Child protection work being done by East Sussex County Council has been praised at a national conference.
A scheme which helps safeguard children in families where there is a drug or alcohol problem was highlighted as a model of good practice at Government workshop.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the NHS' National Treatm
ent Agency for Substance Misuse, praised the work of the County Council's Family Substance Misuse Service.
Launched last year, the service is a pioneering project which links together experts from the County Council and the local NHS primary care trusts to help offer support to parents with drug and alcohol addictions. This in turn helps to protect the well-being of their children.
County councillor Meg Stroude, said: "It goes without saying that children in families where there is substance misuse can be extremely vulnerable.
"We know that when parents are involved with substance misuse it can seriously impact upon their children and may cause a range of emotional, psychological and physical problems for them. This is about ensuring that timely and appropriate help and support is provided to strengthen and maintain family life."
"When we launched this last year the approach was pretty unique. While these support services existed elsewhere typically they did not join up the parents' clinical treatment with the support work for the children.
"I am very proud of the work of our Family Substance Misuse Team and delighted that it has had this chance to showcase its work nationally and potentially help others."
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