New funding of £500,000 has been reported by the Health Secretary to go towards a national helpline to support 'children of alcoholics' as part of a new Government strategy.
The announcement comes after ongoing work by several high profile MPs who have spoken about their experiences and attracted significant media attention to the subject. The funding will go to the National Association of Children of Alcoholics (NACOA) to help run its helpline which has previously relied on voluntary donations.
In February 2017 an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) led by Liam Byrne MP launched a manifesto which called on the Government to take ten actions, including a national strategy for 'Children of Alcoholics' (COAs), local funding to support alcohol services, further education and awareness, a plan to change attitudes and action on price and availability. Liam Byrne and other MPs took to Twitter to highlight the news and thank supporters.
Public Health England (PHE) have in fact been leading on a workstream on the issue for the Government which has included an updated estimate of 207,617 children thought to live with an adult with dependence in England. However as has been highlighted, estimates of the number of children or parents affected have varied, with concerns over the conflation of hazardous or harmful drinking versus dependent drinking, or potential problems with language of alcoholism.
Whilst few in the field would not welcome the announcement of further support for children affected by parental drinking, many would be likely to point to the pressures facing the wider drug and alcohol and other social care services seeking to provide integrated responses to such issues.
Whilst a 2013 report highlighted some positive examples of joined up working and recent figures suggest around 1 in 5 alcohol dependent parents were receiving alcohol treatment, in recent years alcohol treatment numbers have been declining with new reports issuing warnings for the sector. Indeed the COA manifesto described 'a patchwork of poorly funded and disjointed support services at the local level', and that COAs are falling through the gaps of adult and children's social care systems and public health. Others will also point to the absence of political commitent to the areas commonly seen as key drivers of alcohol harms, notably pricing, advertising and availability.
Nacoa ensures that #volunteer helpline counsellors are at the end of a phone and answering emails from children and young people in dire situations. We help these young people know that it’s not their fault, they are not alone, and that they are important. pic.twitter.com/IdIWFj62DL
— Nacoa 🔆 (@NacoaUK) December 31, 2017
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