Specialist team

The following staff with the following skills are required to run an FDAC.

Service Manager

  • Expertise in managing a multi-disciplinary staff, delegation, supervision, recruitment, further training and development, budget, fidelity and evaluation.
  • Able to exemplify the core principles of FDAC including being open and honest, working together, problem solving, being firm but fair, maintaining hope and curiosity and innovation.
  • Needs to develop and maintain an excellent working relationship with the clinical lead and child and family clinical specialist.
  • A commitment to fidelity to the model, evaluation and learning.
  • Expertise working in child protection and the family court, and therapeutically with families.
  • Needs to be held by one person who could come from social work, substance misuse, mental health etc.

Team Administrator

  • Expertise in organisation,
  • communication, and data collection and governance.
  • Ability to learn about child protection and preparing reports for the court.
  • A commitment to fidelity to the model, evaluation and learning.

Parent mentor coordinator

  • Expertise in recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers.
  • Capacity to learn about treatment, child protection and the family court.
  • Could be combined with another role

Court and assessment co-ordinator

  • Responsible for organising families and the intervention team on court days including timetabling, lodging reports on time and record keeping;
  • Will be combined with another role within the team and may be rotated.

Clinical lead and child and family mental health specialist

  • Experience and authority to lead the multi-disciplinary team and capacity to learn about multi-agency working;
  • Able to exemplify the core principles of FDAC including being open and honest, working together, problem solving, being firm but fair, maintaining hope and curiosity and innovation;
  • Needs to develop and maintain an excellent working relationship with the service manager;
  • A commitment to fidelity to the model, evaluation and learning;
  • Expertise in child and adolescent mental health diagnosis and treatment and working in child protection and the family court;
  • Could be child and adolescent psychiatrist or clinical psychologist;
  • Social work with children and families;
  • Expertise working in child protection and the family court;
  • Good understanding of child development and family relationships;
  • Capacity to learn about therapeutic intervention with children and families (including video interaction guidance, mentalisation and family therapy), therapeutic intervention with parents (including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive analytic therapy and social behavioural network therapy), and drug and alcohol testing.;
  • A commitment to fidelity to the model, evaluation and learning;
  • Senior practitioner level to ensure sufficient confidence to act as an expert witness, and communicate with Judges, lawyers CAFCASS and treatment services.

Substance misuse specialist

  • The expertise and confidence to advise and coordinate other treatment agencies;
  • Good understanding of mental health screening;
  • A commitment to gaining a deeper understanding of child protection, learn how to prepare court reports and act as an expert witness;
  • Capacity to learn about therapeutic intervention with children and families (including video interaction guidance, mentalisation and family therapy), and therapeutic intervention with parents (including cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive analytic therapy and social behavioural network therapy);
  • A commitment to fidelity to the model, evaluation and learning.

Domestic abuse specialist

  • The expertise and confidence to raise awareness and understanding within the team and advise and coordinate other treatment agencies;
  • Expertise working in child protection and the family court;
  • Capacity to learn about other therapeutic approaches and drug and alcohol testing like the rest of the team;
  • A commitment to fidelity to the model, evaluation and learning;
  • Could be someone with a social work, substance misuse or health background.

Adult mental health specialist

  • Expertise in mental health screening and psychological treatments;
  • Capacity to learn about other therapeutic approaches and drug and alcohol testing like the rest of the team;
  • Could be a clinical nurse specialist or adult mental health social worker.

Adult psychiatrist

  • Expertise in mental health and preferable also substance misuse;
  • Expertise and authority to be consulted by the team, see parents to clarify diagnosis and treatment or undertake comprehensive assessments for the court;
  • Available on a flexible part-time basis 1- 2 days a month.

Adult physical health specialist

  • Expertise to advise parents on accessing contraceptive advice and assessment and treatment of physical health problems;
  • Could be clinical nurse specialist or adult psychiatrist or both.