The Education Select Committee of the UK House of Commons are undertaking an inquiry into the mental health and wellbeing of children in the looked after system. Here are 6 things they should know...

1. DATA ABOUT SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND MULTIPLE
DISADVANTAGE AMONGST LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN
ANDREW BROWN – CONSULTANT FOR ADDACTION
things for the Education Select
Committee to think about as
part of their inquiry into the
mental health and well-being of
looked after children
6

2. SCHOOL CAN BE A PROTECTIVE FACTOR IN THE LIVES
OF LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN. HOWEVER TRUANCY
AND EXCLUSION ARE ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY
SUBSTANCE MISUSE.

3. ONE IN FOURTEEN (6.9%) OF LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN IN
SECONDARY SCHOOL ARE PERSISTENT ABSENTEES FROM
SCHOOL
 Amongst all pupils 11 – 15 (whether looked
after or not)
 Pupils who had truanted from school were
more likely to have drunk alcohol in the last
week compared with pupils who had never
truanted (odds ratio=1.58)
 Pupils who had truanted from school were
more likely to say that they had taken drugs in
the last year compared with pupils who had
never truanted (odds ratio=3.12)
 Among pupils who had truanted or been
excluded, the proportion who had taken Class
A drugs in the last year was 8% in 2014
(compared to 1% amongst those who had
never truanted or been excluded)
“Already vulnerable young
people have an increased
risk of drug use: 10 to 15
year olds are more likely to
take drugs if they have
experienced truancy,
exclusion from school,
homelessness, time in care,
or serious or frequent
offending.”
Source: Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England – 2014 HSCIC (2015)

4. MANY LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN EXPERIENCE EARLY
SUBSTANCE MISUSE CONDITIONS AND OTHER RISK
FACTORS FOR POOR OUTCOMES IN ADULT LIFE

5. SELECTED OUTCOMES FOR LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN IN
ENGLAND IN 2014
1,200
1,110
IDENTIFIED WITH SUBSTANCE
MISUSE CONDITION
CONVICTED OR SUBJECT TO
FINAL WARNING
OUTCOMES FOR 16 AND 17 YEAR OLD
LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN IN ENGLAND
 One in ten (10.8%) 16 and 17 year olds in the
care system have already been identified
as having a substance misuse problem.
 Of whom 37% refused treatment.
 One in ten (10%) in that age group were
convicted or subject to a final warning in
the previous year.
Source: Outcomes for children looked after by local authorities DfE (2015)

6. ABOUT ONE IN FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE SUBSTANCE
MISUSE TREATMENT SYSTEM ARE NOT LIVING WITH THEIR
PARENTS OR OTHER RELATIVES

7. ACCOMMODATION STATUS OF UNDER 18 YEARS RECEIVING
SUBSTANCE MISUSE TREATMENT IN ENGLAND WHO ARE LIVING AWAY
FROM HOME
1,208
585 565
302 270
135 105 88 40
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
Source: Substance misuse among young people: data for 2013-14 PHE (2015)

8. LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN ARE AT HIGH RISK OF
CONCERNING MENTAL HEALTH AND HAVING POOR
MENTAL HEALTH IS ASSOCIATED WITH POLY SUBSTANCE
USE IN YOUNG PEOPLE.

9. CORRELATION OF USE OF TWO OR MORE SUBSTANCES BY
INDIVIDUAL SDQ SCALES AMONGST 15 YEAR OLDS
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Emotions Conduct Hyper-activity Peer Problems Pro-social
Normal Boarderline Abnormal
Source: Multiple Substance Use Among Adolescents in Scotland: Profile and Trends Scottish Government (2015)
One in three
(36.7%) looked
after children in
England aged
15 years had a
SDQ score that
is seen as
concerning
Source: Outcomes for children
looked after by local authorities DfE
(2015)

10. WHERE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO CARE
BECAUSE OF PARENTAL DRUG AND ALCOHOL
PROBLEMS IT MAKES SENSE TO ENSURE THE PARENTS GO
INTO TREATMENT FOR THEIR ADDICTIONS AND TO
CONTINUE TO SUPERVISE SAFEGUARDING CLOSELY

11. WHY DO SO MANY REUNIFICATIONS BREAK DOWN?
“whilst almost half (46%) of the mothers and a
fifth (17%) of the fathers to whom children
returned [after being in care] were known to
have alcohol or drug problems, only 5%
received treatment to help them address their
substance misuse.”
Source: Supporting children and families returning home from care: counting the costs NSPCC (2014)

12. WHAT HAPPENS TO CHILDREN CAN HAVE LIFELONG
IMPACTS. ADULTS EXPERIENCING SEVERE AND MULTIPLE
DISADVANTAGE ARE VERY LIKELY TO HAVE
EXPERIENCED AND ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EVENT.

13. BACKGROUND EXPERIENCES OF ADULTS WITH SEVERE AND
MULTIPLE DISADVANTAGES
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
In care Left home
< 16
Ran away Starved Abused Neglected Parent(s)
drug /
alcohol
Parent
metal
illness
No
recorded
trauma
SMD1 SMD2 SMD3
Source: Hard Edges Lankelly Chase (2014)

14. ABOUT ADDACTION
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