Applying the 5-Step Method to children and affected family members: Opportunities and challenges within policy and practice

Abstract

The main aim of this article is to consider how the 5-Step Method could be developed to meet the needs of affected family members (AFMs) with children under the age of 18. This would be an entirely new development. This article examines opportunities and challenges within practice and policy and makes suggestions on how the Method could be taken forward. It argues that there is a strong rationale for developing the 5-Step Method and considers a range of settings where it could be introduced. Early intervention settings such as Sure Start Centres and schools are considered particularly promising, but children's services, particularly targeting ‘children in need’, could also benefit considerably from this approach. This article counsels against its usage, at least in the first instance, in serious child protection cases. After considering implications for training and support, a number of practice barriers are identified and suggestions made as to how to address them. This article considers the policy opportunities and challenges and finishes with a brief discussion of some future avenues of inquiry to maximize the potential of the 5-Step Method evidence base in general.

Notes

1. http://familiesandschools.org/

2. Personal communication.

3. The origins of the term ‘Gillick competence’ refer to a legal case in which Victoria Gillick challenged the right of general practitioners to provide contraceptive advice or treatment to children aged under 16 without parental consent. The final judgement established that the key considerations are the child's maturity and ability to provide informed consent rather than age alone. While the Fraser guidelines refer specifically to contraceptive advice, Gillick competency is applied far more broadly in balancing the rights of children to make decisions affecting their lives and those of their parents.

4. http://www.encare.info/websites