Abstract
Considerable research has explored the implications of parental substance use on child
well-being and heath, including child maltreatment and abuse. In England, parental
substance use is presented in almost two thirds of public family law proceedings cases
(‘care proceedings’) (Pearson et al., 2021; Public Health England, 2018). The risk of
involvement in care proceedings is intensified by the child’s exposure to adversities
associated with parental substance use, including domestic violence and parental mental
health problems. Approximately 4% of all children in England are exposed to the cooccurrence of these problems (Chowdry, 2018). Socioeconomic adversities that are typically
related to substance use (i.e., unstable housing and economic hardship) place additional
stress on parents’ abilities to provide the minimum care necessary to their children’s
development.
While a parental substance use problem is not always the primary reason for family court
proceedings, it is a significant contributor. Mothers, as the primary caregivers, are more
likely to be involved in child protection services and to manage the effects of their substance
use while caring for the children. Worldwide, studies have demonstrated that maternal
substance use is associated with a heightened risk of children being removed from the
home, and with permanent loss of parental rights. However, not all mothers who use
substances neglect and/or abuse their children and require care proceedings. Those who
have lost the right to care for their children often have multiple and complex needs. In
England, limited information on individual, treatment and childcare status of mothers
receiving substance use treatment contributes to a lack of evidence-based practices to
address the needs of these mothers during care proceedings.
In this research project we applied data science approaches to describe the individual and
treatment characteristics of mothers attending South London and Maudsley NHS
Foundation Trust (SLaM) substance use treatment services including their involvement with
care proceedings. As the project progressed, we learned that we could apply a similar
methodological approach to explore the characteristics of fathers in substance use services.
Therefore, we expanded the scope of this project to identify who the fathers’ receiving
treatment for substance use are and the childcare responsabilities of those fathers who
were involved in care proceedings.
well-being and heath, including child maltreatment and abuse. In England, parental
substance use is presented in almost two thirds of public family law proceedings cases
(‘care proceedings’) (Pearson et al., 2021; Public Health England, 2018). The risk of
involvement in care proceedings is intensified by the child’s exposure to adversities
associated with parental substance use, including domestic violence and parental mental
health problems. Approximately 4% of all children in England are exposed to the cooccurrence of these problems (Chowdry, 2018). Socioeconomic adversities that are typically
related to substance use (i.e., unstable housing and economic hardship) place additional
stress on parents’ abilities to provide the minimum care necessary to their children’s
development.
While a parental substance use problem is not always the primary reason for family court
proceedings, it is a significant contributor. Mothers, as the primary caregivers, are more
likely to be involved in child protection services and to manage the effects of their substance
use while caring for the children. Worldwide, studies have demonstrated that maternal
substance use is associated with a heightened risk of children being removed from the
home, and with permanent loss of parental rights. However, not all mothers who use
substances neglect and/or abuse their children and require care proceedings. Those who
have lost the right to care for their children often have multiple and complex needs. In
England, limited information on individual, treatment and childcare status of mothers
receiving substance use treatment contributes to a lack of evidence-based practices to
address the needs of these mothers during care proceedings.
In this research project we applied data science approaches to describe the individual and
treatment characteristics of mothers attending South London and Maudsley NHS
Foundation Trust (SLaM) substance use treatment services including their involvement with
care proceedings. As the project progressed, we learned that we could apply a similar
methodological approach to explore the characteristics of fathers in substance use services.
Therefore, we expanded the scope of this project to identify who the fathers’ receiving
treatment for substance use are and the childcare responsabilities of those fathers who
were involved in care proceedings.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Glasgow Caledonian University |
| Number of pages | 88 |
| Publication status | Published - 5 Jun 2024 |
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