Parents and carers
Research shows that problem alcohol and/or drug use among parents or carers can reduce parenting capacity, negatively impact parent-infant relationships and increase the risk of infant mortality, child abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The distinct support needs of parents or carers with alcohol and/or drug problems and their children requires a coordinated local multiagency response. The below resources are aimed at community drug partnerships, directors of public health, commissioners and providers of adult alcohol and drug treatment, and family first partnerships/ children's social care, but will also be relevant to any health and care service supporting families affected by problem alcohol and/or drug use. They are designed to help local authorities understand:
- the national context and guidance
- local prevalence estimates of parents or carers with problem alcohol and/or drug use and the number of children affected
- how many parents or carers with problem alcohol and/or drug use and children have been identified and offered support in their area
The slide deck below presents a national overview of the issue alongside useful statistics and references.
The following resources will also be available soon:
- The Safeguarding guidance 2025 update outlining how local services can work together to promote safeguarding and wellbeing for children affected by their parent or carer’s alcohol and/or drug use.
- Unmet need among parents/ carers toolkit providing local authority data from the National Drug [and alcohol] Treatment Monitoring System and Children’s Social Care. This includes local estimates of prevalence and unmet support needs, treatment and outcomes data and other vulnerability indicators.
- A checklist to support local authority partners assess how well the support needs of parents/ carers with alcohol and/or drug problems and their children are being met locally.
- Best practice examples.