Luton Youth Offending Service– Family Therapy
IYPP PROJECT
1. Context of the Project
1.1 Service Context
The Family Therapy Project was initiated by Luton Youth Offending Service (YOS) in 2001. It was initially funded by money from the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP). Further development has been possible by pooling YOS resources from the local Health Trust, Children’s Fund and Involving Young Peoples Project. The Family Therapy Team currently consists of two Qualified Family Therapists and one Family Therapy Trainee who dedicate one day a week to family work.
The aim of the project is to explore and strengthen positive communication and relationship patterns between family members and between family members and outside influences such as peers, school and the neighbourhood etc.
A joint initiative with the On Track project provides a specialist resource working with South Asian families, who make up 20% of Luton’s population.
1.2 Underpinning Ethos
At Luton YOS parenting interventions are offered as a support and not a punishment. We actively seek to provide equal access to the interventions by countering potential barriers created by issues of difference such as language, gender, financial position, ‘race’ and mental health etc. Many families have asked for help over a number of years but have not felt able to access support offered until they find themselves in a situation that forces them to. Our practice is child centred in that the child’s needs are paramount and Child Protection procedures are activated if there is any doubt.
In partnership with parents and young people, we explore and strengthen positive communication and relationship patterns between them and other family members. Some families are better equipped to deal with transitions/changes than others. The service is provided in the family home and offered at flexible times enabling families under financial pressure to access it more easily. All families will be offered the service who meet the referral criteria.
The underpinning premise is that there is a direct relationship between crime and patterns of family behaviour through generations and unresolved issues/traumas, such as bereavement.
1.3 Overarching Parenting Strategy
Family Therapy is one of three parenting interventions provided by Luton YOS, the other two being Parent Mentoring and one to one parent counselling. A ‘Positive Parenting Group’ has run in the past but to increase efficiency it is planned to develop a multi agency service provision in the future. As the Youth Justice Board’s aim is to increase parental involvement in youth offending interventions we routinely offer all three interventions to each parent/carer. Through a collaborative process between parent /carer and parent coordinator, an intervention is selected to suit the needs of the parent/carer and their family.