Archived: CASA Family Service, Resource Centre

Updated 16 January 2017

CASA Family Service, Resource Centre (CASA) was set up in 2005 following the publication of the Hidden Harm report by the government in 2003. This report set out the harm that children and families suffer due to family members that misuse drug and alcohol.

Islington Council contracted CASA to engage and work with families who are affected by alcohol and drug misuse. It helped children, aged 0 to 18, and families, living in Islington, who were having difficulties because of parental use of alcohol or drugs. The main aims of the support offered was to increase protective parenting, increase child resilience, decrease the impact of parental substance misuse and decrease parental substance misuse.

CASA contributed to the Stronger Families programme in Islington which is part of the government’s Troubled Families programme.

Blenheim CDP annual report for 2015 to 2016 stated that CASA provided support to 75 families through direct work, structured therapeutic intervention and workshops with parents/carers, children and families during that year.

Updated 16 January 2017

We do not currently rate independent standalone substance misuse services.

We found the following areas of good practice:

• CASA provided an effective model of intervention that supported families where parents had substance misuse issues.
• The service focused on the physical, social and emotional wellbeing of children.
• The service was safe and there was a strong culture of assessing and managing risk.
• CASA used the Child Focused Family Intervention Model, which identified and used the strengths and values in the families it worked with.
• This model was clear and goal focussed. Outcomes were measured and were designed to monitor child wellbeing and protective parenting.
• The service saw improvements in protective parenting, and a reduction in drug and alcohol related harm in the majority of the families it worked with.
• Clients had full confidence in the ability and experience of the staff.
• Professionals in the field of child protection said that the staff were professional, effective and reliable.
• The service used different tools and methods to make children feel less alone in their circumstances and the children fed back that this was successful.
• Staff had a flexible approach to organising appointments and engaging with children and families.
• The service had established relationships with local children’s organisations, schools, child protection agencies, domestic violence advocacy services and other organisations. Professionals from these organisations felt that CASA was a necessary part of their work, and said that the service really helped children and families through traumatic circumstances.
• CASA was committed to change, quality, honesty and integrity and we saw that these values ran through the delivery of the service and the model of intervention that was used.

However:

• The parent provider, Blenheim CDP, did not have systems in place to provide support to staff during periods of change.

Updated 16 January 2017

See overall summary.