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Working with young people: A profile of projects funded by the Partnership Drugs Initiative
Borders Reiver
Aims to provide a brief intervention for 12-16 year olds whose substance use (alcohol, drugs, or other substances) is beginning to get them into trouble. The project focuses not only on the person's substance misuse but also addresses each person's wider circumstances. For example, a key objective is to instil in the clients an understanding of what a normal pattern of alcohol consumption would be for a person of their age.
Established early 2001 and first accepted referrals in summer 2001
The project team is comprised of 1 administrator and 2 project workers. The team are currently looking for a sessional worker. Both project workers have previous experience of working in drug units.
The project covers the entire Borders region.
It is based in the premises of Borders Council on Alcohol (BCA) in Galashiels. However, meetings with clients may take place in the young person's home, school, health centre, youth centre or other location.
Young people aged 12-16 years whose substance use is becoming a problem.
As of 31 July there had been 114 referrals to the project. These include some referrals of the same person on more than one occasion, and 23 instances where the person referred did not attend any sessions. The age profile is shown in Figure 17.
Figure 17
The gender profile is shown below:-
No information is available on the ethnicity or disability of those referred.
For each client an initial assessment is made using one of two assessment tools; the Rickter Scale or POSIT (Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers). The Rickter Scale may be re-administered in later sessions as a device to stimulate discussion about what the young person wants to achieve.
Sessions are held on a one to one basis using broadly cognitive methods to both challenge and set goals for the young person. Where possible, parents are informed of the young person's attendance. Drop-in sessions are held on a weekly basis in seven secondary schools, with similar sessions being held in health centres during school holidays. The project also gives presentations about its work to secondary school pupils.
Borders General Hospital (Ward 15 in Accident and Emergency Department) is a significant source of referrals due to the number of young people attending hospital as a consequence of alcohol and drug misuse. However referral to the project also comes to the project via a number of other routes. The pattern of referrals from the project's inception in early 2001 until 31 July 2003 is shown in Figure 18.
Figure 18
The geographical source of referrals is as follows:-
Galashiels | 31 | |
Hawick | 22 | |
Kelso | 15 | |
Selkirk | 12 | |
Jedburgh | 7 | |
Peebles | 6 | |
Earlston | 4 | |
Melrose | 4 | |
Berwick | 2 | |
Innerleithen | 2 | |
Other | 9 | |
Of the 114 referrals, 95 had been closed as of 31 July. Amongst the 72 closed cases where the person referred attended on at least one occasion, the average length of intervention was five sessions.
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