they feel you would benefit from support at these times. These appointments will be arranged beforehand.

How do we treat everyone?

We celebrate and welcome the fact that we live and work in a society of different cultures, faiths and backgrounds.
We believe that everyone has the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect for their individual strengths and needs.
We challenge those that discriminate. Please contact the FIP Office if you would like to see our diversity and equal opportunities policy.
Everyone in your family is important to us.

Complaints/Compliments

The FIP welcomes all of your comments and suggestions about the service. We will always listen and plan changes where appropriate.
If you are unhappy about the FIP service you and your family receive, you should speak to your Key Worker or the FIP Manager.
If you feel the problem has not been resolved, you can contact Rod Fanning, Family Mosaic Operations Manager, on 01206 773008.
Please contact the Office if you wish to see a copy of Family Mosaic’s complaints procedures.
Making a complaint will not affect the service you and your family receives from the FIP.

Protecting children and vulnerable adults

• Children and young people need to be protected from physical, sexual and emotional harm or neglect.
• Adults also need protection from physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse.
• The FIP will work with your family and other services to protect children, young people and adults.
• If you have concerns about the safety or welfare of a child, young person or adult you can contact any FIP staff member, Social Care or the Police.
• If FIP staff believe that a child, young person or vulnerable adult is at risk of significant harm they have a duty to share this information with appropriate services.