In collaboration with Ayrshire Alcohol and Drugs Partnership and Adult and Child Protection teams, EAHSCP has received funding from the Scottish Government to create a new support service for families affected by alcohol and drug use.
Following a successful application to the Scottish Government Children and Families Fund Grant (Corra Foundation) £500,000 has been awarded over five years to contribute to the cost of a new Family Support Service. This new venture will provide relational and longitudinal support to vulnerable families affected by parental substance use.
Sina Currie, Senior Nurse Manager for Children’s Services, told us more about the service and what it hopes to achieve for families in East Ayrshire:
“Our vision within EAHSCP is to keep families together where we can, as indicated by The Promise. By providing early help and support to families who need us most we aim to reduce the number of child protection cases as a result of drug and or alcohol concerns. We also hope to reduce the number of external placements for children taken into care.
We do not aim to provide a recovery model but a model which ensures parents experiencing drug and/or alcohol issues are receiving help as early as possible, preferably starting from the antenatal period through the early years of their child’s life.
This model will provide support and an opportunity for individuals and families to realise their own potential and to be the best parents they can be, based around caring, kind and compassionate care. The overall aim of the service is to build relationships with our families and children affected by drug or and alcohol use, and to empower them to be active, respected participants within their own families and communities.”
