FIFE YOUTH DRUG TEAM

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FIFE YOUTH DRUG TEAM
janice munro, team leader dave paton, social
worker vicky hunter, project worker sarah greer,
project worker
lynn mcnab, project worker siobhan mcquillan, art
therapist pam storrar, project worker lynn stein,
clerical
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The Concept

• 1999 - making our communities safer
  challenge competition
• MULTI-AGENCY APPLICATION -
  INITIALLY TO BE NAMED DRUG OFFENDING TEAM
• Successful in that 86,000 awarded for
  development of the initiative
• Establishment of multi-agency working
  group

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HOW IT ALL BEGAN

• The Team was appointed September 2000
• The team comprised Social Work, Community
  Education and Police Personnel
• The team was Police Led and based in
  Levenmouth
• The team worked only in Central Fife

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Target Group

• Young people aged 14 - 16.
• Resident in Fife.
• Involved in illicit drug use.
• Committing criminal offences.

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Target Group Now

• Young people aged 12 - 16.
• Resident in Fife.
• Involved in Substance use.
• Committing criminal offences.
• Or Not

• Young people aged 12 - 16.
• Resident in Fife.
• Involved in Substance use.
• Committing criminal offences.
• Or Not

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Why did we expand?

• DEMAND FOR SERVICES
• ALCOHOL KILLS MORE PEOPLE THAN ILLEGAL DRUGS
• REFERRALS OF YOUNG PEOPLE OF A MUCH YOUNGER
  AGE GROUP
• NO SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICE FIFE WIDE FOR
  YOUNG PEOPLE
• PREVENTION IN TERMS OF OFFENDING
• PROMOTE AWARENESS
• PREVENTION IN NOS OF YOUNG PEOPLE BEING
  BROUGHT INTO CARE

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THE PROGRAMMES

• JUNCTION 14/16
• 12/13 PROGRAMME
• ALCOHOL PROGRAMME
• PARENTAL AWARENESS WORKSHOPS
• 11 INTERVENTIONS
• DRUG AWARENESS TALKS /TRAINING

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ROUTES OF REFERRAL

• FIFE CONSTABULARY
• SECONDARY SCHOOLS
• SOCIAL WORK
• STATUTORY AGENCIES
• VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
• SELF REFERRAL
• REPORTER TO CHILDRENS PANEL
  
• PARENTS

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PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

• TRANSPORT PROBLEMS
• GEOGRAPHICAL AREA NOT WIDE ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN
  REFERRAL NUMBERS TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL
• MORE INFORMAL RATHER THAN FORMAL STRUCTURED
  WORK 11 WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
• REMIT TO WORK WITH CHAOTIC DRUG USERS
  

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WHERE ARE WE NOW

• TRANSPORT PROBLEMS
• GEOGRAPHICAL AREA NOW FIFE WIDE
• FUNDED THROUGH CHANGING CHILDREN
  SERVICES FUND TO 2006
• TEAM HAS 1 1/2 NEW POSTS
• NEW PROGRAMME DEVELOPED FOR 12/13 YEAR OLDS
• NEW PROGRAMME RE ALCOHOL MISUSE
• DIVERSION

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WHERE ARE WE NOW

• NUMBER OF REFERRING AGENCIES HAS INCREASED
  SIGNIFICANTLY
• FOLLOW UPS AT 4,8, AND 12 MONTHS EXPANDED TO
  INCLUDE DRUG USAGE
• EVALUATION OF PROGRAMMES IN PART NOW
  CARRIED OUT BY THE YOUNG PEOPLE
• PARENTAL/FAMILY AWARENESS WORKSHOPS OFFERED
  TO ALL YOUNG PEOPLE
• FAMILY PACK DEVELOPED TO ADVISE ALL PARENTS
  OF CONTENTS OF PROGRAMMES

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WHERE ARE WE NOW
We have no police officers seconded to the team
This is missed in terms of a very different
perspective from both sides
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NUMBER OF REFERRALS

• IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PROGRAMME 62
  REFERRALS WERE RECEIVED IN TOTAL
• IN THE SIX MONTHS FROM 1.9.03 - 31.03.04 WE
  HAD RECEIVED 81 REFERRALS

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YOUTH JUSTICE

• PART OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SERVICE, SOCIAL
  WORK
• PART OF THE YOUTH JUSTICE STRATEGY FOR FIFE
• PART OF INTEGRATED CHILDRENS SERVICES
• MULTI-AGENCY MANAGEMENT GROUP
• PARTNERSHIP WORKING

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WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE ?

• damn good question !!!

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POST PROGRAMME TRACKING

• 4, 8 AND 12 MONTHS USING S.C.R.O. AND POLICE
  CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE CHECKS

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THE FIRST 4 PROGRAMMES

• LUCK?
• COINCIDENCE?
• Or SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

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No of Offences - Prior to 4 Programmes 228

• NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WORKED WITH
• 17

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AT 8 MONTHS 11 NEW OFFENCES

• AT 12 MONTHS
• 0 NEW OFFENCES

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Programmes 5 - 9 inclusive Number of young
people30

• PRE-PROGRAMME OFFENCES
• 77

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At 8 months18

• AT 12 MONTHS
• 11

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Overall decrease in no. of new offences committed
on subsequent programmes

• AT 12 MONTH FOLLOW UP
• 40 or more

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Value for Money

• COST OF KEEPING ONE CHILD IN CARE FOR ONE WEEK
• 500 - 1700 or more
• COST OF KEEPING ONE YOUNG OFFENDER IN PRISON FOR
• ONE WEEK 573.83

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COST OF KEEPING ONE YOUNG PERSON ON THE PROGRAMME
FOR 10 WEEKS485.25

• COST OF 11 SESSIONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
• 13.46 pence per week
• 700 per annum

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OF THE 144 YOUNG PEOPLE WORKED WITH ON THE
PROGRAMME THE AVERAGE AGE OF TRYING DRUGS FOR THE
FIRST TIME 12

• 1st choice drug alcohol 24
• 1st choice cannabis 118

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2nd CHOICE ALCOHOL 112

• 2ND CHOICE CANNABIS 6

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DO WE NEED EVEN EARLIER INTERVENTION?