Drug and alcohol misuse by a parent or carer has the potential to impact on a child at every age from conception to adulthood (Hidden Harm 2003 and 2007).

1. Please provide copy of all material held (i.e. guidance accessible to social workers on the specific subject and template referral forms) relating to the subject of dealing with: parents who potentially may have issues with drugs/substance misuse including criteria for when it is indicated that a toxicologist should be instructed to carry out an expert assessment.
We do not have specific guidance for when it is indicated a toxicologist should be instructed. This decision is made on case by case basis and usually with legal advice.

2. Number of expert assessments the Local Authority were involved in the instruction of in the annual year of 2022 relating to Drug and Alcohol testing
35 cases in 2022

3. If possible, in consideration of Re Y (Private Law: Fact Finding) [2014] EWHC 486 (Fam) in which a child underwent drug testing, please provide the number of under 16s who were subject to drugs testing in the annual year of 2022
None