SAYouth...South Ayrshire Youth Report 3 • Alcohol was the main substance causing harms in 80 - 89% of cases where young people told us what substance was involved • 1% of …

SAYouth Summary Repor t

2 South Ayrshire Youth Report

KEY F IND INGS

CONTENTS

1. Substance Use in South Ayrshire

There’s a perception that substance use amongst young people is significantly higher and widely problematic across services compared with what young people reported. There are high levels of young people abstaining, reporting they do not use any substances at all or self-reporting infrequent use.

Alcohol was not regarded as a significant issue for both young people and the workforce, despite being the substance most commonly used by young people who took part followed by prescribed medication.

40% used alcohol in the last

week70% in the last month and 15% said they had never

tried alcohol.

40% said they use alcohol at least once a month

Compared to 6% who said they use drugs at least one

a month.

Over two thirds of young people had used alcohol in the

last month and 15% said they had

never used alcohol.

Over a quarter of young people used illicit drugs in the

last monthincluding cocaine,

cannabis, and MDMA and 15% said they had never

used alcohol.

Pages 2 - 5. Key Findings

Pages 6 - 7. Introduction

Pages 7 - 10. What Did Young People Tell Us?

Pages 11 - 12. What Did People Working in Services Tell Us?

Page 13. Key Messages Moving Forward – Staff Perspectives

Page 14. Voices of Lived Experience – Recovery Community

Page 15. Actions for Change

Page 16. Acknowledgements

South Ayrshire Youth Report 3

• Alcohol was the main substance causing harms in 80 - 89% of cases where young people told us what substance was involved

• 1% of young people said they had used New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) or ‘legal highs’ in the last month with 75% telling us they had never tried

• Two-thirds of young people had witnessed or experienced aggressive behaviour in the last 12 months due to someone else’s substance use

• 10% had felt unsafe at home in the last year due to someone else’s substance use

Our understanding of the role alcohol plays in young people’s lives needed prompting in the trends, use, and harms discussions despite being a significant contributing factor at the beginning of young people’s substance use journey. Alcohol was also involved in the majority of the most challenging, aggressive and harmful situations young people found themselves in at home or in the community.

2. Drivers for Substance Use

Included boredom, lack of other opportunities and sense of social connection that madeyoung people feel valued and escaping the challenges of everyday life including the impact of poverty, exclusion, difficult life events and coping with loss. Substance use was viewed as a social process; bringing people together to share what they have to contribute and collectively embark on a journey to get ‘smashed’ or ‘wasted’. Group use was seen as a safer, lower-risk way to use substances and was more fun in the right situation in ‘gaffs’ (parent-free/party houses) until someone had too much and ‘turned’ becoming aggressive or going off on their own. There are strong links to inter-generational substance use involving drinking and drug-taking and socialising with parents at family occasions in the home. Many consumed wine or vodka in the home (before heading out friends to consume more). Substances are accessible and affordable when young people bring their money together. It was easy for young people to get parents, elder peers and strangers to get them alcohol through ‘jump-ins’. This was cited as a contributory factor in developing problems with substances from an early age including blackouts, violence or going to accident and emergency with injuries. In the more severe cases, this led to their involvement with the children’s hearings system, social work or justice system. Reported low levels of drug use include cannabis, MDMA, and cocaine. NPS was not a substance used regularly by young people. Many were against the use of NPS citing these as ‘disgusting’, ‘dangerous’ or ‘something only junkies use’.1 Where NPS use was referenced it was more likely in remote or rural areas due to availability.

1 This is a direct quote from a young person which uses stigmatizing language which we do not endorse or support however the comment has been included to represent how strongly the young people we spoke to felt about NP and their use


3. Learning from Good Practice

Early intervention and diversionary activities offered through community safety (TAYP), CLD youth work provision, Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) projects and third sector initiatives were highly valued to work towards early intervention and more intensive support for young people (1-2-1 or small groups). Resources, capacity and consistent quality ofinterventions like these should be more widely available and evaluated effectively. It takes time to develop relationships. Relationships are key to positive change for young people and their families. Getting young people to the right support as early as possible with appropriate time to build up trust are significant factors that should be acknowledged.

4. Gaps

Knowledge of what support is available to young people and their family is limited. Many are unaware of what support means for young people, families and those working across South Ayrshire. There is a knowledge gap for those working with young people in services and restricted communication between teams limits efforts to deliver effective services. This needs to be developed further.

Information sharing can often be a barrier to the whole family and whole system approaches. Peer

networks including recovery and family peers should be developed further with the right resource.

Multiple agency working could be more collaborative with different services who work with different members of the family unit to bridge any gaps in knowledge. Having the opportunity to build relationships with other services as well as with families and communities can be improved.

5. Accessing Support

Accessing support is the last resort for young people when things go wrong. Own support networks, health care settings, social work, emergency services and the justice system is the point of access for many young people needing support. This is out of sync with a health-based approach.

‘My mum had an addiction and things escalated – it affected our relationship, but I didn’t know where to look for help.’

‘It would be good to have somewhere you can go where you feel like you’ve known them for a long time.’


Two thirds said they would not know where to get help for themselves or someone else if there were

problems around substance use

More than half have supported someone due to alcohol or drug use (parent, friend or sibling)

6. Specialist Support is in High Demand

And early intervention activities are not viewed as credible, and not widely available or accessible across the community to reduce the need and demand on CAMHS/Counselling/psychiatric support. Stigma and fear of being singled out for needing support and fear of consequences is a significant factor for people seeking help.

This might include information, advice and training to community members such as Community Reinforcement And Family Training (CRAFT), Scottish Mental Health First Aid for Young People (SMHFAYP), time to talk, Motivational Interviewing (MI), Alcohol Brief Interventions (ABI’s), peer network development, positive parenting and building, and developing family capacity with appropriate support structures sooner.

Transport and accessibility were consistent factors for many young people we spoke to, particularly those living in more remote areas or where the transport network is not great.This has an impact on motivation to seek help and acts as a physical barrier to change.

‘I have drank alcohol since I was 15. We drink in parks and down rivers with friends from school and the area. We all get together on the weekend and drink cider or vodka, Buckfast and Mad Dog. Older guys in the community are easy to manipulate to ‘jump in’ for us for big groups of us.’


INTRODUCT IONIn 2019, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs was asked by South Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) to help build a better understanding of young people’s experiences of alcohol and drugs. We wanted to develop the local evidence that would increase our understanding of the levels of drug and alcohol-related harms experienced by young people (from their own substance use or someone else’s).

The key areas of focus were: • Young people aged 8-25 who are concerned about someone else’s substance use • Young people with emerging substance use issues • Services and practitioners engaging with young people • Voices of recovery and those with lived experience of addiction, support and services Co-production was key to us getting the right approach to reaching as many young people as possible. We had support from the project steering group which was made up of local partners including community safety, community learning and development, education, employability and skills, and other third sector partners. We also had great support from young people involved with the Champions Board, Youth Forum and the Young Person’s Support and Transition team (YPSTT) who helped us to shape the questions, workshop materials and promotional content to reach as many people as possible. We felt this was important to de-stigmatise the conversation around substance use and getting help and to help strengthen young people’s voices in shaping services.

Why did we want to hear from young people? The Scottish Government’s new national alcohol and drug strategy Rights, Respect, Recovery was launched in November 2018 and introduced what we have described as “transformational rights” for families. The strategy’s vision of a “right to health” and the right to a “life free from the harms of alcohol and drugs” are applied equally to people using alcohol and drugs and to their family members (and wider communities) for the first time. Similarly, families are given the same rights to be “treated with dignity and respect” and to be “fully supported to find their own type of recovery”. The strategy makes the three clear and specific commitments to children, young people and families living in Scotland which are set out below:


Who did we speak to? In total, we heard from 271 people across three distinct groups between January and March 2019. This included young people, those working in services, and people with lived experience of addiction or recovery. We promoted the survey as widely as possible throughout the region through schools, youth workforce, third sector agencies, employability and skills network, social work and through promoted posts online via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The graphic below tells us who made up the 166 young people who took part where they chose to disclose this information.

WHAT D ID YOUNG PEOPLE TELL US?

Harms Experienced from Other’s Substance Use In the survey, young people were asked about a range of harms they had experienced as a result of someone else’s substance use as well as how often these were experienced. We have combined the harms experienced in the last three months against those who reported never experiencing harms to illustrate the feedback we received. Alcohol was the main substance causing harm in each case being present in 80 to 89% of cases where young people told us what substance was involved. The only difference in this was as a passenger where alcohol was only cited in 46% of cases - drugs were the most common cause.


Own Substance Use We asked young people to tell us about their own substance use over the last year including type of substances used (if any), frequency of use and what substances they never used. Comments indicating specific types of substances were optional in this section of the survey. Extended information is provided in the full report that can be accessed via the link at the end of this report. Most young people told us they had never used New Psychoactive Substances (‘legal highs’) or Volatile Substance (Aerosols or Inhalants) whilst the opposite is true for alcohol, illicit drugs, tobacco and prescribed drugs. Tobacco, alcohol and prescribed drugs emerged as the most commonly used substances amongst young people in South Ayrshire.

Interviews with Young People in Services We interviewed 10 young people engaged in services including social work, 1-2-1 support, justice services, care-experienced, carers or taking part in alternative curriculum or learning pursuits from mainstream education. All young people (aged 15-19) we spoke to during these interviews self-reported alcohol use within the last month and all had tried drugs with over half saying they used cannabis within the past month. The earliest age of regular drinking reported (at least once monthly or more frequently) was 13 years old with regular drug use reported later at the age of 16. The reasons people cited for their substance use included boredom, accessibility, and to relax and to cope with stress, anxiety or daily life. There was a general reluctance to access support emerging from responses that came from a fear of the consequences for young people. Some were worried about the consequences for themselves and for those they were living with (siblings and parents).

Overall Learning Points

• 40% said they had used alcohol in the last week - 70% in the last month and 15% said they had never tried alcohol

• A quarter of young people had used illicit drugs in the last month including cocaine, cannabis and MDMA whilst 43% of young people had never used

• 1% said they had used New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) or ‘legal highs’ in the last month with 75% telling us they had never tried

• Two thirds had witnessed or experienced aggressive behaviour in the last 12 months due to someone else’s substance use

• 10% said they have felt unsafe at home in the last year due to someone else’s substance use

• More than half have supported someone due to alcohol or drug use

• Two thirds said they would not know where to get help for themselves or someone else if there were problems around substance use


Supporting Others We asked young people about their experience of support for people they knew including where they could get help, if they had supported someone due to substance use issues and what support they had provided, if applicable. 40% of young people who took part said they knew where to get help if they knew someone was having issues around alcohol or drug use. When asked where they would get help the responses suggests frontline services that focus on crisis, emergency situations or helpline support were the go to place.

Over half (52%) of those who responded said they had supported someone with 8% choosing not to say. Most people (55%) had helped a friend whilst 23% had helped a direct family member. Emotional support was the most common form of help provided by young people with support for personal or domestic tasks. Financial support and help to access services cited by one fifth to one quarter of young people who said they had experience of supporting others. This may offer opportunities for services to engage and support young people more effectively moving forward sooner if they are involved in offering this support and may wish to take up further training. When asked what support had been accessed to help cope, the vast majority of young people (80%) said they didn’t access help stating they did not need it. From those who did access support, youth-based services such as youth, social work and support were the most common sources of help followed closely by health-related settings and their own support networks.

Another’s Use Own Use

Missed Opportunities Due to Substance Use Young people told us about the opportunities they had missed as a result of substance use - their own or someone else’s. The graphics below represent these opportunities. They represent time for young people to learn, socialise, develop and relax which is worth noting in terms of overall health and wellbeing of young people. It is important to consider these given our collective understanding of health, wellbeing, coping strategies, and developing resilience to adverse experiences.


Barriers for Getting Support for Young People


WHAT D ID PEOPLE WORKING IN SERV ICES TELL US?

In total, 54 people accessed our online workforce survey. 34 staff members took part in follow up interviews or focus groups via staff teams. The graphic shows who took part (with larger icons representing higher participation).

We asked staff to tell us what young people disclose in relation to substance use and support. 39% said they have conversations daily about the impact of other people’s substance use (family members/peers). Alcohol, opiates and cannabis use were the most frequently cited substances. 22% said they had daily conversations with young people about their own substance use. Cannabis, alcohol and ecstasy all featured highly in the lives of those known to services which could have implications for how services are delivered moving forward and support requirements.

Positives • Overall, staff in services felt the offer for young people in South Ayrshire was positive and supportive when accessed. This was echoed by the majority of young people and those in recovery we spoke to who had been in contact with support including youth work, social work, the third sector and justice services.

• Staff were fully committed and passionate about identifying, supporting and caring for young people at risk of harms from their own or someone else’s substance use.

• Pilot or short term funding initiatives (such as TAYP or Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) programmes) were seen as good drivers for innovation.

How often do you encounter a young person

affected by someone else’s substance

use?

What type of substances do young people tell you their parents are using?

How often do you encounter a young person

who uses substances?

What type of substances do young people tell you

they are using?


• Many staff felt that existing campuses and community spaces offered the best opportunity for whole-community, whole-family hubs to be explored. Many felt it would need the right additional expertise, support pathways and specialist support to resolve issues being present.

Barriers • Over two-thirds of those we spoke to highlight the demand for specialist support as a significant issue in their role.

• There was a consistent message, from those we spoke to, of specialist substance use and mental health services for young people lacking the right resource and capacity to meet the current needs of young people who need their help.

• Increased demand on services, and the strain this puts on the workforce, cuts across sectors, services and disciplines resulting in many young people placed on waiting lists or not supported as early as many would like.

• A clear pathway or process for referring those in need to the right supports (for their own or someone else’s substance use) was unclear, often leading to the perception that young people are being ‘passed from service to service’.

• Early identification, intervention, education and prevention were consistent priorities for young people, the workforce and those in recovery.

• In remote and rural areas it was difficult to identify young people due to limited engagement capacity, staff resource and the reach of the services.

• There was widespread mistrust of service involvement in some communities where substance use was prevalent for fear children would be taken into care.

• There was a significant confidence and skills gap expressed from the workforce with many staff saying they often felt the needs of young people were identified too late, were very complex and required specialist support by the time they saw them which they could not always provide.

• Those working in services told us they regularly experienced young people who appeared to be self-medicating for a range of unattended mental health issues or to cope with complex social circumstances and pressures. This included many young people who were impacted by another’s substance use such as parents, siblings or wider family members.

‘I’d be too embarrassed to ask for help – for myself and others.’

‘Everyday life encourages me to use substances, but moderation is key – it can affect my mental health.’

KEY MESSAGES MOVING FORWARD - STAFF PERSPECT IVES

When asked about what ‘the big change’ would be that could make a difference across South Ayrshire to remove barriers, identify young people at risk sooner or to support young people more effectively here’s what the workforce told us:

A clear mental health support pathway is required that offers choice and support at community/school level. Regular listening

support, access to counselling and low threshold programmes to prevent a crisis, build resilience and reduce demand on specialist mental health/

addiction services over time.

Consider better use of technology to increase engagement with young people in need of support but still unknown to services. Better use of social media to get the word out

and counter the illicit behaviour. Texts providing consistent, evidence-based, self-help/management guides, web-chat, harm-reduction

alerts and advice. Offer free Wi-Fi zones to bring young people into spaces for dialogue.

We need to be prepared to offer all support in any environment in any

situation. Recovery focussed/family support groups in

schools. Make better use of empty spaces in busy areas offering support and links to support. Think about a space in each locality,

mobile support/space making the best use of existing council and community assets. Can this be set up to support young people sooner rather

than too late?

A local point of contact for specific support agencies including

improved links and information sharing to support staff and families and those in

recovery.

Schools and those working with young people need to be aware of what is out there beyond school. If they know what’s happening locally

they can tap into this.

Public perceptions of alcohol and drugs need to change.

The idea that all young people are using all kind of substances needs to be clear. Services are

not only used by poorer people and more affluent people won’t access the help out there.

Celebrate our positive role models and substance-free events to be showcased/

promoted more.

Staff need to have a good working environment

where they can work in relaxed settings with young people and safe, more

practical resources and information for those working with young people. Also better training on specific interventions that can help reduce

the demand for services.

Staff in youth-based roles should have better awareness to help feel more confident identifying young people

needing support. The staff could swap roles to understand what

is out there and what is possible locally to better support communities, young people and

families.

Improved information sharing to keep young people safer. Support needs to

be recorded and progress shared across teams to develop cleared indications of what progress

is being made and identify opportunities to move young people beyond services.


VOICES OF L IVED EXPER IENCE - RECOVERY COMMUNITY

In total, 17 participants took part in interactive discussion sessions. This included people in recovery, volunteers and paid workers with lived experience. Participants were asked to consider some statements in small groups of 4-5 facilitated by a fellow volunteer or recovery peer. The aim was to identify what would have been important to get help sooner. Many of those involved shared a range of challenging/difficult circumstances that they believed contributed to their own addictions. Delays in seeking help and support to cope were attributed to a number of these factors and reflect what young people told us.

‘If you’re honest being seen as a grass/nerd/do-gooder or appearing ‘better-than’ • Stigma is a massive barrier that delays accessing support until the last resort. Isolation, confidence and locality also featured prominently as barriers to accessing support. • There was fear of being taken into care, being blamed for substance use in the family or fear that social work would need to intervene. Many children and young people don’t understand the role and function of social work and children’s services and are taught to mistrust from an early age. • It is not uncommon for those in need to feel threatened by speaking to services or saying anything about what happens by other family member or those involved in illicit behaviour in the community. • If you are seen to be accessing help the pressure from your peers can sometimes mean it is easier to leave the area. • Lived experience matters – mental health links to substance use needs to be better

‘Kids might be worried that someone will get into trouble if they ask for help – or they might be worried that people won’t believe them.’

‘My parents were injecting drug users and were unable to look after me when I was young. I ended up in care. I was moved away to another area, changed schools, lost contact with all my friends and family – my whole life changed.’


ACT IONS FOR CHANGE


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Scottish Families would like to thank all of those who gave their time to take part in our surveys, interviews, discussions and learning sessions. This report has been produced by Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs and does not represent the view of South Ayrshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership or any individual who participated in the project. Any errors in interpretation remain our own. A special thanks to those who helped us with the delivery of this project including the steering group, the Alcohol and Drug Partnership, South Ayrshire recovery peers and young people. Without their input and support this project would not have been possible in the timescales set out.

About Scottish Families Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs is a national charity that supports anyone concerned about someone else’s alcohol or drug use in Scotland. We give information and advice to many people and help them with confidence, communication, general wellbeing, and we link them into local support. We also help people recognise and understand the importance of looking after themselves.

When we say family, we mean who you see as your family. It could be your spouse, your parent, your sibling, your partner, your friends, your friend’s family, your colleagues, your neighbours, and anyone we may have missed.

We support people through our helpline, bereavement support service, Telehealth (one-to-one support), and our family support services in Aberdeenshire, East Dunbartonshire, and Forth Valley. We also deliver workforce development through our training courses, communications and campaigning work, our young person’s project ‘Routes’ in East and West Dunbartonshire, and wider community development including our Connecting Families programme.

General Enquiries0141 465 [email protected]

Websitewww.sfad.org.uk

Helpline08080 10 10 [email protected]

Registered Scottish Charity SC034737

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SAYouth...South Ayrshire Youth Report 3 • Alcohol was the main substance causing harms in 80 - 89% of cases where young people told us what substance was involved • 1% of …