Transcript No Slide Title

DrugScope Conference
July 2007
Policy, practice and passion: driving drugs
work forward
“Getting Our Priorities Right”
Joy Barlow MBE
STRADA
University of Glasgow
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Passion
• “Sex, drugs and rock an’ roll”
• Children & Families affected by drug and
alcohol misuse
• Continuing education and training
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Presentation
• Importance of children of drug misusers –
family context
• Cultural change
• Importance of continuing education and
training
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Landscape with ‘The Fall of Icarus’
(Peter Breughel)
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Scale of the problem
Scale of the Problem
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Estimated:
 250,000 – 350,000 dependent children
living with parental drug misuse (ACMD
2003)
 920,000 living with parental alcohol
misuse (Alcohol Concern 2000)
Scotland:
 Between 4% - 6% of all children under 16
living with parental drug misuse (ACMD
2003)
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Messages and voices
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Messages from Research
• Children of substance misusers are at
risk from emotional and physical
neglect, and of developing serious
emotional and social problems
themselves later in life
(Cuijpers et al 1999)
Impact of Parental Problem Drug Use on
Children
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Impaired parenting capacity- (Kandel 1990)
Emotional distance- (Barnard & Barlow 2003)
Risk of abuse and neglect- (Forrester 2000)
Lack of parental attachment- (Cleaver et al 1999)
Disruption of household routines- (Tunnard 2002)
Lack of attention to medical needs- (Shulman et al
2000)
• Parent by negative commands- (Hien & Honneyman
2000)
• Unpredictability of parental response- (Barnard
2006)
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Messages from Research
Effects of parental problem drug use on
children:
repeated separation
role reversal
social isolation
disrupted schooling
early exposure to - socialisation into illegal drug
use and criminal activity
(Barlow 2001 Master’s Degree Thesis)
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Children's Voices
‘Being there’
“I was looking about for them ‘cos they said
they’d come but they never…I thought they must
no’ care about me then…things like racing, yer
school sports and they said they would come but
they never…when I think about it now, it was like
heartbreaking…it wasnae very nice”.
(Susan, 14 years – Barnard & Barlow 2002)
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Parents’ Voices
‘‘I’d went to see them when they were in care. I’d
went to give ma wee girl a milky bar and my
wee boy, who was 6 says
‘You’re not smoking that stuff again are you’
(because of the foil round the chocolate )
that’s when I realised he knew’’.
(Claire – Renfrewshire GOPR Reference Group 2006)
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“It’s no’ bad people that become addicts and it’s
no’ bad people that don’t care about their kids.
It’s just people that an addiction has got a grip of
and that is more powerful than anything, even the
love that a parent has would have for their
children. It just overrules even that”.
(Parent – Barnard & Barlow 2002)
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• Protective factors
• Resilience
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Practitioners’ Perspectives
(Barnard & Barlow 2002)
• Balance between support and surveillance
• Responses from different agency
perspectives/coordinated response?
• Thresholds of vulnerability
• Primacy of relationships with service
users
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• Getting Our Priorities Right and Hidden
Harm fundamental messages:
Earlier identification and intervention to support
children and families
Comprehensive assessment linked to intervention
Creation of effective interface between child
welfare and substance misuse
Better working relationships between wide range
of agencies and professionals involved
Enhance support given to families
Help safeguard the welfare and protection of
children
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Elements necessary for cultural change
• New knowledge based on research and
evidence
• Examination of attitudes
• Exploration of issues together with other
professionals
• Ways of more effective inter-agency
working - protocols
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Education is based on critical reflection and
theoretical approaches.
Training is geared towards skill and
competence development.
(Cox & Hardwick 2002)
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Standards for Inter-agency Working
(Shardlow et al 2004)
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Roles and responsibilities
Consultation and awareness
Overcoming barriers
Evaluation of evidence
Ethical principles and values
Collaboration
Management of inter-agency collaboration
Record keeping
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What can stand in the way?
• Difference in professional perspectives: cultures
and values
• Inequalities between professionals – e.g. length of
training pre-qualification
• Negative stereotyping of professionals from single
experiences
• Status difference
• Basic lack of the knowledge of the aetiology of
substance misuse and needs of people who
experience difficulties
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• New knowledge based on research and evidence
• Facing up to the realities of the barriers between
professionals
• Open and honest examination of attitudes and
values – looking the problem in the eye
• Exploration of issues together with other
professionals – ‘live’ experience and scenarios
• Start where people are, not where we need them to
be
• Exploring ways of more effective inter-agency
working:
 Protocols
 training
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Why are we doing this?
• UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Right to survival
To develop to the fullest
To protect from harmful influences, abuse
and exploitation
To participate fully in family, cultural and
social life
THESE CHILDREN ARE SPECIAL
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And for Parents?
• Effective treatment and support options
• Comprehensive services
• Understanding of and assistance in the
parenting role
“Somebody needs to realise that helping us
to be better parents does give our children
a better chance”
Sheila (GOPR P.54)
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“I want her to do it, stop using drugs……well
how much can I say? I can’t say how much as
it’s the most in the whole world. You can’t
really say a number can you”.
(Jane 14 years – Barnard 2006)
STRADA contact details are:
 Email: [email protected]
 Phone: 0141 330 2335
 Web-site:
www.projectstrada.org