Drug Education and Early Interventionin Nottingham City Schools

Anna PowerDrug and Alcohol Education Consultant

Nottingham City Council

Working Together to Build Sustainable Good Practice

• To be safe• To have the skills and knowledge to make

healthy choices• To respect themselves and others• To enjoy and achieve• To be emotionally healthy and resilient• To contribute as a valuable part of societyTo do this they need:• Support • Engagement• Boundaries, expectations and awareness

of consequences• Intervention• Aspiration• Education• Assessment / Early identification

Why tackle drugs?

National Context (previously…)

• Drug Strategy 2008 • Safe Social Sensible 2007• Drugs: Guidance for schools DfES 2004• Hidden Harm 2004• Bottling it Up Report• Every Child Matters: Change for Children• National Healthy School Status• Parenting Support Guidance 2007 DCFS• Joining Forces - drugs guidance for police

working with schools – ACPO 2006• Blueprint Research Findings• Local Children and Young People’s Plan• Local and Joint Area Review

Key Driversunder review

• PSA 25 Reduce the harm caused by alcohol and drugs

• PSA 14 Increase the number of children on the path to success

• Reduce the proportion of young people using illicit drugs, alcohol or volatile substances

Cost of a dependant drug user£833,000

Local Needs AssessmentWhere we started

Strengths

• Universal education provision - High Uptake National Healthy School Status

• Assessment toolkit- Ngage

• Range of services

• Hidden Harm provision

• Training

• Integrated in Children’s Services

Weaknesses•Most referrals through criminal justice routes•Referrals from health youth service, education•Level of assessments•Identification of persistent absentees•Transition•Lack of early identification strategies / responses

Vulnerable Young People

• Young offenders• Children in Care• Persistent absentees / excludees• Children affected by parental use• Homeless Young People• Young people with mental health Issues• Young people experiencing sexual exploitation• Young parents

Drugs &

The DrugAware Model

DrugAwareAward

Curriculum Policy

Parents &Community

Social Marketing

Intervention

Partnerships

The DrugAware Model

Intelligence links to:Police

Trading StandardsYouth and community

provision

Young people

• receive effective drug and alcohol education

• have access to support, advice and early intervention before issues escalate.

• are involved in high-profile campaigns, carrying positive messages about drug free lives to the community.

• celebrate their achievements in becoming ‘DrugAware’.

Schools

• support and resources to upgrade and update their policy and practice for early intervention.

• have in place a well planned, relevant and modern drug education curriculum to support young people, including those who are most at risk.

• intervene early before problems escalate –

• proactively assess the needs of vulnerable pupils

• link to other initiatives

Parents and community

• receive training and information on drug and alcohol issues to support and encourage them to talk to their children with confidence.

• are involved in policy development.

Resources to support:

• Policy development

• Drug Education Development

Resources

Drug Education Development

• Reviewed and recommended resources to deliver effective programmes in each year and at all key stages (with a minimum time allocation per year to spread the programme and to keep it age-appropriate and needs-driven).

• Planning and evaluation/assessment tools

Resources

Participation and Data-Driven Planning

www.d-vibe.com

Resources

Workforce Development

Training programme for• teaching and learning• basic drugs awareness• responding to incidents and vulnerable young people• target education• Ngage assessment training

Looking Back

• 32 schools became DrugAware schools• 13,966 children and young people now receiving enhanced drug and

alcohol education year on year, utilising local data and up to date resources

• Average improvement in their ‘resilience’ (based on improvements against the outcomes for drug education pre and post test) ave 11% increase in knowledge skills and attitudes in any single year.

• 650 parents received information sessions or training online• Referrals of young people for early intervention to specialist Drug and

Alcohol Service (incorporating FT exclusion rather than perm ex) increased by 400%

• Permanent exclusions for drug and alcohol incidents in participating schools reduced by 50% over 2 years

• 281 Staff trained in relation to drug and alcohol issues

Case study

• D-Vibe identified high daily caffeine use (41%) in 11 year olds

• Low awareness of effects of caffeine

• Lessons planned and delivered

• Awareness of effects increased 51%

• Caffeine use daily fell to 14%

Case study

• D-Vibe identified low awareness of role of school nurse and drug and alcohol support services

• Intervention re services in lessons

• Awareness of services increased 49%

• Self-referrals trebled

Looking Forward

• Remaining 6 secondary schools to be recruited (3 already confirmed)

• Further 21 primaries in negotiation (9 onboard)

• Ongoing support for existing schools• New website enhancements• New primary resources development

from data

The Future

?Early

intervention ISA?

Market driven Delivery?

Social care Grants?

Commissioning?

Guidance?

Performance management

?

Quality assurance?

Providing DrugAware as a complete package of

infrastructure consultancy, training and resources to others.