Children and Young People

Preventing alcohol related harm among children and young people is a priority. The SW Alcohol Improvement Programme is working with partners to improve health promotion and prevention initiatives and is working with the regional NTA team to ensure improvements in alcohol treatment for children and young people.

South West Alcohol Improvement Programme Innovation Project

The evidence base concerning what works in reducing alcohol misuse among children and young people is limited. The South West Alcohol Improvement Programme supports a learning culture across the region and is keen to build the evidence base in this area.

Between April 2009 and March 2011, five projects across the region were supported to develop and deliver innovative services and guidance aimed at reducing alcohol related harm and improving resilience and wellbeing among young people.

The five projects were:

• Swindon Step Up Step Down, led by Uturn, a specialist alcohol agency in Swindon, that developed an alcohol champion scheme to increase confidence and effectiveness among youth services in delivering early alcohol interventions.
• Bath & North East Somerset ASH project, led by In-volve Project 28, an alcohol and sexual health project that focussed on developing and delivering 'young people friendly' brief interventions.
• Gloucestershire Youth Alcohol Arrest Referral Scheme, a joint initiative between the Youth Offending Service, the police and local young people's substance misuse service that delivered assessments and interventions for under 18's who have been arrested.
• Plymouth Locality Alcohol Support Initiative, a partnership between three voluntary sector organisations that focused on enhancing skills and knowledge within local communities thus allowing young people more choice in who they access support from regarding their alcohol use.
• Alcohol Concern and the South West Alcohol Improvement Programme, a joint initiative that developed a tool kit resource and training package to improve responses to vulnerable young people at risk of alcohol related harm

This report provides details of the projects and describes the challenges and successes they faced in their efforts to improve responses and develop the evidence base in this area. It will be of interest to individuals and organisations responsible for developing and commissioning services and interventions for young people and anyone involved in working with and supporting young people. Click here to view the Young People, Alcohol and Innovation report

For further information please contact:

Laura Juett
Regional Alcohol Manager

laura.juett@nhs.net

Resources

New! Alcohol and Young People: A Toolkit, Supporting Vulnerable Young People at Risk of Alcohol Related Harm

Alcohol has a significant impact on the health and well-being of young people. Between April 2006 and March 2009 2,213 people under 18 were admitted to hospital in the South West as a direct result of alcohol use. As part of it's commitment to supporting the development of health promotion and prevention approaches for young people Calling Time - the South West Alcohol Improvement Programme has published Alcohol and Young People: A Toolkit, Supporting Vulnerable Young People at Risk of Alcohol Related Harm. This Toolkit has been produced in partnership with Alcohol Concern and aims to inform and guide professionals and carers, concerned with looked after children and young people with special educational needs. It builds on relevant policy, research and guidance and is informed by consultation with a number of professionals and young people from across the South West and in particular from Torbay.

• Alcohol and Young People - a toolkit
  This toolkit provides guidance on supporting young people who are experiencing, or at risk of, alcohol related harm. It has a particular focus on young people in the looked after system and those with...
• Young people friendly Outcome Tool
  Although TOPS is the requested outcome tool to use for 16 - 18 year olds in treatment the outcomes teen star may be useful. It was originally developed by St Mungoes and has the potential to be used...
• Young People, Alcohol and Innovation
  The South West Alcohol Improvement Programme supports activity across the region to reduce alcohol related health harms and alcohol attributable hospital admissions.