DrugScope Conference July 2007

1. DrugScope ConferenceJuly 2007 Policy, practice and passion: driving drugs work forward “Getting Our Priorities Right” Joy Barlow MBE STRADAUniversity of Glasgow

2. 2Passion • “Sex, drugs and rock an’ roll” • Children & Families affected by drug and alcohol misuse • Continuing education and training

3. 3Presentation • Importance of children of drug misusers – family context • Cultural change • Importance of continuing education and training

4. 4 Landscape with ‘The Fall of Icarus’(Peter Breughel)

5. 5 Scale of the problem

6. 6Scale of the Problem 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)

7. 7 Messages and voices

8. 8 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)

9. 9 Impact of Parental Problem Drug Use on Children • 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)

10. 10 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)

11. 11 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)

12. 12 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)

13. 13 “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)

14. 14 • Protective factors • Resilience

15. 15Practitioners’ 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

16. 16

17. 17

18. 18 • 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

19. 19Elements 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

20. 20

21. 21 Education is based on critical reflection and theoretical approaches. Training is geared towards skill and competence development. (Cox & Hardwick 2002)

22. 22 Standards for Inter-agency Working(Shardlow et al 2004) • Roles and responsibilities • Consultation and awareness • Overcoming barriers • Evaluation of evidence • Ethical principles and values • Collaboration • Management of inter-agency collaboration • Record keeping

23. 23What 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

24. 24 What can help achieve the light bulb moment?

25. 25 • 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

26. 26Why 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

27. 27And 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)

28. 28 “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)

29. STRADA contact details are: • Email: strada@gla.ac.uk • Phone: 0141 330 2335 • Web-site: www.projectstrada.org