Young people

Mission Statement

“To help young people resist drug misuse and achieve their full potential in society”

Government target taken from Tackling Drugs December 2002

National Targets

The national drugs agenda for young people is set out in the "Updated Drugs Strategy" (December 2002) and "Tackling Drugs, Changing Lives" (November 2004). The key themes & priorities from the national agenda can be summarised in the following:

• Supporting all schools in the most disadvantaged areas to become a healthy school by 2006 and all schools by 2009/10
• Through schools and using FRANK, do more to provide young people and parents with information about drugs
• Improving identification and assessment of children and young peoples substance misuse related needs, especially for young people in known risk groups
• Improving support for families of vulnerable young people with identified substance misuse related needs
• Increasing services to vulnerable young people at risk of getting involved in drugs misuse

The national drugs agenda for young people is aimed at preventing young people, especially vulnerable young people, from using drugs and consequently reaching the five outcomes for well-being as outlined in "Every Child Matters" (September 2003)

FRANK|

FRANK is the new national drugs and alcohol information service for young people and families. FRANK is there for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to offer sound advice about drugs and alcohol and here to get help. FRANK is supported by a 3 year media campaign aimed at young people aged 11-21 and families to promote the message that "drugs are illegal, talking about them isn't, so talk to FRANK".

If you can't talk to your mates about drugs or if you're a parent who wants their kids to talk to somebody who knows the score, then, talk to FRANK now on 0800 77 66 00.

Bedfordshire Drug & Alcohol Action Team (B:DAT) and design consultants Hey Moscow became the national winners of the first ever FRANK Stakeholder Award for the innovative drug-education card game Knockout Drugs.

Based on the Top Trumps Game and developed with young people from Bedfordshire Children's Services, Youth Service and Youth Offending Team,

Evaluation shows that within 20 minutes of playing the game, key messages about the risks of Class A drugs become clear and understood by young people.

For more information call the B:DAT Communities Line on 01234 276051, or email info@bdat.org.uk|

B:DAT & Young People

We are delivering the national drugs agenda for young people locally through the delivery of our 3 year B:DAT young peoples strategy. This strategy takes into account the key themes & priorities outlined above whilst also recognising the needs and wants of young people and young peoples services in Bedfordshire. The key themes & priorities to be delivered locally to improve young peoples drugs services in Bedfordshire include:

• To improve the number of schools achieving National Healthy Schools standard
• To improve access and support for vulnerable young people, particularly for looked after children, young people who have offended and Young people who are non-attendees (including truants) or excluded from school
• To improve the number of young people accessing drug treatment
• To increase the numbers of professionals trained in drug & alcohol awareness who work with young people
• To improve access to drug services and support, particularly for Black and Minority Ethnic groups, in rural areas; and South Bedfordshire
• To make sure that young people engage in the B:DAT agenda
• To improve support for Families, Parents and carers

Key partners in the B:DAT partnership, including commissioned young peoples services, will be working together over the next 3 years in order to deliver the priorities as outlined in the strategy. Progress against these targets will be scrutinised by the B:DAT Partnership board on a quarterly basis.

B:DAT have launched a new website for young people and families in Bedfordshire that offers appropriate drugs and alcohol information and advice in a way that is relevant to both audiences independently. Much more than a drugs info site, this is YOUR interactive site and includes quizzes, music and film reviews, and, we want to know what YOU think.

There is also a Drugs & Alcohol Education Framework for Bedfordshire that delivers consistent multi-agency drugs and alcohol education for students from reception to year 13. The Framework aims to enable young people to become confident individuals who are equipped to make informed choices about drugs and alcohol. View the framework here|.