6.1.8 Children of Parents who Misuse Alcohol |
RELEVANT CHAPTERS
For further detailed guidance, see “Children’s Needs – Parenting Capacity – The Impact of Parental Mental Illness, Problem Alcohol and Drug Use, and Domestic Violence on Children’s Development”, issued by the Department of Health.
Contents
1. The Child
The effects on children of the misuse of alcohol by one or both parents or carers are complex and may vary in time, which is why a thorough assessment of needs and risk of harm is important. In some cases the misuse of alcohol may be one factor which, when linked to domestic abuse or mental illness, may increase the risks to the child.
The circumstances of children must be carefully assessed not only to consider immediate risks but also the long term effects on the child of their parents’ alcohol misuse.
The children of parents who misuse alcohol are at increased risk of developing alcohol problems themselves and of being separated from their parents. Research demonstrates that children who themselves start drinking at an early age are at greater risk of unwanted sexual encounters and injuries through accidents and fighting.
2. Concerns
The health and development of an unborn child may be affected by the mother’s alcohol misuse and newborn babies may be born with a range of complications which may require special medical care and therefore interfere with the parent/child bonding process.
Children, after they are born, may also experience long-term developmental impairments as a result of their mother’s alcohol use when pregnant. This may be described as Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. This is an umbrella term for all alcohol damaged children and covers a spectrum of conditions, ranging from severe learning disability at one end to Alcohol Related Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ARND) presenting relative normality and specific learning deficit at the other.
Babies may experience a lack of basic health care and poor stimulation. Older children may experience poor school attendance and anxiety about their parents’ health, and take on a caring role for the parent or siblings.
The parent’s practical caring skills can be affected by the misuse:
- Lack of attention to basic physical needs
- Lack of control of emotions
- Impaired judgement
- Lack of awareness of safety in the home
- Lack of ability to safeguard a child
Practitioners need to be aware that children living with parents misusing alcohol may present as very resilient.
Professionals, when confronted with a child in an alcohol-misusing environment must ask themselves “What is it like for a child in this environment?”
3. Referrals
The Common Assessment Framework for the assessment of all children will assist in determining the level of vulnerability of the child and at what point a referral is made to Children and Young People’s Social Care Services – see the Referrals Procedure.
All agencies should be alert to the indicators above and should be able to identify children at risk of this type of abuse and intervene to prevent it by using the Referrals Procedure.
4. Assessment and Initial Child Protection Conference.
The Children and Young People’s Services will consider whether it is appropriate to undertake an Initial Assessment in relation to all referrals.
The assessments will consider and take account of whether the person concerned is hiding or denying their alcohol misuse; whether they are engaged in any rehabilitation programme; whether they receive support from a partner, family or friends; the impact of the alcohol misuse on the quality of care given to the child and the day-to-day environment of the child.
Throughout the assessment process and where it is decided to call a Strategy Discussion and an Initial Child Protection Conference, those agencies who have worked with the parents in relation to their alcohol misuse must contribute to and fully participate in relevant meetings. Practitioners who work with the parents must put their duty to protect the child before any duties they have towards the parents.
If the concerns are in relation to an unborn child, the maternity services must be involved and invited to attend the Strategy Discussion, the Initial Child Protection Conference and, where appropriate, the Core Group.
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