The Impact of Parental Alcohol and Drugs Misuse on Children’s Lives

Research and information collected by government departments, charities and other bodies estimate that approximately 3 million adults in the UK regularly misuse alcohol and drugs. It is thought that almost one million children in the UK live with drug users while about 2.6 million children are thought to be living with parents who have an alcohol problem. This can have devastating consequences for the child involved.

This course will enable those attending to have a better understanding of parental substance misuse, when it becomes a safeguarding issue, and best practice in working with families affected by this issue

The course does that by

  • Considering some key facts from statistics and research about substance misuse
  • Defining what is meant by substance misuse
  • Considering the potential impact of substance misuse on parenting capacity
  • Looking at the impact of parental substance misuse on children, their development and environment
  • Exploring when substance misuse becomes a child protection issue and what some of the risks might be
  • Considering effective approaches to working with families where substance misuse is an issue
  • Signposting those attending to further resources and information

“I found the course one of the most useful ones I have attended.

“You have inspired me to go back into my social work - thank you.