Background and History   

The Option 2 teams in Cardiff and the Vale continue to provide a crucial and unique service. For the families we work with the service represents a real opportunity to challenge and change their lives in a way that keeps their children safe.

The teams function in the context of the 4 R’s:

      Risk, Resilience, Resistance and Resources

• Identifying Risks, reflecting the fears and clarifying the actual behaviours that represent a risk to the children.

• Building on and supporting the resilience factors within the individual family members and the family as a whole.

• Recognising the natural resistance that will exist and working towards reducing it and its impact on the change process.

• Identifying all the resources within the family, the community and the relevant professional groups.

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"... made me realise that I'm normal, also I am a good mum ... made me confident in my parenting, confident in myself and also helped my sense of humour come back out again ... I would like to thank (therapist) and everyone who contributes to this remarkable service"

Parent on service evaluation form

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The service came about partly due to the gaps identified in the current provision and the belief that if we could provide the skills and support needed in a different way they could become more effective.  The field of child protection and substance misuse is a sensitive and difficult one.  Families in need require the close cooperation and shared skills of a number of professionals, however these services and professional groups often have philosophies, systems and protocols and priorities that differ and are not necessarily designed to function in a way that can meet the immediate needs of the family.

In providing specialist alcohol and drug services in the community over many years it became apparent that we were not able to respond appropriately to many of the referrals coming through from children’s services.

Often referrals were being made at a time of crisis when risks were high and action to remove the children was imminent.  The children’s services needed immediate reassurance regarding the risk associated with drinking and drug use, they wanted total transparency and predictions of outcomes.

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"I can't say anything negative about Option 2 ...

couldn't have done this without (therapist). Thank You."

 Parent on service evaluation form

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Drug and alcohol services wanted time to build a safe and trusting therapeutic relationship within which the most sensitive issues of drug and alcohol use and parenting could be challenged and changed.  The service user needed intensive support at a time of great crisis and wanted a system they could trust with the truth of their situation.

These conflicting agendas seemed to lead to failure for all involved services and families wrestling within a dysfunctional system, unable to achieve the sharing of resources necessary to facilitate change.

The system failure was compounded by popular perceptions and professional stereotypes.  Workers in substance misuse services feared that sharing information about an individuals drug or alcohol use might automatically and inappropriately be interpreted by children’s services as failed parenting.  Whilst children’s professionals feared that substance misuse workers only addressed adult issues and may be less focussed towards the interests of the child.  These stereotypes lead to further distrust in the system and were often deepened by the poor communication inherent in the process.

It was clear that we needed to do something different, the way in which we responded to referrals had to meet the needs of all the parties involved if families were to receive their best chance to change and keep their children safe.

We needed a service that was immediately accessible, intensive and transparent, ready, willing and able to respond to the family at the moment of intense crisis.  Option 2 was the service designed to serve that purpose.  Over the years we have regularly reviewed the model and the long-term effect of the intervention.  At follow up interviews a year on from the intervention it is clear that the changes people evidence during the four weeks of the intensive intervention are sustainable.  The families continue to build on the changes they have made and consolidate a different way of managing their often stressful and challenging lives allowing their love and commitment to their children to be expressed and not overwhelmed.

Option 2 interventions uses a natural turning point to help struggling families to move in a positive direction.  The power for change resides in the family and we help people to access that power by enabling them to feel confident and important enough to take control and to create some clear goals and solutions.  We do this at the time of greatest effect and we do it so that more children can grow up in the families they belong to.

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"... gave us hope, a reason to fight for what we believe in, no matter who tries to put you down believe in yourself!"

 Parent on service evaluation form

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Most children, not all, but most, do not want us to save them from their families but want us to help their families keep each other safe.  If children can grow up safely in the place they want to be we have a duty to help them do that.  If people have potential to be better, safer parents we have a duty to do the research, to develop the skills, to design the services, challenge the structures and to provide what they need.

With Option 2 we can provide a gentle but focussed intervention that engages people in fearful circumstances and does not alienate them.  Gentle enough to explore both personal failings and hopes for a better future.  Focussed enough to make clear and positive changes so that children can be safe at home.  It would not be an overstatement to say that in some cases we create together a new reality.

We have continued to present good evidence regarding the impact of the intervention unfortunately the services are still very small and far from mainstream despite the cost effective outcomes they demonstrate.  Providing more services of this kind can prevent the necessity for providing more expensive options accommodating children outside of their families.  I believe strongly that in the future development of services we have to not only recognise problems but also look closely at the complexity of the solutions.  We need to ask children what helps them as well as what worries them and then we need to build a range of services that work to support them within their families where that is their hope.

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"... Option 2 is worth getting about. It'll save a lot more broken families rather than be emotionally destroyed."

 Parent on service evaluation form

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We must apply the skills, knowledge, expertise and resources available to us to enable their families to support each other safely.

Option 2 is a crisis intervention service for families where there is a parental substance misuse. When Child Care professionals are seriously considering the need to accommodate the children or place their names on the Child protection register.

We provide a brief but intensive solution focused service which aims to reduce the crisis and increase parenting capacity.

Option 2 began as a seed of an idea in 1994 when I was visiting Albuquerque.  During time with American colleagues, I encountered a model of intervention that offered families the opportunity to challenge and change their lives at a time of crisis.  The model made so much sense, and the level of skill and enthusiasm demonstrated by the therapists was inspirational.

It took 6 more years before the opportunity arose to develop the service in the UK, but it finally came with the backing of the Welsh Assembly and funding from the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Fund.  The plan came together in June 2000.  Having a background in Children’s Services and Substance Misuse, it felt very satisfying to develop a service that drew together so many useful approaches and proved time and again to be the ‘right thing’ at the ‘right time’.

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 "... they need more people like (therapist) and I hope you gets a bigger help with having more people ... as there are loads of family's out there who needs Option 2."

Parent on a service evaluation form.

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The sense of rightness continued when our first therapists were appointed. With great courage, skill and clarity of purpose they grasped the nettle of this brand new, idiosyncratic service.