New way of working with families in crisis commended by government’s child protection review

The only Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) in the UK has been successful in improving outcomes for children by tackling the substance misuse of parents at an early stage of care proceedings, according to an independent evaluation of the court published today by the Nuffield Foundation and Brunel University.

Parents who had been through the FDAC system were more likely to stop their substance misuse than those in ordinary care proceedings, meaning fewer children were taken into care. When parents were unable to control their substance misuse, FDAC made swifter decisions to find permanent alternative homes for children. The integrated approach also has potential to reduce costs.

FDAC’s success has also been recognised by two major government reviews of family justice and child protection. The Munro Review of Child Protection was ‘impressed’ by the pilot and used it as an example of how multi-disciplinary teams can provide effective interventions for vulnerable children.

This reiterates the findings from the Family Justice Review interim report, which said FDAC showed ‘considerable promise’ and ‘potentially justifies a further limited roll out’. The Family Justice Review, led by David Norgrove, also emphasises the importance of judicial continuity – having the same judge follow a family through all stages of proceedings – a unique and important feature of FDAC.

What is FDAC?

FDAC is a new way of dealing with care proceedings when parental substance misuse is causing harm to children. This is the main issue in up to two thirds of all care proceedings.  Unlike conventional care proceedings, parents in FDAC see the same judge throughout and meet with them every fortnight. They also receive support from a multi-disciplinary team, including fast access to substance misuse services and assistance with other issues such as housing, domestic violence and financial hardship.

The FDAC pilot is being run in the Inner London Family Proceedings Court at Wells Street and the multi-disciplinary team is provided by The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with children’s charity Coram. The pilot is based on a successful US model and began in January 2008 with three participating London Boroughs – Camden, Islington and Westminster. Hammersmith and Fulham joined the pilot in April 2011 and the pilot will run until March 2012.

Families reunited and substance misuse controlled

The independent evaluation team, led by Professor Judith Harwin at Brunel University and funded by the Nuffield Foundation and the Home Office, found that FDAC has been more successful at controlling substance misuse and reuniting families than ordinary proceedings. At the time of the final court order, 39% of FDAC mothers were reunited with their children compared to 21% of mothers from a comparison group in ordinary care proceedings. All but two parents said they were in favour of the FDAC approach.

Cost savings

More children staying with their families means that local authorities save money. The evaluation also shows that FDAC reduced costs in other ways such as shorter care placements, shorter court hearings and fewer contested cases.

“We are delighted that both the Munro Review and the Family Justice Review have recognised the earlysuccess of FDAC in breaking the cycle of harm caused to families by substance misuse and we hope the government takes heed of the recommendation to consider rolling out the model further”, said Professor Judith Harwin.

District Judge Nick Crichton said:

“This evaluation shows that swift access to integrated support services helps parents control their substance misuse and be reunited with their children.Where parents are unable to address their substance misuse, FDAC’sintervention helps to secure an earlier alternative permanent home for children.All the evidence so far suggests that extending this pilot and rolling out FDAC inother areas would be in the best interests of children and families.”

In a joint statement, children’s charity Coram, The Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust and the London Boroughs of Camden, Islington and Westminster, said: “We are very pleased to receive independent recognition of the work of the Family Drug and Alcohol Court. This further demonstrates how, with successful multi-agency working, families can be given a greater chance to stay together and the best possible decisions can be swiftly taken for the future of the children at the heart of these cases.”

ENDS

Contact: Fran Bright, Communications Manager, 020 7681 9623: fbright@nuffieldfoundation.org.

Notes to editors

1.The Munro Review of Child Protection published its final report on 10 May 2011. FDAC is featured as a case study (101-104). The report is published on the DfE website: http://www.education.gov.uk/munroreview/firstreport.shtml

2.The Family Justice Review published its interim report on 31 March 2011. It references FDAC on pages 140-141 and again in Annex O (Pages 214-217). The report is published on the MoJ website: http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/family-justice-review.htm.

3. FDAC sits at the Inner London Family Proceedings Court in Wells Street. Between January 2008 and the end of June 2009, 55 families (77 children) entered the court. The evaluation compares this sample to a comparison sample of 31 families (49 children) involved in ordinary care proceedings in two other local authorities during the same period.

4. This evaluation of FDAC was funded by the Nuffield Foundation and the Home Office. Cases were followed up for 6 months from the first hearing and it was also possible to track 41 FDAC and 19 comparison cases to final order. Interviews were held with parents and with the FDAC judges, team and court staff and commissioners involved in the set-up and implementation of FDAC. Focus groups were held with parent mentors and with professionals who had cases in FDAC in the first 18 months (lawyers, guardians, social workers and staff from adult treatment services).

5. The total funding secured for the five-year FDAC project is £2,103,129. This has been contributed by DCSF (now DfE), the Home Office, the Department of Health, the Ministry of Justice and the four participating London boroughs.

Related


Explore our projects

New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
A young child splashing in a puddle next to his guardian and sister.
New

Justice | 2024 - 2026

Special guardianship families: experiences and support needs

View project
New

Justice | 2024 - 2024

Crossing Boundaries: Co-designing support for vulnerable young people

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
Three colleagues smiling and talking at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Arthritis, work and wellbeing: a mixed methods study with policy recommendations

View project
A group of neighbours walking outside in a green space

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Just neighbourhoods? Under-representation in UK community-led planning

View project
A young child splashing in a puddle next to his guardian and sister.
New

Justice | 2024 - 2026

Special guardianship families: experiences and support needs

View project
A front view of a father and his two children. He is carrying his young son in his arms and his daughter is riding her scooter along the footpath as he pushes his son's scooter along the way.
New

Justice | Welfare | 2024 - 2026

Challenging justice inequalities with children in conflict with the law 

View project
New

Justice | 2024 - 2024

Crossing Boundaries: Co-designing support for vulnerable young people

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
A group of neighbours walking outside in a green space

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Just neighbourhoods? Under-representation in UK community-led planning

View project
Man holds girl's hand as he walks her to primary school

Justice | 2023 - 2025

Improving safeguarding outcomes after adoption or special guardianship

View project
A woman is sat on the edge of a bed staring at her phone while her daughter is in the background.
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Virtual parent support portals: a new research and practice agenda

View project
Teenager hugging their mother
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

The long-term effects of being a young carer

View project
Elderly woman and adult daughter out shopping
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Connecting pensions, health and care

View project
Mother, father, son and daughter standing in front of their house
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

A regional regeneration index to track socioeconomic ‘Levelling Up’

View project
Man working on a laptop using sign language on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2023 - 2024

Designing inclusive remote and hybrid working to support disabled workers

View project
Children walking with their parents in the countryside
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Children’s lives in changing places

View project
Older man working from home on a video call
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2023

The impact of pension auto-enrolment and COVID-19 on saving behaviours

View project
Worried woman alone in a room, resting her head on her arms
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Links between cognitive impairment and exploitation in England

View project
A man working as a delivery driver sits in the driver's seat, checking his list on a tablet
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2023

Redesigning labour market policies for the future of work

View project
Older people drinking tea at a meeting at a community centre
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Using administrative data to understand community well-being

View project
Two cheerful farmers standing outside a farm building looking at a tablet
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Rural assets: policy and practice insights from the devolved nations

View project
A group of women walk in a park with their children in pushchairs
In progress

Welfare | 2022 - 2024

Nature-based integration: connecting communities with/in nature

View project
A young child splashing in a puddle next to his guardian and sister.
New

Justice | 2024 - 2026

Special guardianship families: experiences and support needs

View project
New

Justice | 2024 - 2024

Crossing Boundaries: Co-designing support for vulnerable young people

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Youth: mitigating exclusions using the digital?

View project
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2027

Performance Tracker 

View project
Mother wearing hijab holding her toddler son on her knee, smiling at each other
New

Welfare | 2024 - 2025

Afghan resettlement in England: outcomes and experiences 

View project
three women walking along street laughing and smiling
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Revealing social capital

View project
A middle-aged man sat at home is looking at this phone while sorting pension paperwork.
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Collective defined contribution pensions with investment choice

View project
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Universal Credit, good work and progression

View project
Three colleagues smiling and talking at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2026

Arthritis, work and wellbeing: a mixed methods study with policy recommendations

View project
A man driving a van at work
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

The PAW Trial: feasibility and acceptability of the Pain-at-Work Toolkit

View project
Two older women swimming in their local pool
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

The psychological, social and economic impact of musculoskeletal conditions

View project
Older woman using a tablet to make a video call
New

Welfare | 2023 - 2025

Remote osteoarthritis peer-mentorship for socioeconomically underserved people

View project
Reported

Justice | 2019 - 2023

Born into care: best practice guidelines

View project
Grandparents having fun outdoors with their granddaughter, who is eating an apple and laughing: Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

Understanding family and community vulnerabilities in transition to net zero

View project
Father and son using laptop at home
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2024

Developing a minimum digital living standard for households with children

View project
Siblings play ball in a playground - Siblings Contact and the Law
Reported

Justice | 2020 - 2021

Guidance to judges on the anonymisation of children judgements

View project
Close up of a young girl and her father wearing protective face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic outside.
Reported

Welfare | 2021 - 2023

The Economy 2030 Inquiry: navigating a decade of change

View project
Reported

Justice | 2020 - 2022

When is a wedding not a marriage? Exploring non-legally binding ceremonies

View project
Toddler-gleefully-eats-baked-beans-How-COVID-19-is-affecting-food-security-proj
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2021

How the COVID-19 crisis is affecting food security

View project
Teenage-girl-looks-at-smartphone-next-to-laptop-Growing-up-under-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Education | Welfare | 2020 - 2022

Growing up under COVID-19

View project
Mother carrying daughter outside their home
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2022

COVID realities: families on low incomes during the pandemic

View project
Woman-looks-at-smartphone-screen-How-the-UK-public-gets-information-about-COVID-19-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2020

How the UK public gets information about COVID-19

View project
Woman-medical-professional-treats-patient-impact-MSK-conditions-outcomes-other-illnesses-PROJ
Reported

Welfare | 2020 - 2022

The impact of musculoskeletal conditions on outcomes of other illnesses

View project
A middle-aged teacher sits at her desk and helps a female student with a problem in her textbook.
Reported

Education | Welfare | 2020 - 2020

Measuring the disadvantage attainment gap in 16-19 education

View project
Search projects

We improve people’s lives by funding research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. We also fund student programmes that give young people skills and confidence in science and research.

We offer our grant-holders the freedom to frame questions and enable new thinking. Our research must stand up to rigorous academic scrutiny, but we understand that to be successful in effecting change, it also needs to be relevant to people’s experience.

Profile