Speaking at the national conference for elected members, Nickie Aiken argued that commissioning services for whole families improves outcomes and saves money.
"Instead of having a mental health support worker, an adult social worker and a drug and alcohol team worker to help the mum, then having a mental health support worker, a youth worker and involvement with the youth offending team, commissioned by children’s services, I think we need to move to a position where family support is commissioned in one place," she explained.
"That’s what a family services department could provide. We’ve already seen the benefits of a whole family approach through our own family recovery programme. So I’m going to be working closely with officers to see if family services is an idea that can be realised."
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