Parental alcohol misuse: a government-backed scheme making a difference
Alcohol misuse plunges individuals and their loved ones into a seemingly bottomless pit of misery. The effects are far-reaching and impact finances, stability and wellbeing.
When parents cannot control their alcohol use, it affects the entire family unit. Children often suffer the brunt of this dysfunctionality and research cites parental alcohol misuse as a leading cause of child mistreatment.
A Department for Education (DfE) 2019/2020 survey revealed that 16% of all cases regarding children in need could be attributed to parental alcohol abuse. Older records, dating back to the period between 2011 and 2014, contained shocking evidence that alcohol and drug misuse contributed to more than a third of cases where serious harm to or death of a child occurred.
For the 2019/2020 period, the Children’s Commissioner for England found that 478,000 children resided with a parent or parents with an alcohol or drug use problem, which constitutes roughly four in every 100 children.
These reports also show that parents make up approximately 50% of individuals entering treatment programmes. However, studies indicate that the majority of alcohol-dependent parents are not being treated.
How alcohol-dependent parents harm their children
Parental alcohol misuse initiates or carries on with cycles of intergenerational destructive behaviours affecting the self and others. These patterns include:
- Alcohol and substance abuse.
- Employment problems.
- Anti-social behaviours.
- Domestic violence.
- Child neglect and abuse.
Alcohol misuse hamstrings a person’s cognitive abilities, inhibitions and reflexes. This impacts the routines, socialisation and overall wellbeing of children.
They often miss school and do not complete homework because there is a lack of parental supervision. These children are frequently malnourished as they do not receive proper meals. Other areas of neglect include:
- Dirty clothing.
- Irregular bedtimes.
- Poor hygiene or hygienic practices.
Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents (CADeP) Programme Innovation Fund
The Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents (CADeP) Programme Innovation Fund provided £5.7m over a four-year period that ended March 2022. This scheme helped to identify and assist children of parents with alcohol problems.
By making it easier for children to access support and encouraging parents to enter treatment programmes, the initiative improved the lives of these families. The interventions of this outreach helped children to:
- Cultivate self-awareness.
- Understand alcohol addiction.
- Make safety plans.
- Identify and develop a support network.
Making a difference in the workplace
In the wake of this programme’s success, the Government is encouraging local authorities to invest in holistic efforts that address the entire family by tapping into the £532m Drug Strategy Fund.
Employers can back these interventions by implementing workplace alcohol testing programmes to support and motivate parents to stay ‘dry’ and sustain their income bases. Matrix Diagnostics is the expert in workplace alcohol testing and can help with initiating and implementing systems from start to finish.
Concerted efforts by the whole community can help curb the ripple effect of parental alcohol misuse. All relevant parties must join forces for the sake of children, alcohol-dependent parents, and the community at large.