This document discusses supporting the development and implementation of protocols relating to substance misuse and children. It provides statistics on the number of children affected by parental substance use in the UK. It advocates for a multi-agency approach and local protocols to protect children's welfare and ensure they are helped early. The challenges include overcoming professional resistance and different perspectives, while improving knowledge and collaboration. Workshops and training involving over 7,000 staff in Scotland aimed to address these challenges and help professionals recognize their role in effecting change for children's welfare.

1. Is It My Job? Supporting the development and implementation of protocols relating to substance misuse and children.

2. Overview Experiential exercise Hearing children’s experiences Short presentation Plenary

3. Experiential Exercise In small groups please spend 5 minutes considering and recording words which describe the following :

4. What is society’s view of parenthood?

5. What is society’s view of parental substance misuse?

6. Hearing Children’s Experiences

7. For too long the needs and welfare of children in families affected by substance misuse have been overlooked. We must now concentrate our efforts on helping these children. Ministerial Forward GOPR 2003

8. Policy

9. 1 in 10 children affected by parental substance use across UK 1.3 - 2 million children affected by parental alcohol misuse (Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England 2004) 250,000 - 350,000 children affected by parental drug misuse in UK (Hidden Harm 2003)

10. Multi-agency Local Protocols Children’s welfare is the most important consideration It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that children are protected from harm We should help children early and not wait We must work together

11. Implementing local Multi-agency protocols Multi-agency volume Briefings 2 Day skills based Workshops Single agency input ‘ Hard to reach’ groups e.g. GPs, foster carers Local reflective practice groups Multi-agency steering groups Focus Groups feedback to agencies

12. c.7000 staff attended briefings and workshops in Scotland

13. Participants

14. Reflective Practice Research Children's voices Action planning Adult voices Values Risk

15. Challenges Its Not MY Job! Professional resistance Different languages Different skills? Differences between adults and children’s needs Gaps in worker knowledge and confidence Communication and collaboration How we engage meaningfully with children

16. Light bulb moments ? Hearing the experience of children and families Reflecting on serious case reviews/ child death inquiries Reflective practice Same information had different meanings to different professionals They could directly use someone else’s experience in their own case Listening to someone else’s case generated thoughts of their own Through discussion being able to explore more deeply a particular point

17. Outcomes It is my job Your role in effecting change Existing skills and strengths are valued Importance of local multi-agency protocols, networks, responses. Training is part of a wider process of change that is supported organisationally and strategically

18. Conclusions Cultural shifts Partnership with Families Working together Multi-disciplinary training Support and supervision of staff Resources Child at the centre of practice