In 2024, Adfam marked its 40th year as a charity, and over the course of that year we reflected on the progress that’s been made over the past four decades in supporting families affected by substance use – as well as looking ahead to the changes needed for the future.
The distinct lack of support for families continues to be an issue, and despite the many millions allocated by the government to tackle substance misuse the people closest to individuals struggling with substance use – their family and loved ones – continue to be overlooked.
We estimate that five million people in the UK are negatively affected by someone else’s drinking or drug use, and we know many of these individuals play a crucial role in supporting their loved one’s recovery – providing emotional, financial, and practical support, while potentially saving the public purse in the long-term.
To address this, and to understand the level of support available to families, Adfam launched the most comprehensive survey of its kind. Last year we submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to 154 local authorities across England, asking how much of their substance misuse budgets were allocated to family support and how many family members and carers had benefited.
KEY FINDINGS
The findings were shocking, to say the least. Of the 154 local authorities, only 72 were able to provide any data on the funding allocated to family and carer support. This means that in more than half of the country there is no available data on spending, leaving us unable to determine whether funding for families is increasing, decreasing, or remaining the same. By contrast, spending on residential rehabilitation, needle exchanges and substitute prescribing, are all routinely accounted for.
Among the local authorities that did report spending on family and carer support, the figures were alarming. Some areas allocated nothing at all, while others dedicated just 0.1 per cent or 0.2 per cent of their total substance misuse budgets. The national average sat at a mere 1.58 per cent.
INADEQUATE INVESTMENT
The current level of spending does not reflect the reality of what families go through. We know that substance use does not just affect the individual – the impact has far-reaching consequences for loved ones. Families and carers endure emotional distress, financial strain, and mental health difficulties, while experiencing stigma that causes them to feel isolated and suffer in silence. Many families struggle with the demands and pressures placed upon them, yet recognition or investment in support provision to address their specific needs is seriously lacking.
At present, while a plethora of information is routinely collected regarding individuals who seek help for their addiction, local authorities are not required to track the number of family members and carers receiving support. This lack of data collection prevents a clear understanding of the extent of need and hinders the effective allocation of resources.
THE NEED FOR CHANGE
This survey should serve as a wake-up call. How can we claim families are valued in drug and alcohol treatment when half the country cannot provide data on the funding allocated to support them? With an average spend of less than 2 per cent, it is clear that families affected by substance use are not a priority for most local authorities.
For the millions of families and carers whose lives are turned upside down by a loved one’s substance use, we need to do more to support them. These are real people, facing real challenges. Adfam is calling for a change in national reporting mechanisms, so that local authorities are required to track and report how many family members and carers are receiving support through substance misuse budgets. Providing this data, we believe, will mark a significant step in helping more families and carers to get the help they desperately need.
Families don’t count, if they’re not counted.
Robert Stebbings is policy and communications lead at Adfam