substance misuse

Children's needs - parenting capacity

Second edition of book that provides an update on the impact of parental problems, such as substance misuse, domestic violence, learning disability and mental illness, on children’s welfare.

Research, and in particular the biennial overview reports of serious case reviews (Brandon et al 2008; 2009; 2010), have continued to emphasise the importance of understanding and acting on concerns about children’s safety and welfare when living in households where these types of parental problems are present.

Signposts: see me, hear me, talk to me - talk to my family as well

Short paper that aims to share evidence based practice, promote local discussion and encourage improved outcomes. It does not seek to amend or replace existing statutory guidance that may be in place.

It offers some signposts to effective practice, local conversations and partnership working with a focus on improved outcomes for young carers and their families. These can be shared and taken forward locally in line with local needs and circumstances.

Evidence-based practice: a mind-altering substance. A blended learning course teaching information literacy for substance use prevention work

Paper which describes the rationale and philosophy behind the development of a blended learning course for allied health professionals working in the field of substance use prevention and the results of an evaluation of the pilot course.

The course teaches a range of information literacy skills in order to increase the participants’ knowledge of evidence-based practice and enable them to pursue an evidence-based approach in their professional work.

Substance misuse among young people: the data for 2009-10

The number of teenagers receiving help for drug and alcohol problems has levelled after rising steadily for the past few years. The number of under-18s in specialist substance misuse services in England during 2009-10 was 23,528.

This is a reduction of 525 compared to 2008-09, and indicates that demand is stabilising following the sharp rise in the number of young people coming into substance misuse services between 2005 and 2008.

The Strategic Isolation of the Brittish Drugs Field and new Recovery Philosophy

In March 2008, a new 10 year national drugs strategy document was published: Drugs: protecting families and communities. This new drug strategy presents an agenda which strongly reinforces the main points of the last strategy with its emphasis on crime reduction and community safety. Like its predecessor, it says less about individual health and social outcomes. In the same month the United Kingdom Drug Policy Commission, (UKDPC), an independent think tank, published a major report on the drugs strategy and its key focus criminal justice.