CATALYST – York Family Intervention Project

Family Intervention Projects are a key part of Government policy to support families at risk.

A small minority of families require more intensive support, to help them overcome complex problems such as drug and alcohol misuse, domestic violence or poor mental health.

The projects use a twin-track approach of support alongside sanctions to provide families with the incentives to change. An assertive key worker plays a pivotal, challenging and coordinating role in the projects, ensuring wrap-around support is in place from multiple practitioners for families often engaged in antisocial behaviour.

The projects offer a ‘whole-family’ approach and are key to delivering the Every Child Matters outcomes for the most vulnerable families.

Catalyst, York Family Intervention Project, is aimed at families experiencing problems that are known to be significant predictors of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), Child Poverty (CP), Youth Crime (YC) and other poor outcomes e.g. mental ill health, domestic violence, substance misuse, child neglect, poor parenting skills, risk of eviction and behavioural problems.

Catalyst Aims

Catalyst Process

For further information on the project, how to refer, or to discuss a family you are currently working with - please contact : Phil Martin, Catalyst Manager - (01904) 554501.

The following items can be downloaded on the links to the right -

Catalyst Referral Form
Catalyst Matrix of Referral Indicators - a useful tool for practitioners to use to determine whether a referral to Catalyst is appropriate. BEFORE A REFERRAL IS MADE, PLEASE CONTACT THE CATALYST MANAGER TO DISCUSS. When considering making a referral, a minimum of 3 'Key Criteria' in at least 1 of the strands - Youth Crime, Child Poverty or Housing/ASB, must be met, along with a mimimum of 5 'Additional Criteria' indicators.
FIP research brief
DCSF Think Family Toolkit. Catalyst is embedded in the ‘Think Family’ approach - "securing better outcomes for children, young people and families with additional needs by co-ordinating the support they receive from children’s, young people’s, adults’ and family services". This Toolkit sets out some of the ways in which these practices can be developed ‘on the ground’ and represents an important step towards setting out how Think Family can be made a reality in day-to-day practice. Much of what it contains has been developed locally and reflects the enormous commitment and ingenuity of those working with children, mothers, fathers and families.