Practical learning: achieving excellence in the human services

January 23-25 2008 Edinburgh International Conference Centre

Is It My Job? Supporting the development and implementation of inter-agency protocols relating to children affected by parental substance misuse

Keywords: Implementation of inter-agency good practice protocols

Authors: Joyce Nicholson (STRADA); Edel Walsh (STRADA); Patricia Gray (STRADA)

Abstract:
The publication of reports, reviews and inquiries have highlighted the need for earlier identification, intra and inter-agency collaboration and communication to help support children living in families where there is substance misuse. Most significantly in Scotland, Getting Our Priorites Right (Scottish Executive 2003) sets out national guidance to assist agencies to assess the needs of such children and provided the basis for the development of policies, protocols and good practice to support children and their families.
STRADA (Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol) has been involved in the development of local protocols in a number of areas in Scotland, and has been commissioned to deliver evidence-based, multi-agency, skills based training as part of implementation strategies. Across Scotland approximately 7000 professionals have attended Briefings on protocol implementation and/or two day skill based workshops.
The workshop will describe how multi-agency training has assisted the implementation of the protocols, illustrate examples of learning and enable participants to integrate knowledge into practice through reflective inter-agency casework studies. The impact of hearing the voices of children, and involving the experiences of local drug and alcohol users and their families in practice will also be considered. The workshop will also provide an opportunity to explore the challenges in delivering multi-agency training (''It's not my job''), its integration into practice and potential mechanisms to address these. The strength of this approach to policy and practice implementation will be illustrated by participant experience in the training methods and exercises.

Contribution:
The workshop will provide practitioners and policy makers with an opportunity to explore and discuss STRADA's significant experience of providing training for professional groups in a number of localities in Scotland. It will illustrate the development of best practice inter-agency responses to children affected by parental substance misuse.

Date: Thursday 24 January 2008, 3.30-4.30

Venue: Harris Two

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Organised by the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services in association with PEPE (Practical Experiences in Professional Education).