Yes, SS don't give a toss about leaving kids with alcoholics. Our alcoholic neighbours even have got arrested (either him, or her but the noise when they kick off is both of them) at 2AM - more than once - and the 4 and 6 year olds are left in the house with the still drunk, remaining parent. No SS follow up visits, nothing (assuming the police even contact the SS?) We've heard them having some highly inapprorpriate sexual and other conversations with the children present and NSPCC and SS just accepted at face value the denials.
We used to live next door to a middle aged, childless, known-to-the-authorities alcoholic and his little drunk friend, and in terms of sheer volume of booze - far less went into their house on a daily basis, than goes into this couple's.
DV, endless fighting, ranting, child and animal abuse... SS came out briefly for a few weeks then appeared to sign them off. And as I say, the police have more than once left the young kids alone in the house in the middle of the night with one raging, screaming, abusive drunk whilst they have carted off the other.
Saw the programme. I think there are other issues here as well as alcoholism. Can't understand where they got IVF, given the circs but I may have missed a vital bit of the programme. Her parents seemed lovely to me. And his family - albeit they were in denial, thinking he was just a 'silly boy'.
I think all the "I will give up when/if" stuff is self-serving nonsense, aimed at the presence of cameras. I don't think a family with even one raging alcoholic is a safe place for children. But as SS are indifferent when both parents have issues, I doubt they'd bat an eyelid at this.
The mother seemed to panic if she was left alone with the kids for a second. Someone needs to work with her, on that.