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Needs Assessment: A Practical Guide to Assessing Local Needs for Services for Drug Users
Chapter 12: Needs Assessment for Young People
Increasingly there is the recognition that there are a range of issues about substance misuse that affect young people. It is therefore appropriate to establish the needs of that group. Needs assessment for young people should aim to establish:
The profile of the under 18 population: This should give information about the percentage of local population that are under 18 and the distribution of this population across the area.
Geographical factors: Given the link between problematic drug use and social deprivation, it may be useful to map local areas of disadvantage. For example, the mapping could include those areas that have:
high numbers of children growing up in households claiming income support;
high numbers of families registered homeless or in insecure housing;
high numbers of children excluded from school;
high levels of children on the Child Protection Register;
high levels of youth unemployment.
See
Appendix 2 for details on where to find these sources of information
A process of consultation with local agencies such as schools, street workers and outreach services may help identify local 'hotspots' of need.
Specific needs: Any needs assessment exercise should take account of the accessibility to existing services for all members of the target population. Some young people may appear to have access to services but in practice services may not be accessible because they fail to meet the specific needs of young people.
Mapping the existing services that are available for young people in the area should be part of the needs assessment. These services may include:
educational and career services (including facilities for excluded pupils);
medical services (such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Teams, sexual health clinics, drop-in centres for health advice and information);
social work services (including youth justice services for looked after and accommodated young people);
substance misuse services for young people;
leisure facilities.
The prevalence and patterns of drug and alcohol use: National information including the SALSUS Survey and the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Misuse in Scotland (Hay et al 2001) can provide data to inform the needs assessment. Other local sources of information on prevalence may include:
Data from Social Work and other agencies working with vulnerable young people
Referrals to the Children's Reporter for drugs and alcohol use
School exclusions due to drug and alcohol use and reports from Guidance Teachers and Joint Assessment Teams
Information from local street work projects, housing officers, community safety partnerships, Social Inclusion Partnerships and New Futures Fund Projects
Local youth crime statistics
Information from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Acute admissions to local hospitals due to alcohol and drug use
For further information, refer to the EIU publication, 'Services for young people with problematic drug misuse. A guide to principles and practice' (EIU 2003b).
Example: Needs Assessment Exercise: The WEB Project Tayside Health Board commissioned the WEB Project (covering Dundee and Forfar areas) to conduct a needs assessment exercise for young people in the area of Kinross and Milnathort. This came about as a result of increasing concern about risky drug use amongst young people in the area. The aims of the needs assessment were to identify: the risk behaviour of young people; the needs of these young people; the availability of services; the accessibility of services.
Data collection
The assessment began with the collection of a range of demographic information that included the age-range and socio-economic situation of the population. This information provided some indicators of deprivation and allowed a comparison with deprivation in other areas. Information was also collected from all the local schools to provide details on the distribution of pupils in each school and where they travel from.
Semi-structured interviews lasting between half an hour and an hour were conducted with local young people, professionals, parents and key individuals within the community. The interviews with young people were carried out during detached work in the afternoons and evenings. A focus group was also held with parents. 181 young people between the ages of 12 and 24, and 3 parents, were interviewed. Twenty-five professionals, and 4 parents, took part in a focus group.
Interviews with young people looked at their views about a range of issues, including: the most pressing problems in the area; access to existing services; access to information, advice and support; the services young people want; the type of support services should provide; the issues services should cover; the location for services; and their opening hours of services.
Development as a result of the needs assessment
The result of the needs assessment provided evidence to support the establishment of a project based primarily on an outreach service for young people, and providing community development work throughout Kinross-shire. The needs assessment ensured that the new project was set up to take account of the views of young people about issues of accessibility, to address the needs expressed by young people, parents and professionals. The needs assessment was also used to support a range of applications for funding by providing the evidence of need for proposed services. In addition, Kinross Young People's Forum was set up to take forward and act upon some of the main issues emerging out of the needs assessment.
On going needs assessment work
In order to keep in touch with the changing and developing needs of young people and the local community, the new project carries out regular surveys and focus group work with parents and young people. The Project also plans to set up its own local advisory committee.
For more information and a copy of the report, contact Lesley Cook, Tel: 01577 861608, E-mail:
lesleyacook@yahoo.co.uk.
For more details and a copy of the report contact Lesley Cook, Senior Project Worker, Tel: 01577 861608, E-mail:
lesleyacook@yahoo.co.uk |
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