How social workers can work with domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health

Community Care Inform’s guide to working with domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health is now available as a free download to support all practitioners

A child hugs a teddy bear in the foreground while in the background a person with a beard is holding someone with red hair threateningly
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Domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health are complex safeguarding issues, all of which are reported to have been exacerbated by the pandemic. To support the social workers helping families and vulnerable groups to manage these problems, and more, Community Care is making a number of specialist subscription resources freely available to all practitioners.

As of today, all social workers have access to an expert-written guide on working with domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health. Written by researcher and trainer Jennifer Holly, for Inform Children and Inform Adults, the guide is available as a free, downloadable PDF.

The guide briefly explores the prevalence of co-existing domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health, and the impact of multiple parental difficulties, before providing a list of indicators that a child is living with these three issues It contains questions to ask that may help you identify problems, examples of conversations, case studies and practice tips.

Click here to download the guide to working with domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health.

What’s in the guide?

The guide is written by Jennifer Holly, who is a researcher and trainer, who has worked in the domestic and sexual violence sector, both in the UK and abroad, for more than 15 years. Since 2010 she has led on Against Violence and Abuse (AVA)’s work to develop improved responses to survivors and perpetrators of domestic abuse who are also affected by substance use and mental ill health problems. The guide includes:

  • An understanding of why domestic abuse often co-exists with parental mental health problems and substance use.
  • The impact that living with multiple parental difficulties has on children’s and young people’s physical health, emotional and psychological wellbeing, cognitive abilities, behaviour, and educational and social development.
  • How to comprehensively risk assess parents.

The guide considers key evidence, policy, guidance and law to inform managers on the identification, consequences and ways of working with domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health.

Click here to download the guide on domestic abuse, substance use and mental ill health.

More from Community Care Inform

Community Care Inform Children and Community Care Inform Adults provide online resources for subscribing social workers and social care professionals. If you have a licence through your employer or institution, you might also find the links below particularly useful at this time.

Self-care and Covid-19: podcast and transcript

Use of self and emotional intelligence: quick guide for practice educators

Managing fear in social work

Fear and social work: podcast and transcript

Loneliness and isolation during the pandemic: podcast and transcript

Not sure if you have a licence?

A large number of local authorities and universities work with us so do ask your manager, principal social worker or learning and development team if you have access, or contact our helpdesk by email or phone (0203 915 9444). You can also enquire about new subscriptions.

You can read extracts from other Community Care Inform resources here.

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