Family Service

The service is a voluntary one that’s available to any family member that is affected by alcohol use, drug use, gambling or gaming. Every family is assessed on an individual basis and solutions are offered accordingly.

Parents and children aged between 3-18 are offered individual support with a Motiv8 worker. Thereafter, feedback sessions, where appropriate, are offered to foster communication and support within the family.

Parents, children and families can either self-refer or be referred by other services or agencies that they are working with. Ideally, we like to work with both parents and children simultaneously, but this is not essential. Parents can seek support regardless of whether their children are engaging, and children and young people can also receive individual support, too. We make use of Gillick competence to determine whether a child or young person is competent and able to provide their consent to support.

Appointments are offered at our Douglas offices or at our satellite clinics around the island, where possible. When the need arises, we also offer home visits for service users who are unable to attend an appointment elsewhere. Children and young people can be seen either in our dedicated play therapy area, in school or at a mutually agreeable venue that the child is happy with.

The Family Service is free, confidential and non-judgemental, with appropriate liaison with key services involved with any families. All service users sign a confidentiality policy, which is explained during the initial contact and assessment.