FAMILY SERVICES
ON THE BRINK
Losing the last residential rehab for families in England would be nothing short of a tragedy , says James Armstrong
D espite significant investment in drug treatment in recent years none of this funding has reach residential treatment services . This failure , combined with short-term and sporadic funding processes , has led to England facing the loss of its last residential family treatment service . Tragically , this means that more families will suffer from a treatable condition and children will be separated from their parents , creating unnecessary intergenerational trauma .
Phoenix announced the closure of the National Specialist Family Service based in Sheffield in October . Unless sustainable funding can be secured in the next month , the service will close early in the new year . As we contemplate the loss of
the last of these vital services we look back on their history and consider why parents with substance use needs are excluded from effective care .
Repeated evaluations have found that residential family drug and alcohol treatment services are very successful at helping parents overcome their drug and alcohol use , supporting them to become safer and more effective parents and successfully resettling them back into their communities . Longitudinal studies also show that the families stay together in the long term – completion rates for family services are high , at an average of 86 per cent . There is a growing body of research to demonstrate the impact of whole-family interventions for families where parents experience addiction .
There is now only one residential service in England that can provide drug and alcohol treatment to parents whilst they care for their children . That service is at risk of closure despite the evident need for the service and the high quality of provision . The key issue Phoenix faces is that spot purchasing of placements ( ie pay-by-night per resident funding ) is a block to both access and sustainable provision .
Spot purchasing means that each family has to argue their case for an individual funding package across budgets that span adult and children , rehab and social services . It is complicated for families in need of urgent support and already overburdened social workers . Spot purchasing also means that providers are living hand to mouth , unable to plan for any guaranteed income despite having significant fixed costs .
‘ At a time of increased funding in the sector , to see such a massive backwards steps in specialist care for families is a tragedy . The fact that in England residential treatment in general and family residential treatment particularly have been failed is shameful . Children are being separated from their parents because they have a treatable health condition when we have an evidencebased , cost effective , safe solution at hand . We firmly believe the money is in the system , but it ’ s locked up by a funding process that doesn ’ t work for anyone .
‘ The closure of this service , the last family rehab in England , will be a painful reminder of the way pregnant women and mothers are blamed and shamed for their health needs . Mothers need care and support – instead they are failed by the treatment system that can ’ t organise how to fund that support . I hope this acts a wake-up call .’
Karen Biggs , chief executive , Phoenix Futures
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14 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • NOVEMBER 2024 WWW . DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS . COM