Applying the 5-step method to children and affected family members : opportunities and challenges within policy and practice

Harwin, Judith (2010) Applying the 5-step method to children and affected family members : opportunities and challenges within policy and practice. Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy, 17 (SUPPL.). pp. 179-192. ISSN 0968-7637

Abstract

The main aim of this article is to consider how the 5-Step Method could be developed to meet the needs of affected family members (AFMs) with children under the age of 18. This would be an entirely new development. This article examines opportunities and challenges within practice and policy and makes suggestions on how the Method could be taken forward. It argues that there is a strong rationale for developing the 5-Step Method and considers a range of settings where it could be introduced. Early intervention settings such as Sure Start Centres and schools are considered particularly promising, but children's services, particularly targeting 'children in need', could also benefit considerably from this approach. This article counsels against its usage, at least in the first instance, in serious child protection cases. After considering implications for training and support, a number of practice barriers are identified and suggestions made as to how to address them. This article considers the policy opportunities and challenges and finishes with a brief discussion of some future avenues of inquiry to maximize the potential of the 5-Step Method evidence base in general.