National Evaluation of the Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents Innovation Fund

In April 2018 the Government announced new support to help children living with alcohol dependent parents. Plans were announced by the then Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt, to help identify at-risk children more quickly, and provide them with rapid access to support and advice. The programme was backed by a 3-year £6 million fund from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The programme includes a number of different elements, including: - A £4.5 million innovation fund for local authorities to develop plans that improve outcomes for children of alcohol dependent parents. These plans will also address parental conflict in the families that are identified, either directly or indirectly. - £1 million to fund national capacity building by non-governmental organisations delivered as section 64 grants. - £500,000 to expand national helplines for children with alcohol dependent parents. DHSC would like to commission an independent evaluation of the £4.5 million Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund will be offered on a competitive basis to a small number of local authorities. The purpose of the evaluation is to provide an independent assessment of how the Fund has supported innovation, increased the numbers of families provided with support and to also contributed to the dissemination of learning generated by the fund-supported activities delivered in the participating local authorities. Priorities from the DH Single Departmental Plan: 1.4 Strengthen the public health system 4.2 Provide the evidence to enable a safer, more efficient and effective health and care system