Children’s charity the NSPCC has drawn inspiration from Down Under in a new scheme dealing parents who suffer from substance abuse.

Parents Under Pressure, a 20-week programme for parents who have a child under the age of two and a half and who are on a drug or alcohol treatment programme is set to launch in Croydon.

Professionals in the borough were invited to a workshop with Professor Sharon Dawe from the School of Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, who co-founded the programme in Australia, said: “Parents Under Pressure is an intensive-home visiting service for parents in alcohol or drug treatment programmes and is designed to help build parenting skills and develop safe, caring relationships between parents and their babies.

“We know that the outcome for children raised in families where there is parental substance use combined with many other problems such as poverty and parental mental health difficulties leaves children at very high risk of school failure, crime and substance abuse.

“We need to work with families as soon as possible so tackling the problem early in children’s lives makes sense. We want to help parents be the best they can be – calm, managing their emotions and managing their substance use – so that they can be emotionally available for their infants.”

Leslie Ramos, acting projects team manager at the NSPCC’s service centre in Croydon, said: “We’re delighted to be offering this service from our centre in Croydon. Eleven areas across the UK are currently trialling the programme but we’re the only centre in the south east where it is being delivered. It’s a new and exciting area of work for us.

To find out more about the service, contact the NSPCC on 0208 253 1850 or email croydon.servicecentre@nspcc.org.uk.