Luton Youth Offending Service – Family Therapy
IYPP PROJECT
5. Resources
To run a viable Family Therapy service the minimum staffing requirements are two qualified family therapists (it is feasible for one therapist to be a trainee). Additionally, it is essential that both therapists have access to regular (at least once a month) clinical supervision by a qualified family therapy supervisor.
Although Family Therapists do not routinely work in pairs, when working in clients’ homes and in isolation from a team of practitioners, co-working provides both a safeguard against personal assaults and also a second opinion in often very complex cases.
Whilst most of the work is carried out in the clients’ home they are given a venue choice and on occasion the family chose to be seen on the YOS premises in one of the interview rooms.
Staff unfamiliar with the youth justice context would benefit from an induction period to familiarise them with the legal and procedural framework and the terminology used.
Whilst the cost of providing two therapists for each family contact is expensive compared to group work it can be argued that it may be just as cost effective. For example, often families agreeing to therapy in their home would not access a parent group and all members of the family are included in the intervention, although as previously stated sometimes sporadically. Sometimes, other family members, including younger siblings joined in the sessions or became the focus of some of the sessions, which means that the Family Therapy can act preventatively.