Fenland

Young People

Education
Drug education takes place in all our schools. Cambridgeshire PHSE Service provides support for schools in teaching drug education and awareness from the ages of 4 - 16. In Queens School, Wisbech this work is supported by Bridgegate Drug Service. In conjunction with this drug awareness evenings for parents are held in both primary and secondary schools, where parents can get advice and information about substance misuse and their children. These are held in secondary schools every other year and primary schools every three years.

Primary schools have been involved in a draw and write survey called "Dogs and Rugs", which looks at the drug awareness and knowledge of 5-11 year olds. Secondary schools undertook the Balding Health Related Behaviour Survey during summer 2002, providing invaluable information about the drug and alcohol use of young people. This enables a better understanding of young peoples knowledge in order to better target drug and alcohol education.

The Community Drugs Policy, which will be rolled out across Fenland by the end of 2004, encourages a shared approach to drug education and managing drug related situations and incidents, so that young people and those working or living with them experience consistent messages and practice.

It is important that future problems are prevented by targeting the most vulnerable young people in the area. The Youth Offending Substance Misuse Team assesses all young people involved with the Youth Offending Service for their drug and alcohol use. Where there are issues, it is their responsibility to work with those young people.

A specialist Young Peoples Substance Misuse Treatment Service is being developed through the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health NHS Partnership Trust, and will be operational early in 2003. This service will work with young people under 18 who are misusing drugs and/or alcohol.

Advice and Information sessions are offered to young people at the Oasis Centre in Wisbech by Bridgegate Drug Service on a regular basis.

Communities

The DAAT and the Community Safety Partnership work together to monitor drug misuse in Fenland and take action to reduce the harm it causes.

To enable local, district and Parish councils to develop methods to better understand and respond to the needs of particular communities within Fenland, a Community Action Worker, will be appointed.

A considerable amount of money has been allocated to the Community Safety Partnership's 'Community Chest'. Relevant groups in the Fenland area have been invited to submit applications for funding for projects that are associated with tackling drug related issues within their area.

In addition, work through the criminal justice system to reduce offending by drug misusers included the following projects:

• Arrest Referral Scheme which uses arrest as a key point at which to invite the individual to address their drug misuse, including onward referral to appropriate treatment and/or other services.
• Youth Offending Substance Misuse Team who see all young people who enter the Youth Offending system and work with those who have substance misuse issues.
• Probation Persistent Offenders Project involves the intensive support supervision and surveillance of identified offenders in their community. Offenders who breach their order or re-offend are returned to court or parole board more rapidly and attitudes towards drug misuse and offending confronted.
• Drug Treatment and Testing Order Team manage Drug Testing and Treatment Orders (DTTO), which are an option for the courts to make on serious, persistent offenders with a history of crime related to "entrenched drug use". Whilst on the order they have to attend the DTTO centre for 15-20 hours each week for treatment.
• In prisons specialist teams work with prisoners on their substance misuse issues.