The CAPSM Steering Group has agreed a 2010-12 CAPSM Strategy and a 2010-11 priority work programme, as part of that. The work programme includes the following three key elements:
Developing the Child Protection Committee (CPC) and Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) relationship
To strengthen the relationship between those key strategic organisations responsible for co-ordinating activity at the local level across child and adult services.
The key activities here are: further improving the quality and consistency of guidance and, also considering how inspection might best review services for CAPSM.
Priority work is focusing on these two areas as, these actions should help set a strong national CAPSM guidance framework for local partners to work to, on the one hand, and tighten the inspection of local CAPSM performance and adherence with that guidance, on the other.
Updating Guidance
Revised national child protection guidance was published on 13 December 2010 and includes a strong section on CAPSM. It clearly sets out national expectations for local partners to put in place local CAPSM strategies.
Follow-up work to the child protection guidance review includes, taking forwards an update of existing, more detailed CAPSM practice guidance ( 'Getting our Priorities Right' (GOPR)) and which was last revised in 2003.
GOPR includes guidance to help local partners decide when children need help and also guidance around partnership working, information sharing and strengthening services for families - specifically where substance misuse is a factor. It also includes a practical checklist of information for local partners to collate around substance misuse and the impact on parenting.
The Scottish Government announced its intention to review the guidance on 13 December. This was with a view to aligning it with the new child protection guidance published that day, the GIRFEC and Early Years national change programmes for services working with children, and the national Drugs ( Road to Recovery) and Alcohol Strategies ( Changing Scotland's Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action).
Draft revised GOPR guidance is expected to be available for consultation in spring/summer 2011.
Scrutiny
Two new inspection bodies, Social Care and Social Work improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) and health improvement Scotland (HIS) are being created under the Public Sector Reform Act 2010.
These will take on the roles and functions already carried out by existing inspection bodies (including HMIE, the Care Commission and the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA)). We are currently considering how CAPSM might best be covered as part of the new inspection regime.
Prevalence
Further developing national estimates of the numbers of children known to be affected by their parents' alcohol and/or drug misuse - to improve our understanding of the scale of the problem.
Current national estimates for children affected by parental drug misuse are 40-60,000. Of these, 10-20,000, are estimated as living with at least one affected parent. We also estimate that around 65,000 children may be affected by parental alcohol misuse.
Work is underway to consider how to further develop these estimates. This includes work to review our national child protection statistics - both what information is collected and how it is collected.
This exercise should lead to more meaningful statistics - including better information on children specifically at risk because of their parents' substance misuse. Early outputs from this work are expected later this year with full implementation - expected in two to three years time.
Current national estimates for children affected by parental drug misuse are 40-60,000. Of these, 10-20,000, are estimated as living with at least one affected parent. We also estimate that around 65,000 children may be affected by parental alcohol misuse.
Work is underway to consider how to further develop these estimates. This includes work to review our national child protection statistics - both what information is collected and how it is collected.
This exercise should lead to more meaningful statistics - including better information on children specifically at risk because of their parents' substance misuse. Early outputs from this work are expected later this year with full implementation - expected in two to three years time.
Early intervention
To improve screening and planning by services that support vulnerable women at both pre-conception and pregnancy stages.
The CAPSM 2010-11 work programme also prioritises work around early intervention. This work largely focuses on developing links between child protection and health policy regarding pregnant women and also pre-conception interventions.