ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the role of the health visitor (HV) in assessing and attempting to address the needs of parents and their children when substance misuse is part of their lives. It explores how HV need to use a multi-agency approach in order to address these needs. The chapter also discusses the various aspects of the care of a family where problem drug use is involved, and reflective points will be made throughout to focus the reader’s thoughts on practice issues. It describes individual approaches to child protection and parental problem drug use. The chapter addresses situations where a significant level of concern has been raise which necessitates a referral to Social Services. The aim of the assessment process is to provide preventative and early interagency intervention to help reduce the extent and severity of such problems that emanate from adverse family environmental factors, such as poverty, social exclusion and other disadvantages, example substance misuses by carers.
