Scottish Government’s whole family approach working group has developed a draft framework, “Improving Holistic Family Support: Towards a Whole Family Approach and Family Inclusive Practice in Drug and Alcohol Services”.

They are now seeking feedback from Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADP), Children’s Service Planning Partnerships (CSPPs) and other partners with a leadership role.

The Framework is intended to support local areas (in particular ADPs and CSPPs) to develop and put in place support for all family members (children, young people and adults) affected by harms from a loved one’s drug or alcohol use.

The multi-agency and lived experience working group who have developed this draft Framework are mainly the same group who contributed to the development of “Chapter 6: Getting it Right for Children, Young People and Families” in the national alcohol and drugs strategy: “Rights, Respect and Recovery”. (Details of the Group members are available in Annex F of the draft Framework.)

The working group met over 2020-21 and spent time listening to lived and living experience, as well as from family inclusive and family support services and commissioners. The group has heard about a range of experiences from identifying the needs, commissioning, services and their workforce, in addition to the difference services have made to family members.

The working group recognises that the policy landscape for children, young people and families is busy, with a number of developments and publications anticipated. These have been captured as far as possible within the Framework to try and bring them into one place.

While this engagement and the feedback sought is mainly aimed at ADPs and CSPPs as the main delivery partners for this piece of work, the working group recognises that this will also need to involve a range of other partners, including those listed in section 9 on the Framework.

As a result, those partners should submit their feedback via the response provided by their local ADP.

The Falkirk ADP is the Forth Valley Alcohol and Drug Partnership (FVADP), a joint project across all 3 Forth Valley areas, which can be contacted by phone: 01786 454787.

All ADPs in Scotland are listed on the Scottish Drug Forum website (linked for your convenience), along with their contact details.

The deadline for responses is 5pm on Wednesday 22^nd September.

Responses from partners with a leadership role, co-ordinated through each ADP, should be submitted via the online survey on Questback. (Please be aware that Questback cannot store draft replies.)

If your ADP is unable to reply through Questback, they should reply on the attached Word version (linked for your convenience), in no more than 250 words, per section as appropriate. This should be sent to Amanda Adams by email: Amanda.adams@gov.scot