Issue - meetings

RESOLVED -

(i)         That the Council, acting as lead authority, will host the             Family Drug and Alcohol Court service under the             Independent Reviewing Officer service.

(ii)        That the funding of £749,573 from the Department for             Education be accepted by the Council to spend on the             implementation and delivery of the Family Drugs and             Alcohol Court service across Gateshead, Newcastle and             North Tyneside.

(iii)       That any future decisions regarding the implementation of             the service be delegated to the Strategic Director,             Children, Adults and Families.

(A)       It complements the ambition of the Thrive agenda,   supporting whole family approaches and recovery.

(B)       To achieve the aims set out in the Thrive Policy       Framework, the Council must provide Gateshead residents             with good quality support and services. This is one way of   enabling Gateshead residents to tackle the problems           they are facing and preventing those problems from            escalating.

(C)       Longer term benefits of successful reunification accrue to    children and young people in improved life chances, which also positively impact on demand/costs in social care,         health, criminal justice, education and welfare benefits.       There are also several benefits to the parents including       stability within treatment services, improved wellbeing and reductions in other associated issues (community safety     impacts, offending etc).

(D)       It complements the recent work of the Police and Crime      Commissioner in directing a preventative agenda focusing on communities and tackling root causes to make a             difference and improve people’s lives.

(E)       FDAC evaluation has found this intervention was more        effective than ordinary care proceedings in achieving           parental substance misuse cessation and reuniting families at the end of proceedings. It was also more             successful in preventing fresh neglect or re-abuse in           families whose children were returned home.