UK's first drug and alcohol court opens for business

The UK’s first drug and alcohol court, which aims to tackle substance misuse before it splits up families, sat for the first time this week.The groundbreaking court is based on a US model where specialist drug and alcohol courts are widely used.Early findings in America suggest these courts have been successful in enabling more children in care to return home because their parents have engaged with substance misuse services.The Family Drug and Alcohol Court (FDAC) sits at Inner London Family Proceedings Court in Wells Street and will run as a pilot for three years covering Camden, Islington and Westminster.The idea for the court came after research showed that two thirds of all care proceedings initiated by Camden, Islington and Westminster are because of parental substance misuse.Professionals in the three boroughs pioneered the idea for the court and with Brunel University successfully lobbied central government for support and funding.The Family Drug and Alcohol Court will provide intensive assessment, support, interventions – such as one-to-ones and group work – and coordination of care for families affected by parental drug and/or alcohol misuse. A judge, drug and alcohol treatment specialists and social workers would see cases where children might have to go into care because of their parent’s substance misuse and can make same-day referrals for help, advice and support.
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