For the children and young people (CYP) we support, our purpose is to ensure that challenges they face in childhood do not define their lives or limit their opportunities.
Our Children and Young People’s focused service is designed to meet the young person where they are, in their situation, to deliver the support that is right for them to help them avoid negative outcomes and reliance on social care services in adulthood. The aim of our provision is to equip young people with the tools they need to overcome obstacles and fulfil their potential.
Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service (SDAS)’s Young Person’s Team support young people across Somerset who want to make changes to their drug or alcohol use. We don’t have thresholds so will work with young people who are beginning to experiment and would like some support, advice, information, and guidance; right the way through to young people whose drug and/or alcohol use may have escalated and be significantly impacting on their wellbeing.
We are young person-centred, meaning that the support we provide is led by the needs of young people and change is not imposed upon them. We offer support, education, and personal resources to enable young people to make sustained and lasting change.
We offer full assessment and treatment :
· One-to-one young person-centred interventions promoting positive change.
· Advice and information on drugs and alcohol.
· Structured psychosocial sessions.
· We go into schools or alternative education provisions to do targeted group-work/workshops.
· We have access to clinical support and offer harm reduction interventions.
Hidden Harm
We recognise the impact on young people of living in a household where the adults around them use substances. Children exposed to parental drug or alcohol use and potentially harmful situations have a high probability of behavioural problems, often leading to substance experimentation. We can support these children to manage this impact offering one-to-one support, building resilience, safety planning and ensuring that they develop the skills to avoid generational substance use continuing.
School detentions/exclusions linked to drugs or alcohol
Our aim is to work closely with schools across somerset, supporting you and your students.
If you have incidents in your schools where pupils are caught with substances on school property, we can offer an alternative to sanctions that may escalate young people’s vulnerabilities rather than solving them.
We will work alongside you. SDAS Youth workers can work with the young person to build resilience and deliver health and wellbeing advice enabling them to remain in school and reduce the potential risks that exclusions can create. Rather than a detention offer a targeted workshop with one of our team.
If you want to find out more about how we can support your students, please don’t hesitate to contact Dawn Holmes, SDAS YP & Family Team Operations Manager on
07970787223 or email Dawn.Holmes@turning-point.co.uk
