PARENTS/CARERS - THE LOCAL PICTURE

Families, parents and carers can play a vital role in both education and prevention of the harm of substance misuse with those close to them who are using drugs or alcohol. You don’t have to go it alone. If you are living with someone who uses drugs or alcohol it is important that YOU have the support and advice that you need.

Worcestershire has a specialist service dedicated to support for families, and concerned others around drug use. That service is called Pressure Point.
Pressure Point offers support on a one to one basis as well as information and advice.
More information about Pressure Point can be found in the Local Services section or by clicking here

Worcestershire provides specialist substance misuse services for young people under 19 years of age, via Worcestershire Pathways to Recovery. 
More information about services can be found in the Local Services section

Pupils in Worcestershire schools have their drug education, to include alcohol and tobacco, as part of their Personal Social and Health Education programme (PSHE). Schools should follow the national guidance set out by the DfES in what they do. The Education Authority provides drug education teaching resources for each of the four Key Stages, which are in line with national guidance. These resources enable teachers to deliver lessons on drug education which are non-threatening, provide interesting stimulus material, and relevant to their age group. For example in Key Stage One the focus will be on the dangers of medicines and household substances; more about alcohol and tobacco is then found at Key Stage two. At Key Stage 3 and 4, issues are raised about the law and sources of help. With all ages, the emphasis is on building the confidence of pupils, as well as other useful life skills, so that they will be able to cope in difficult situations. Lessons therefore tend to be active, with lots of opportunities for discussion and for practising those skills. Schools sometimes have the opportunity to use appropriate visitors in their lessons, such as a Police Schools Liaison Officer or a theatre group

In early 2007 Worcestershire Substance Misuse Action Team and their partner agencies distributed copies of ‘SHOT’, an alcohol education resource, to the County’s secondary schools and youth centres.  The resource comprises a DVD and accompanying Workbook.  The principal component of the DVD is a c. 20 minute drama featuring a group of young people and focussing on their drinking behaviour.  The ‘SHOT’ DVD, through portraying a series of situations in which drinking can, and in some cases does, become problematic for the young people featured, asks its audience to take a view on the difficulties alcohol can cause and how the characters, and by extension the viewer, can make safe and responsible decisions about their alcohol use. For more information about the DVD and workbook, please click here.

For adult family members who may have issues around their drinking the Worcestershire Pathways to Recovery offers one to one support for families and individuals affected and an advisory, counselling and treatment service for those who feel they need help with their drinking. 

For adults with issues around drugs Worcestershire Pathways to Recovery offers support and treatment. For more details click here.