Experience of the MST CAN pilot demonstrated that supporting parents with their mental health problems using evidence-based approaches can make a long-term difference. Therefore in 2018 a Big Lottery grant was provided to FPM to develop a costed business plan for the provision of a parental psychology service which will collaborate with adult mental health to provide home based interventions for parents with moderate mental health difficulties. This is specifically rooted within a systemic therapeutic context and a children’s social care environment.

The therapy must be offered within a systemic framework and within a social care environment.

The proposed service is a team of therapists led by a qualified clinical experienced psychologist who has proven work history with adult mental health and systemic work. The team will deliver a range of psychological evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety and depression, trauma-based work for PTSD including EMDR, dialectic behaviour therapy for personality problems and couple relationship work. The therapy would include family sessions at the beginning, during and end of intervention to assess the parenting impact of the psychological symptoms.

The service would be accountable for the parents’ mental health psychological treatment whilst the case was open to social care. The treatment would be for 12-24 sessions, offered on a weekly basis. The therapist would attend any relevant meetings regarding the children (CP, CIN and unit meetings) when required and liaise closely with the GP. There would be a pathway established

to Adult Mental Health services for cases that met eligibility thresholds for more specialist interventions and the team would act as a liaison point for support via higher specialist services. The team would be able to make mental health screenings and identify the need for interventions.

What would be the benefits of this service?

We believe this would be a highly valuable addition to children’s social care provision by offering access to adult therapeutic work directly related to the safeguarding of children and young people. By addressing the symptoms of mental health, parents will be able to attend better to the needs of their children.

FPM are committed to developing clear specification, but now needs to trial and evaluate this service in collaboration with a social care service.