This is the report of a Think Tank on the impact of parental drug and alcohol use. The Think Tank was drawn together by Aberlour Child Care Trust from commissioners, managers, practitioners and researchers working in health, education, social work, criminal justice and drugs and alcohol services across Scotland.
The experience of children living with, and affected by, parental substance use has become widely known as 'Hidden Harm', following the report of the UK Advisory Council on Misuse of Drugs in 2003. The phrase 'hidden harm' encapsulates the 2 key features of that experience: the children are often not known to services; and they suffer harm in a number of ways through physical and emotional neglect, exposure to harm and poor parenting. The Think Tank explored the factors that contribute to the 'hidden harm'.