Targeted youth support: redesigning services - improving support for young people with concerns about substance and alcohol misuse

Issue

Concerns about substance misuse and alcohol problems in New Parks, Leicester, was an unanticipated and key finding from engaging with young people during the Discover stage of the targeted youth support (TYS) change process. Existing data collection methods underestimated the concerns and the unmet needs of young people for information and support. 

Background

There was no specialist resource working with young people with substance misuse issues in New Parks, the area of the TYS pathfinder. Many young people felt, and feel, very unsafe as a result of alcohol and substance misuse related violence and criminality. Existing substance use services are city-centre based.

Some work was carried out by the substance misuse training team leader within the children and young person's service learning services division, through behaviour improvement programme funds in five schools in other parts of the city. This is currently coming to an end. 

Actions prompted by TYS

Young people's concern about substance misuse and alcohol problems is one of the critical issues the TYS pathfinder is addressing under the direction of strategic leads within the authority.

The local authority healthy schools programme is supporting New Parks College to develop a substance misuse policy and look at the identification and response to substance use issues in the school.

A TYS change team is currently assessing existing service provision for young people and exploring possible improvements. As part of this work, although not part of their initial remit, local educational welfare officers have been keen to improve their ability to identify, assess and support and refer young people at risk of substance misuse problems.

Mark Aspey, the young person's commissioner for drug and alcohol services for Leicester City, Leicestershire and Rutland, is working with a multi-agency TYS change team to scope the redesign of services to better meet the needs of young people in New Parks. Changes are likely to involve a holistic multi-agency approach to provision redesign, possibly including limited peripatetic services closer to the New Parks area.

Benefits and results

Training for education welfare officers is already in place. The officers have implemented a screening question in their assessments. 

As part of the pilot, the Leicester drug and alcohol action team is commissioning a service to develop and support screening within the educational welfare service and provide specialist substance use services alongside learning services. This will enable both the local school, New College, and the educational welfare service to provide a more seamless link between identified needs and services. This service will work as part of the multi-agency TYS team. 

TYS moved this along. It brought different people in the room, which moved my thinking and relationship into other agencies. These developments would not have progressed so quickly and smoothly without the TYS pathfinder
Mark Aspey, young person's commissioner for drug and alcohol services

The local authority

Leicester City is an urban unitary authority with high levels of black and minority ethnic individuals. However, this case study relates to a largely white working class ward with high need, but fewer deprivation indices than other areas in the authority, and has, as a result, received fewer funded initiatives.

Other authorities with similar characteristics (DfES statistical neighbour measure) include Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Coventry, Blackburn with Darwen, Derby, Walsall, Luton, Birmingham, Nottingham and Southampton.

Click to read further case studies about redesigning services to help young people with particular needs.