Government commits to our Family Drug and Alcohol Court until 2012
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, Coram and the London Boroughs of Camden, Islington and Westminster welcome the news that funding will be committed to our Family Drug and Alcohol Court until 2012. This is the first court of its kind in the UK and this news demonstrates that the government are committed to its success.
We know that over 70% of cases of children who enter care are from families with substance misuse, domestic violence and/or mental illness. The families that the Family Drug and Alcohol Court specialist team work with come from incredibly difficult and complex backgrounds. This is why working together with each of the agencies has been so paramount to the success of the court.
Since 2008, our specialist team has worked with over 70 families. Parents who may have otherwise had their children removed from their care have been given the support networks to give them a chance to change their lives and be with their families. This commitment by government to continue funding the court means that we can give more parents the chance to turn their lives round and remain with their children or, if this is not possible, work with us to secure the best possible future for their children.
District Judge Nick Crichton said: “I am delighted that further funding has been made available so that the project can continue until we have the final evaluation by Brunel University. The FDAC Team is working incredibly hard with parents with very serious substance misuse issues, and I believe that in the last six months we have begun to see some very promising results from their efforts.”
Louise*, who has recently been through the programme said: “It is an excellent service that supports, advises and encourages parents with a vocabulary and attitude that if we’re fresh out of addiction we can connect with and understand.”
The Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) is a collaboration between children's charity Coram and the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. The project is commissioned by Camden, Islington and Westminster Councils.
* Name changed to protect identification
