Abstract
AbstractParental substance misuse is a significant public health and children's rights issue. In the United Kingdom, social workers frequently work with children and families affected by substance misuse. However, relatively little is known about this population, particularly at point of referral to children's social care. This paper reports on the largest known study of parental substance misuse as a feature of children's social care work in England. The paper provides a cross‐sectional profile of 299 children living with parental substance misuse and referred to children's social care in one local authority in England. Data were collected from social work case files at the point of referral to social care about the child, family, the wider environment, and parental substance misuse. The findings show that children affected by parental substance misuse frequently had other support needs relating to their well‐being and mental health. Children were also likely to be experiencing other parental and environmental risk factors. The significant historical—and in some cases intergenerational—social care involvement for some families indicates potential issues with the capacity of services to meet needs. Recommendations for practice are discussed with a particular focus on the need for early, comprehensive support for children and families.
Highlights
By drawing data from social work case files, this study provides a profile of 299 children living with Parental substance misuse (PSM) who were referred to children's social care (CSC) in 2012
This paper has reported on the largest known study of PSM as a feature of CSC work in England and provides new detailed information about 299 children living with PSM
The study's findings highlight that children and families affected by PSM often have a range of significant support needs
Summary
The aim of this paper is to describe the profile of children and families at the point of initial referral to CSC in order to address the identified knowledge gap in this area
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