UK's first drug and alcohol court launches

Date:   26/11/07

CAMDEN, Islington and Westminster councils have teamed up to launch the UK’s first drug and alcohol court, which aims to tackle substance misuse before it splits up families.

The groundbreaking court is based on a US model where specialist drug and alcohol courts are widely used. Early findings in America suggest these courts have been successful in enabling more children in care to return home because their parents have engaged with substance misuse services.

The idea for the court came after research showed that two thirds of all care proceedings initiated by Camden, Islington and Westminster are because of parental substance misuse. (1)

Professionals in the three boroughs pioneered the idea for the court and with Brunel University successfully lobbied central government for support and funding. The Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) will sit at Inner London Family Proceedings Court in Wells Street and run as a pilot for three years from January 2008 covering Camden, Islington and Westminster.

The overall aim of the court is to support families affected by substance misuse so that children can remain or return home.

FDAC will provide intensive assessment, support, interventions – such as one-to-ones and group work – and coordination of care for families affected by parental drug and/or alcohol misuse. 

The FDAC team will advise the court and link parents to relevant local services.

A specialist district Judge, Nick Crichton, will play an important role in encouraging and motivating parents to engage with services through regular court hearing reviews. This means parents can be quickly put on a rigorous programme to help them overcome their destructive habit.

Cllr John Bryant, Camden Council’s Executive Member for Children, said:

“Drugs and alcohol can blight the lives not only of parents, but more importantly their children. We are determined to offer parents comprehensive help in overcoming their addictions. This new court is about challenging existing systems. The results in America are very promising and are making a difference there. I’m confident the Family Drug and Alcohol Court project will give children a better chance in life and help them reach their full potential – especially with the great track records of such well established institutions in the field of family support as Tavistock and Coram Family, which are delivering the project.”

Judge Nick Crichton said:

“For too many years I have seen children, sometimes the fifth, sixth or seventh from the same family, being taken into care because of parental misuse of alcohol and/or drugs. This is not beneficial for the children. It is expensive for the taxpayer. Five years ago at a conference in Australia I met judge Len Edwards from California. He spoke of a model of working with parents with these problems now being used extensively in America. It has to be worth trying.”

The total funding secured for the three year FDAC project is £1,340,000. Her Majesty's Courts Service - part of the new Ministry of Justice - will be contributing £390,000, DCSF has committed £450,000 and the Home Office has given £50,000. The remaining £450,000 is being equally contributed from the three local authorities.

The three London councils have commissioned the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust (the main provider) in partnership with Coram to deliver the project.

Professor Judith Harwin, Brunel University, will lead a two year independent first-stage evaluation of the project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The research aims to assess whether parents on the programme are more successful in tackling their substance misuse and if so, whether their children can remain at home safely and for those already in care, be successfully returned home.

Ends

For further information about the evaluation of the pilot by Prof. Judith Harwin, Brunel University, please contact Victoria Lefroy, Racepoint Group UK on 020 8752 3209 or victoria.lefroy@racepointgroup.com

For further information about Coram please contact Roberta Goldstein on 020 7520 0346 roberta@coram.org.uk

To find out more about the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, please contact Kathryn Tyler on 020 8938 2228 or Ktyler@tavi-port.nhs.uk

Notes to editors

With US evaluation evidence showing better outcomes for parents and children who have gone through family drug treatment courts than in the comparison group, there is a strong case for implementing this initiative on an experimental basis and evaluating the programme from the outset to establish its value and effectiveness. A six month feasibility study has established that, with adaptations, this model could work well within the English legal and social care system.

(1) The figures are from a feasibility study on the Family Drug and Alcohol court, commissioned by Camden, Islington and Westminster in 2005 and undertaken by Brunel University.

Coram works with over 6,000 children, young people and their families each year, transforming their lives through practical help and support. We aim to build self-esteem and well-being, preparing children and young people for a fulfilling adult life. Services include: Adoption, a Parents Centre, Housing and Support for care leaves and young people at risk, and Family Support programmes both within communities and at Coram’s London campus.

With US evaluation evidence showing better outcomes for parents and children who have gone through family drug treatment courts than in the comparison group, there is a strong case for implementing this initiative on an experimental basis and evaluating the programme from the outset to establish its value and effectiveness. A six month feasibility study has established that, with adaptations, this model could work well within the English legal and social care system.

(1) The figures are from a feasibility study on the Family Drug and Alcohol court, commissioned by Camden, Islington and Westminster in 2005 and undertaken by Brunel University.

Coram works with over 6,000 children, young people and their families each year, transforming their lives through practical help and support. We aim to build self-esteem and well-being, preparing children and young people for a fulfilling adult life. Services include: Adoption, a Parents Centre, Housing and Support for care leaves and young people at risk, and Family Support programmes both within communities and at Coram’s London campus.

Ref Code:   PR132
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