There is no doubt social workers have difficult jobs. Going into the homes of dysfunctional families cannot be easy. Apart from threatening to take away the children how much influence do they really have over the parents?
Why do you think social workers treat parental drinking less seriously than other forms of substance misuse despite nearly one in three children living in homes where at least one parent binge? As reported in www.communitycare.co.uk.
The effects of parents’ alcohol misuse on children may be hidden for years while children try to both cope with the impact on them, and manage the consequences for their families. Allowing alcoholic behavior to go unchecked can have disastrous consequences for the family both in the short-term and long-term.
I think more support services were needed to help families with alcohol problems earlier and that social workers needed more training so that they do not underestimate the risk parental drinking poses to children.
The problem affects large numbers of children who never come to the notice of children’s social care. They should not need to do so if there are services prepared to support them and their families at an earlier stage.
Again social workers have a tough job. But they need to understand how devastating alcohol can be to the family. They need to be able to recommend alcohol classes and counseling early on. It helps both the parents and the children.