Bristol reviews help for addict parents

The review, to be carried out by the Safer Bristol partnership, will consider how best to meet the needs of drug-users and their children in light of the national drugs strategy. A working group involving children's services, drug agencies and service users has been set up. A full report will be published in December.

Bristol Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) recommended the work be undertaken following a serious case review into the death of a baby whose mother had a history of crack and heroin use. Although the mother was prescribed methadone as a substitute, she relapsed on numerous occasions.

The cause of the baby's death was recorded as an overdose of methadone and morphine. His mother pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to five years in prison.

The case review said: "There are various points in this case, particularly where it was recognised the mother was relapsing, where greater multi-agency working may have pulled children's social care in sooner or kept them involved for longer."

The LSCB made a number of recommendations as a result. These included a safety plan being drawn up where parents were taking prescribed methadone at home, and the need for pre-birth assessments of parents with drug problems to be reinforced.

Ian Johnston, chief executive of the British Association of Social Workers, said it would like to see work with drug-using parents more focused on resources and intervention.

"A lot of the time, when child protection services see there is a problem, they may tend to say: 'If you don't stop taking drugs we will take your children away'," he said. "Understanding and saying: 'We're going to engage a lot of resources and make sure you don't lose your children' is a far better approach."

"Another issue the children of drug users face is fear - fear that their parents will be arrested for shoplifting or be found dead from an overdose. Children should be able to discuss these fears in a safe environment - such as at school - but can't for fear of 'shopping' their parents."

- www.cypnow.co.uk/doc.