Launching the document, deputy education minister Nicol Stephen said, 'Drug abuse destroys lives, and children are often the most damaged. This guidance provides a way forward for services across Scotland working together.'
The strategy paper says, 'Nursery and school staff and teachers are particularly well placed to observe physical or psychological changes in a child that may signal emerging problems within their family. Children may also confide in their teacher about their parent's drug misuse.' The strategy has grown out of concerns that the desire for agencies working with drug addicts to maintain the confidentiality of adult clients has meant that the needs of their children have been ignored. The chair of the strategy's advisory group, Jacquie Roberts, who is Dundee City Council's director of social work, said, 'The lives of some of the children of drug addicts have been put in danger because of this.'
She urged, 'A school or nursery which is worried about the welfare of a child should call a case conference with other professionals to make sure something is being done about it.'
The paper also calls for a 're-orientation' of childcare services so that they are 'better co-ordinated with adult drug services' and more 'geared towards early intervention'. It explains, 'Services for children can make a significant difference to their quality of life and subsequent development and adjustment. Attendance at nursery can ensure a child's health and welfare is closely monitored, provide important stimulation and contact with other children and compensatory routines and experiences in addition to that of the chaotic household.'
The paper, Getting Our Priorities Right - policy and practice guidelines for working with children and families affected by problem drug use, is available on the Scottish Executive website, www.scotland.gov.uk.
