Children in Care and Substance Misuse Problems
Outcomes for children looked after by local
authorities
Note
• The term ‘drug’ is used to refer to any psychotropic substance, including illegal drugs, illicit use of prescription drugs and volatile substances.
• Young people’s drug taking is often inextricably linked with the consumption of alcohol. Therefore the term ‘substance’ refers to both drugs and alcohol but not tobacco.
• Substance misuse is defined as ‘intoxication by (or regular excessive consumption or and/or dependence on) psychoactive substances, leading to social, psychological, physical or legal problems’. It includes problematic use of both legal and illegal drugs (including alcohol when used in combination with other substances).
Proportion of Looked After Children identified with substance misuse problem
2011 2012 20130.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
4.5
5.0
BoysGirls
%
Looked After Boys
0
400
800
1,200
201120122013N
um
ber
Looked After Girls
0
200
400
600
800
201120122013N
um
ber
Number of Looked After Children indentified with substance misuse problem, by age
9 years and under
10 to 12 years 13 to 15 years 16 to 17 years0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
2013
Nu
mb
er
Cross checking with PHE data
• The data presented here suggests that 950 looked after young people received an intervention in 2013.
• Public Health England’s report on specialist drug and alcohol treatment services for young people identified 923 young people who received treatment in 2012/13 as being in care.
• PHE also identify a further 1,477 who received treatment as being either in supported accommodation or young offenders.
• They also suggest that a total of 2,275 referrals to specialist treatment from Social Care sources, of which 495 were from Looked After Children teams.
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