Parents and carers

Not all children of parents or carers with alcohol and/or drug problems experience significant harm but children growing up in these households are at greater risk of adverse health and wellbeing outcomes.

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 children and family services, 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.

The following resources are also available:

1. Child safeguarding guidance for alcohol and drug treatment commissioners and providers 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.
2. A self-assessment checklist for local authority alcohol and drug treatment and recovery commissioners to help work with local partners to identify how effective their safeguarding children policies and practices are.
3. Unmet need among parents/ carers toolkit providing local authority data from the National Drug 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. NDTMS - Treatment and recovery unmet need toolkit (requires NDTMS.net login)