Reduce the problems caused by drugs and alcohol for children, young people, families and communities
You can read the summary below, or access the full versions in the right-hand column.
What will be different in one year’s time?
What actions are planned over the next year?
Why does this matter?
Children and young people can be drug and alcohol users. They can also be affected by someone else’s drug and alcohol use, especially that of their parents or carers.
Drug and alcohol use may harm children and young people in many ways. They may:
- do less well at school or may go missing from school or be excluded
- be involved in criminal activity and anti social behaviour
- be less healthy physically or have more emotional and mental health problems
- have poorer sexual health and be at risk of sexual exploitation by others
- take unnecessary risks.
Drug use by parents or carers, or others close to children and young people, may result in:
- abuse or neglect of children, which may affect their behaviour and development in the long-term
- families being at risk of eviction or being in poor quality housing
- greater risk of domestic violence within families
- children or young people having to care for a substance misusing parent or for their younger brothers or sisters.
Where are we now?
What the local data tells us about Nottinghamshire
- More young people are accessing specialist services for their own substance use. This means that young people are getting the support and treatment that they need
- Class A drug use (ecstasy, heroin, crack and cocaine) among young people continues to decrease. Alcohol and cannabis are young people’s substances of choice
- Across Nottinghamshire, there could be over 4,400 children and young people who are affected by their parents’ or carers' use of illicit drugs. There could be between 10,000 and 22,000 children and young people who are affected by their parents’ or carers problematic alcohol use.
What children, young people or families tell us
- Children and young people tell us that adults can 'get silly' when taking drugs and they don’t like their behaviour. They worry about their family’s health when relatives take drugs or drink alcohol. (primary school children, Children and Young People’s Plan Consultation, 2009)
- They told us that they needed good information and advice, and constructive activities to occupy their time
- We need harm prevention information, not 'scare tactics' (Nottinghamshire Young People’s Board member).
What will be different in one year’s time?
- There will be more focus on work with families to prevent drug and alcohol misuse, reduce risk and get people into effective drug and alcohol treatment. Services will address the needs of parents, carers, children and young people as individuals as well as working with whole families
- There will be more work with communities to protect them from the harm of drug and alcohol misuse, give them a voice and listen to their concerns
- Resources will be targeted to where the differences need to be made
- Services will be working together to impact on the ten improvement priorities of the Children and Young People’s Partnership and on shared issues such as anti-social behaviour as a result of alcohol use
- There will be a wider preventative view, including better and more effective education and prevention messages.
What actions are planned over the next year?
- Develop integrated commissioning and planning arrangements with the Children and Young People’s Partnership
- Improve data monitoring, analysis and sharing to target effective service provision to those young people, families and communities that require it most
- Target campaigns and activities in areas where substance misuse is high and to young people and their families who are vulnerable or at risk
- Develop family intervention approaches in young people and adult specialist substance misuse services
- Develop treatment interventions to ensure they are more effective and more young people are substance use free when they leave specialist substance use services
- Ensure a Partnership response to the recommendations within 'Drug Education: An Entitlement for All'
- Ensure a Partnership response to the recommendations within the national strategy, 'Youth Alcohol Action Plan'
- Develop clear and consistent pathways and assessments to encourage earlier interventions for young people and their families across the wider Children and Young People’s Partnership.
How will we measure impact?
NI 115 – reducing substance misuse by young people
- Reduce first-time entrants to the youth justice system as a result of drug or alcohol-related incidents
- Reduce permanent exclusions from school as a result of drugs or alcohol related incidents
- More young people completing effective substance treatment, substance free
- Reduce alcohol related harm
- Evidence of more early intervention and prevention work.
Contact Information:
Lead Partnership Group:
Safer Nottinghamshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT),
Safer Nottinghamshire Partnership
Strategic Lead:
Chris Kelly
Interim Lead Manager
Safer Nottinghamshire DAAT
For more information about how this work is being developed, contact:
Claire Baker
Young Person’s Commissioning and Planning Manager
Safer Nottinghamshire DAAT
Tel: 01623 414114 extension 6918
