PCC and partners launch alcohol and drug misuse prevention service for young people

Young people are being offered help to protect them from the dangers of substance misuse thanks to a service jointly funded by Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster

The Commissioner, working in partnership with Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council's Public Health service, have appointed health and social care charity Change Grow Live to deliver an outreach service to reduce drug and alcohol misuse among young people aged between 16 and 25 across the county and city.

The service will be delivered across three settings to provide young people with the help they need early on to stop problems escalating.

It will be delivered at further and higher education establishments, festivals and other organised local events and through outreach and engagement including unorganised groups gathering in public spaces such as parks.

The service aims to prevent young people already using substances on an experimental or occasional basis from using them regularly and excessively and also to prevent or slow the progression of young people who are already using some substances.

Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster has pledged to provide sustainable solutions to local issues as part of her Police and Crime Plan priority to tackle Neighbourhood Crime and Anti-social Behaviour. She is also committed to increasing partnership working between her office, the police and other organisations to tackle social problems including the misuse of drugs.

She said: "This service is one of many I am commissioning to help prevent harm and keep young people safe in our communities.

"Many residents are concerned about drug misuse in their local area, and I am taking action by tackling the causes of problems and giving young people the help they need before issues escalate.

"I am grateful to our partners for their support and experience in bringing this service to fruition. I am working to promote a joint approach to problem-solving in our communities and recognise the value in bringing multiple agencies together to protect people and address the risky behaviours that can result in harm if left ignored. Partnership working is vital, and I will be closely monitoring this scheme to steer future work on drug and alcohol misuse prevention."

Lauren Stewart at Change Grow Live said: "We are pleased to have been chosen to work with the Police and Crime Commissioner and local authorities, so we can continue to provide and expand our service supporting young people and young adults across Derbyshire.

"With the help of the council teams and Police and Crime Commissioner, Angelique Foster, we are hopeful this service will continue to play a key role in providing young people and young adults with the necessary tools to reduce drug and alcohol related harms.

"We are committed to developing this service further, ensuring it is non-judgemental and accessible and providing a fostering environment in which young people feel it is safe to access information and advice about drugs and alcohol. The wellbeing of young people and young adults is our focus, so we aim to develop their awareness of the related harms, with a view to them making more informed and safer choices."

The service will be flexible to adapt to emerging issues and needs and will work with individuals and groups at increased risk of substance misuse in urban and rural areas across the city and county.

Derbyshire County Council is jointly funding the project with an initial £225,000 over the three-year project and an option to extend funding up to a further £150,000 if the project continues to be successful.

Councillor Carol Hart, Derbyshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Communities said: "We are pleased to be continuing to support this vital work.

"We look forward to working closely with our partners over the coming years to deliver the best possible outcomes for young people across the county.

"Helping young people to avoid addiction and working to address the root causes of what leads them to become involved in substance misuse, is key to ensuing a healthy, safe and happy future for everyone in Derbyshire."

A spokesperson Derby City Council added: "It is extremely important that we can offer a guiding hand to young people in Derby. This service will offer the help and guidance young people may need in avoiding drug and alcohol related harm. Our young people are the future, this will be able to help young people start their lives in a safe and productive manner and improve overall wellbeing in the community. We would like to thank our partners for leading on this and developing such an innovative county-wide solution."