Understanding and Supporting “Families with Complex Needs”: An Editorial

Family forms are many and varied, reflecting a myriad of understandings and influencing factors. In any given cultural context, normative notions of family structure, such as the " nuclear family " , may not therefore reflect the reality of family life, experiences and functions, as described and articulated by families themselves; particularly those from minority or marginalized communities [1]. Despite this complexity and perpetual change, the importance of family for the experience of both interdependence and individual support and well-being remains constant. This is particularly the case for " families with complex needs " , who experience both a " breadth " of " interrelated or interconnected " needs and a " depth " of " profound, severe, serious or intense needs " [2], and are therefore most reliant on services and support. This might include families affected by mental health needs, disability, caring responsibilities, migration, asylum seeking, crime, drug and alcohol misuse, and so on. The increasing complexity of family life, alongside the continued important and complex role played by family in supporting members with particular needs, poses a range of challenges for services seeking to engage with families, particularly those with complex needs. For family-focused services to deliver effectively, the complexity of family roles, functions, and compositions therefore need to be examined and understood. Failure to recognize the structure, role and function of various family relationships may lead to ineffective service provision or a resistance to engage in support by the family. However, in sharp contrast to this complexity and fluidity of experience, Murray and Barnes [3] argue that " family " is a taken-for-granted and narrowly defined concept within policy documentation in the UK, and highlight the importance of " exploring normative assumptions about family " that OPEN ACCESS