Pan London Parental Substance Misuse Forum
Notes of the Meeting Held on Wednesday 03rd June 2015
Present:
Joanna Manning – National Lead Substance Misuse, The Children’s Society (Acting Chair)
Claire Mason – Research Associate at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work – University of Manchester (Speaker)
Rhea Sortanos – Play Therapist, Hidden Harm Enfield, Compass (Note taker).
Mark Siggers – Hidden Harm Project Worker, Southwark
Alice Withington, Trainee Social Worker, Harrow Children’s Services
Dean Godfrey – Young Hackney (Substance Misuse Service)
Rebecca Cheesman - Family Services Manager at North Westminster Drug & Alcohol Service
Suzanne Olsen - Specialist Substance Misuse Social Worker, Lambeth Children’s Social Care
Fiona Dagger - Parental Substance Misuse Social Worker, Wandsworth Children’s Specialist Services
Madeleine Rudolf - Drugs and Alcohol Team, PHE (London)
Liz Odigie – Student Social Worker, Family Services Manager at North Westminster Drug & Alcohol Service
Bethan Gibbs – Specialist Social Worker
Patricia Monero - Substance Misuse Practitioner at FWD
No / Item / Action /1 / · Joanna welcomed everyone and explained that she would be acting as chair today and pointed out the need to appoint a Vice Chair for these meetings as mentioned in the previous meeting.
· Introductions were made. / Joanna Manning /
2 / Overview of the minutes from the last Forum
· As regards terms of reference, there were no objections so refreshed TOR agreed.
· 5th August meeting – “Domestic Abuse Focus” – Sophie not present but Rebecca agreed to follow up with Lucy ? as Jennifer Holly is on Maternity Leave. (Rebecca Cheesman)
· October meeting - “Fathers’ Group” (Mark Siggers). Mark has confirmed a speaker for 10 minutes plus discussion. Also, agreed to invite a Young Person that Dean has worked with and whom it was felt would be willing and able to share her story and experiences. (Dean Godfrey).
· “Trevi House” have agreed to present at the December mtg. / Joanna Manning
Rebecca Cheesman
Mark Siggers
Dean Godfrey /
3 / · Still want to invite Retta Bowen back to talk about her experiences in America at The Betty Ford Clinic and share her resources.
· In terms of membership – still trying to promote the group and achieve representation across all Boroughs in order to ensure any practitioners working in the field have the opportunity to attend, share practice, learn from peers and feel less isolated. / Secretariat to arrange
Joanna Manning /
/ The topic for this meeting is Reccurent/Successive Removals
· The research is a National study that had taken place is mainly focused on mothers as they are easier to track as opposed to fathers.
· Child protection, family support etc. – aware that this is a problem that is faced around the country.
· Therefore, establishing a single, common Network between institutions that are focused on this same problem would help monitor it – as the official statistics seem to be underestimating the problem.
· This research focuses on cases where there has been: Recurrent Care applications, CAFCASS and on case file analysis (court cases).
· Themes of birth mothers where removals have take place: Violence in an intimate relationship, Substance misuse, mental health problems, Learning Disabilities.
· As regards to Substance Misuse: Alcohol is the lesser cause for removals, Drugs (usually heroin and crack and sometimes cannabis) comes next (the difference between alcohol and drugs is rather wide) and lastly Drugs and Alcohol (the difference between this and drugs as a cause of removal is not that great).
· The birth mothers have a family history of childhood trauma and abuse (usually sexual abuse)
· The loss of the child is an additional trauma that creates a layer over their previous traumas. The loss can lead them to a relapse as the child itself had been a reason for them to stop using. Depression, Suicide, Self Harm and going back to unhealthy relationships due to their vulnerability are some of the outcomes of a removal.
· Once the child is removed the birth mother is not accessing services because the child was her means to them. / Claire Mason /
4 / · Parenthood reproductive choices: Very few terminations take place; contraception is not being used (sometimes due to a misunderstood concept of information concerning sexual health).
· Fear of the system: Birth mothers with mental health problems are not seeking help in fear of their 2nd child being removed; Personal experience when they were children themselves, a child has already been removed.
· Relationship with professionals: Straight talking regarding their situation was appreciated greatly by the birth mothers (according to accounts this was a lot from interventions), working with a professional that believed in them, in their capacity to deal with everything. / Claire Mason /
5 / Structure of intervention regarding Recurring Removals:
· FDAC is creating a National Unit in London it will open in 2-3 weeks, where up until 24-28 weeks pregnant mother (that already have had one removal take place before) will be offered support and interventions.
· If a removal does take place, support will be continued for two years after the removal has taken place.
· FDAC has extended in areas out of London including Coventry and Kent.
· They will be open to working not just with mothers that have got alcohol and/or substance misuse history but also with mental health and learning disabilities – basically “solvable problems”.
· June 2016 the research will be finalised and Claire will check what slides she can share with the group. / Claire Mason /
6 / · http://www.nursing.manchester.ac.uk/capps/ the research will be published at this link.
· Further information will be sent to forum concerning referrals
· Ring FDAC is any professionals are ware of any cases they wish to refer. / Claire Mason /
7 / Closing:
· Next meeting will be on August 5th, 2015. / Notify Tom Bates if attending /
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