The service provides a continuum of support that aims to prevent young people at risk of substance use from starting, support those who have begun experimenting with drugs or alcohol to avoid escalation, and work alongside young people whose substance use is affecting their emotional, social, educational or economic wellbeing. Support is delivered through a combination of prevention group work, brief interventions and one-to-one key worker support.
In schools, targeted prevention groups help young people build resilience, manage peer pressure, develop healthy coping strategies and make positive choices. For those who have had a one-off or low-risk experience with substances, brief interventions provide information, education and harm reduction advice to increase awareness of risks and prevent further escalation.
Where substance use is having a greater impact on a young person's life, dedicated one-to-one support is available. Young people are matched with a key worker who provides tailored support focused on their emotional, personal and practical wellbeing, helping them identify goals, develop coping strategies and achieve positive change. Support is flexible, person-centred and recognises that substance use is often linked to wider factors such as mental health, relationships, self-esteem and life experiences, the service adopts a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach to ensure young people receive the right support at the right time.
Through a funding partnership with Housing, dedicated resources are also available to support young people experiencing homelessness and those living in Action for Children's training properties, ensuring vulnerable young people can access specialist substance use and wider support when they need it most.