Alcohol abuse and housing issues

Children’s centre works in partnership with other agencies to support mum through alcohol misuse, housing issues and relationship breakdown. The children are supported to settle in new area and mum becomes less anxious and ready to attend back-to-work training.

Starting point and evidence of need

The mum joined the stress-busting course at the local children’s centre. After the session, the mum asked to speak to the session leader regarding her concerns around her alcohol use as the leader had mentioned that she covered drug and alcohol issues as well as stress.

The mum became upset and stated that her ex-partner had informed social services she was an unfit mother and had a drink problem. Social services had placed both children on a child-in-need care plan. The mum was also worried she was about to have her flat removed at court and she would be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation. The mum was asked if she would like to come back to discuss how the children’s centre could support her as she needed to pick up her children from school.

Work undertaken

The mum was due to be evicted from her home at the end of the month and her social worker had told her that she would most likely be re-housed in bed and breakfast accommodation five miles away.  The parent was unhappy with this possibility as her children were settled at school and nursery and her ex-partner, her youngest child’s dad lived in that town and had been verbally abusive to her. He had schizophrenia and had recently been hospitalised.

Mum was receiving support from Family Mosaic for her housing and debt problems but was not addressing the alcohol misuse. With mum’s consent, the outreach worker contacted the local drug and alcohol misuse service who had arranged for initial blood tests. She did not want to go there for support because it was too far to manage school pick ups as well.

With agreement from the social worker, it was arranged that the children’s centre outreach worker would work alongside the targeted drug and alcohol worker to support the mum with her alcohol misuse on a weekly basis and support her emotionally and practically through the impending court case and difficulties arising from her relationship breakdown.

After the mum was declared intentionally homeless and with her consent, the outreach worker and the targeted worker liaised with Family Mosaic and the local housing association over a period of weeks to try to arrange accommodation in the area.

Unfortunately, after assessment the property in question was deemed unsuitable for the family as the age differences of the children would affect the dynamics of the accommodation.

The parent was placed in bed and breakfast accommodation five miles away and children’s centre staff met with her there to continue with the alcohol and emotional support.  

As the family were living in one room there was very little space and few toys for the children to play with. The outreach worker gave the mum details of the toy library that she could access and encouraged her to continue to come to the children’s centre so her son could attend sessions, which would give him space and opportunity to play.

The outreach worker attended team around the child meetings at the older child’s primary school to support the mum and update all involved on the family’s progress. They liaised with the nursery to change child’s session times to two full days a week to minimise transport costs for the mum and maintain consistency for child. Suggestions were given for activities for both children to minimise the time they would spend in the bed and breakfast accommodation.

After discussions with staff at another children’s centre, a room was offered where the team could meet with mum and introduce her to the groups that she could attend with her 3-year-old child.

As the drug and alcohol worker would shortly be leaving, the outreach worker went with mum to meet the outreach worker from the other children’s centre and they discussed how mum could be supported within the children’s centre by a member of staff from the local drug and alcohol abuse service. The outreach worker got appointment times from the service and encouraged mum to attend and offered to go with her if required.

During one of the times mum came to meet the outreach worker at the children’s centre with her child, she became very ill. She had been given an anaesthetic the day before and the worker contacted her dentist for advice. She had an allergic reaction and would need to go straight to the doctor. The outreach worker arranged with the mum that to accompany her there to safeguard the family as she was unwell and worried about her son if she passed out.

The mum had arranged to meet her ex-partner to discuss his access to the children and asked him to meet her at the centre as she was unwell.  This was against the conditions set in the child in need plan as the child’s father was not at that time allowed contact with the children unless supervised by his father, the child’s grandfather.

When he arrived one member of staff observed the family whilst the children’s centre coordinator telephoned the social worker for guidance on the safeguarding issues.

The social worker told the manager that the outreach worker should not leave the centre with the family if the father was there as they did not consider it safe for me. The social worker then asked the mum to tell her ex-partner to leave. After he had gone I walked the parent to the doctor with Guardian24 logged and the centre coordinator following in her car.

Mum found the costs of transport and necessity of paying for the lunchtime session at nursery prohibitive so she was given contact details and available sessions at pre-schools near her bed and breakfast accommodation.

Mum would like to access training to return to work. She was invited to the children’s centre employment and training event in January. However as one child had chicken pox she was unable to attend.

Outcome

The mum has appealed against the housing decision and is awaiting the results of the appeal. She has made friends with other young families in the bed and breakfast and is less anxious.

She is still receiving support through Family Mosaic for her housing and debt issues and has been encouraged to access the local drug and alcohol misuse service for her alcohol misuse. As her blood tests have both been clear and she feels she is not drinking to excess, she is reluctant to obtain support through the service, preferring one-to-one support.

The outreach worker continues to encourage her to attend the service and other children’s centre and has offered to attend with her to both. The social worker has asked mum to consider this, however mum is still reluctant to attend.

Her 3-yr-old son has transferred to a nursery near the bed and breakfast accommodation and he has settled well. Mum would like to access training for return to work. The worker will provide her with information on adult education she can access.

Why was it successful?

Integrated working with all agencies involved with the family (including social care, two children’s centres, drug and alcohol misuse service, school, nursery, NACHRO, Family Mosaic, housing association) ensured the family was supported through homeless application, alcohol issues and relationship breakdown.

The children were supported to stay in settings they were settled in with older child’s transport costs to school funded by social care and the younger child able to transfer to local pre-school once initial upheaval of move diminished.

Safeguarding procedures were followed which maintained the safety of all family members and staff when the youngest child’s dad was not allowed unsupervised contact.

Next steps

The children’s centre will continue to support the family until a decision is made on housing appeal. The mum will be encouraged to access support to develop other coping strategies in times of stress to minimise risk of alcohol misuse.

Mum will be encouraged to attend children’s centre close to bed and breakfast accommodation to minimise time spent in bed and breakfast and the outreach worker will provide details of adult education classes mum can attend to increase confidence and self-esteem.