+44 (0)121 301 2896

Whole family multi agency training and intervention programme shortlisted for health care innovation award

The Meriden Programme are pleased to announce that Dr. Lina Gatsou and her team at the Leicestershire Partnership Trust (LPT) have been one of 3 submissions shortlisted in the East Midlands Innovation in Healthcare Awards (mental health category). Their innovative programme of work entitled “Think Family – Whole Family Multi-agency Training and Intervention Programme” was chosen from almost 100 submissions from throughout the NHS, health and social care, universities, the third sector and industry.

The aim of the “Think Family” programme was to train 100 frontline professionals from across a range of organisations in an evidence based family intervention based on the principles of Behavioural Family Therapy and informed by the ‘Think Family/ Whole Family Approach’. The Meriden Programme assisted training multi-agency staff in a specifically adapted model of family intervention, providing a bespoke manual and adapted resource materials. The intervention used and evaluated by the team comprised of 8 sessions with the following main themes:

  • Engagement and ground rules,
  • Assessment and goal setting,
  • Signposting to other services,
  • Information sharing,
  • Developing relationships with agencies involved,
  • Staying well plans,
  • Problem solving,
  • Review and evaluation of goals achieved

During their work with families, family workers were receiving supervision and additional support in the way of regular email contact, on-line resources and blog.

The project was developed and delivered by the core Think Family Project Group with members from Leicestershire Partnership Trust (LPT), De Montfort University and the Meriden Family Programme. A full description of the programme was submitted by Dr. Gatsou to our June 2013 newsletter.

The awards will be presented at an event on Wednesday 22 October 2014 at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham. We wish Dr. Gatsou and her team the very best of luck.