Flintshire part of multi-area pilot tackling child neglect and abuse
Flintshire County Council is participating in a £3.5 million pilot programme offering intensive home-based therapeutic support to families where children aged 6 to 17 are at risk of physical abuse or neglect.
The project, known as Multi-Systemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN), aims to reduce risks to children by working directly with families to improve parenting and address underlying issues such as trauma and substance misuse.
Families in Flintshire will receive support over six to nine months from trained therapists who provide 24/7 on-call care.
The programme focuses on the whole family and the wider systems surrounding them, helping to repair relationships and promote safe, effective parenting.
The pilot also includes Leeds, Sandwell, and Wrexham, with delivery by the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with local authorities.
The University of Kent, alongside Teesside University, will evaluate the project’s impact.
Ciaran Thapar, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at the Youth Endowment Fund, which is funding the pilot, said: “The aim of this work is to increase safety for children, enhance parenting skills and address underlying issues for adults and children. Early evidence is promising, and the pilot will help us understand more about the potential impact of this approach.”
Craig Macleod, Chief Officer Social Services at Flintshire County Council, said: “Flintshire local authority is proud to be part of this important pilot project, which will research and develop our understanding of how we can work with children and families, so they are supported to make, and sustain, positive change. Our involvement shows our strong commitment to helping families through timely and effective support.”
The MST-CAN programme is designed to provide ‘holistic, wrap-around’ care to families facing complex challenges, helping them to build the capacity to care safely for their children and prevent the need for children to enter care.
Professor Simon Coulton from the University of Kent, leading the evaluation, said: “I am delighted to be leading the research team on the evaluation of this important project which is working in co-production with YEF and the Local Authorities to carry out this work.”
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