Supporting parents and children through our family drug and alcohol court (FDAC) service

Last week, our family drug and alcohol court (FDAC) service – an alternative family court for care proceedings – hosted its first showcase event at the Tavistock Centre.

The service – which was pioneered by the Tavistock and Portman in partnership with several government departments, Camden Council and the children’s charity Coram – uses a problem-solving approach to support parents with complex needs to navigate court proceedings. Families work with a multidisciplinary team of professionals specialising in areas like mental health, domestic abuse and substance misuse, alongside an assigned judge to support the best possible outcome for the child.

The event, held on Friday 9 May at the Tavistock Centre, was opened by Lord Justice Peter Jackson, who urged guests from across the Trust, legal sector and local authority to hold onto the importance of FDAC “as a catalyst for profound change in the justice system.”

The most interesting and important idea I’ve come across in 40 years

Lord Justice Jackson

Calling the service “the most interesting and important idea I’ve come across in 40 years,” Lord Justice Jackson outlined how the service differs to a normal family court by “taking the judge off the pedestal” and “putting parents at the centre.” This approach, he explained, significantly increases the likelihood of stable family reunification and better future outcomes for the child.

Recent research has in fact found that 52% of the children whose cases go through FDAC are able to remain with their parents, compared with just 12.5% in standard family care proceedings. This success can be attributed to FDAC’s holistic, trauma-informed approach – as speaker District Judge Stewart Hughan described to last week’s audience, “FDAC asks ‘what happened to you?’ instead of ‘what’s wrong with you?’” in order to find and support long-term, sustainable solutions for parents and children.

Children remaining with their parents	52%	12.5%

• Through FDAC
• Standard family care proceedings

The event also included a powerful presentation from a parent mentor – someone with lived experience who is present during court proceedings to provide families with support and reassurance. Our parent mentor spoke about her “life changing” experience with FDAC, as well as her wish for the service to be made available to all parents who need it.

Reflecting on the event, Victoria Warden, Service Manager at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust and Katie Walker, Clinical and Strategic Lead, said: “Last week’s showcase was a wonderful way to share and celebrate the ongoing success of the London FDAC team, and the real evidence-based benefits of this unique service for families, local authorities, health services and the criminal justice sector. Thank you to everyone who attended – we hope you found it an insightful afternoon.”

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