Abstract
Parental substance misuse is a significant child welfare issue and associated with increased risk of child maltreatment. The aim of the present study was to understand what social care outcomes children who live with parental substance misuse have, and to assess factors associated with those social care outcomes over a two-year period. The paper reports on a retrospective longitudinal study of 299 children all living with parental substance misuse and referred to one local authority in England. Data were collected from children’s social work case files about procedural social care outcomes and factors which may be associated with those outcomes.
Using cluster analysis, a new typology of children’s longitudinal trajectories through the children’s social care system was developed, consisting of five distinct types. Analysis indicated that some children received too little intervention from children’s social care despite ongoing concerns, while other children were potentially unnecessarily caught up in the children’s social care system. Factors associated with children having the poorest outcomes were: caregiver instability resulting from substance misuse, parenting capacity and, household instability. The study’s findings indicate that some children who live with parental substance misuse are at significant risk of harm, while others may be better supported through non-statutory services such as early help.
Using cluster analysis, a new typology of children’s longitudinal trajectories through the children’s social care system was developed, consisting of five distinct types. Analysis indicated that some children received too little intervention from children’s social care despite ongoing concerns, while other children were potentially unnecessarily caught up in the children’s social care system. Factors associated with children having the poorest outcomes were: caregiver instability resulting from substance misuse, parenting capacity and, household instability. The study’s findings indicate that some children who live with parental substance misuse are at significant risk of harm, while others may be better supported through non-statutory services such as early help.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e2786 |
| Pages (from-to) | 1-10 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Child Abuse Review |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Early online date | 21 Aug 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Thank you to Dinithi Wijedasa, and the peer reviewers, for their supportive and helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper. I am deeply thankful to the local authority who supported my access to their case files. My thanks also to the ESRC for funding this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author. Child Abuse Review published by Association of Child Protection Professionals and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Research Groups and Themes
- Families and Parenting
- SPS Children and Families Research Centre
Keywords
- Parental substance misuse
- social work
- children’s outcomes
- Risk factors