Pilot drug court to cut care proceedings
Monday, November 26, 2007
The UK's first specialist court designed to prevent drug abuse dividing families has been launched in London.
The Family Drug and Alcohol Court will work with families where there is drug abuse. Its aim is to stop children being taken into care, or allow them to return to their families if this has already happened.
To achieve this the court will give intensive support to families, and also refer them to local services.
The three-year pilot is costing over £1.3m, and is being led by the London boroughs of Camden, Islington, and Westminster.
Two thirds of the care proceedings issued by these councils are related to parental substance misuse, so officials are keen to consider alternatives.
The idea for the specialist drug and alcohol court came from America, where it has been used successfully. The councils worked with Brunel University to lobby government for support and funding.
The Ministry of Justice is spending £390,000 on the scheme, the Department for Children, Schools and Families is putting in £450,000, and the Home Office has contributed £50,000.
The councils have added another £450,000 between them.
The project will be evaluated by Brunel, to see if the model could be usefully expanded to other areas.
