Nested family support: the axial role of support workers for families in which a parent is in treatment for substance misuse

The UK National Health Service (NHS) defines addiction as loss of control over harmful behavior. Addiction is commonly linked to drugs and alcohol with varied community-based treatment services available in England. This study presents an organizational case study of a community-based organization in the North of England commissioned by the NHS through the local authority to support people with complex health and social needs and addresses the research question: What is the experience of support workers for families in which a parent is in treatment for substance misuse? Eleven support workers whose work is guided by a Whole Family Approach took part in semi-structured interviews which were analyzed qualitatively using thematic analysis. This resulted in a model of Nested Family Support which captures how the service user is supported by their family with the help of the support worker who is, in turn, supported by their organization. This model illuminates how outer levels of nested support need to be effective for inner levels to work and the axial role of support workers in this system. The main application of the model is identifying parallels between the support employees need from their organizational to deliver effective recovery interventions and the ways in which they are trained to support their clients in terms of the need for trusting relationships and tailored support.