Supporting young people with drug and alcohol problems into work Paul Anders Senior Policy Officer DrugScope

Young people’s services that impact on drug use:

2010 Drug Strategy & 2012 Alcohol Strategy  Emphasis on prevention and recovery – hope vs. fear  Keeping children safe and rebuilding families  Good quality advice and education  Supported by recovery champions  Recovery capital - housing, employment, social support etc.  £2bn Early Intervention Grant  Alcohol strategy emphasises crime / ASB elements & binge drinking – plus MUP  Alcohol & drugs key to other strategies – e.g. Social Justice

 Between , 41% successfully completed and did not return, compared to 27% in  The number of young adults (18-24) coming into treatment for heroin has fallen by 23% in the last year alone, from 5,500 to 4,250, a fall of nearly two-thirds since (11,300).  The over-40s are now the only age group whose treatment numbers are going up.  Number of PDUs lowest on record. Better outcomes & changing client group

Trouble ahead?  Drugs and alcohol into public health – no sign as yet that there is effective protection (3/66 indicators)  Impact of youth unemployment – c.f. 80s & 90s recessions – but no “typical” drug user  Children of drug users as carers  Proliferation and availability of novel psychoactive substances (“legal highs”)  Most deprived authorities frequently lost the most money in SR2010. What about 2013?  Prevention & young people’s services most vulnerable (UKDPC & DrugScope, JRF, all 2012)

A word about the Work Programme  Two pilots: Recovery Works – additional £2,500 at job outcome Recovery and Employment – collaborative working with supply chains  Proof of concept for other groups with evaluation  Can Recovery & Employment model work elsewhere? Sub-contractors with strong track records in place in (at least) 15 out of 18 CPAs.

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