The Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Team are part of the commissioning service based within Commissioning and Policy.

A key part of the team’s agenda is to plan and commission services that will best meet the needs of children and young people. The team works with statutory, voluntary and private sector organisations to reduce the damage caused by drugs and alcohol to children, young people and their families. In order to support this work the team is given a Central Government grant.

The role of the Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Team is to:

• Make drugs and alcohol part of everyone’s agenda
• Improve the knowledge and understanding of those working with young people around drugs and alcohol through providing training
• Support the implementation of effective drugs education and intervention for all young people
• Ensure that mechanisms are in place to safeguard children and young people affected by parental drugs and alcohol use, and
• Ensure that good quality specialist drug and alcohol services are in place to meet the needs of our most vulnerable young people.

The team currently has 4 members of staff, each with a different role yet all working to achieve the same goals:

• Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Strategic Lead- Clare Gilbert
  Clare’s job is to develop and oversee the implementation of the Young People’s Substance Misuse Plan. This involves working together with the Young People’s Substance Commissioning Group to develop a good picture of the drug and alcohol issues facing young people in Nottingham and that there are the right services in place to support them. This involves the commissioning and performance management of services
  Tel: 0115 91 51956
  Email: clare.gilbert@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
  
  
• Hidden Harm Implementation Manager- Mandy Townley
  Approximately 14,000 children in Nottingham have parents who significantly misuse drugs and alcohol. It is Mandy’s role to ensure that drugs, alcohol and children’s services are all working together to best protect and support the children affected. Mandy works with statutory, voluntary sector and private organisations to raise awareness with staff of the impact of parental drug and alcohol use
  Tel: 0115 91 50305
  Email: mandy.townley@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
  
  
• Young People’s Substance Trainer & Communications Officer - Sam Wilkinson
  Sam’s role is to develop and deliver a range of drug and alcohol training sessions to professionals working within the Children’s Services sector. There is a variety of different training sessions available covering a range of issues relating to drugs and alcohol. For further information about all of the training courses available and future training courses being developed, please contact Jill Pearson on (0115) 9151961 or at email: jill.pearson@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
  
  In addition to the delivery of training Sam also leads on delivering the communications strategy. The purpose of the communications strategy is to provide a coordinated and effective framework for communicating and marketing the Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Team and to outline a programme of activity for the period of 2007-08.
  Tel: 0115 91 50313
  Email: sam.wilkinson@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
  
  
• Young People’s Substance Administrator- Jill Pearson
  Jill monitors the expenditure of the grant and collates performance and target monitoring for the services commissioned by the team. Jill coordinates the training programmes and supports the work of the rest of the team
  Tel: 0115 91 51961
  Email: jill.pearson@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
  

The Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Team currently commissions four services:

Compass Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service (treatment service)
Compass workers provide both targeted prevention work with vulnerable groups, as well as treatment to young people who have developed problems with drugs or alcohol. They have specific named workers who link with the Youth Offending Team, Looked After Services and Education and a specialist worker focusing on diversity issues. Compass are also developing targeted work with key vulnerable groups, including homeless young people and those involved in sex working.

For further information call (0115) 9248232 or alternatively email: yp.notts@compass-uk.org.

Head 2 Head (treatment service)
The Head 2 Head services at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service is for young people requiring drug and alcohol detoxification, those with combined mental health and drug and alcohol issues and for young people affected by parental use with complex mental health needs. They also support In-Patients at Thorneywood.

For further information call (01623) 784831.

STARS Nottingham
STARS provides a range of one to one and group work activities to support and safeguard children and young people affected by parental drug or alcohol misuse. They also work with key agencies in the city to ensure that the needs of these children and young people are met, by providing consultancy, advice and information on the impact of parental drug and alcohol misuse.

To make a referral or seek advice and support contact (0115) 9422974.

Drug and Alcohol Education Strategy Manager
The Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Team contributes to the funding of a School’s Drug and Alcohol Education Strategy Manager post who works within the Healthy Schools Team. The Drug and Alcohol Education Strategy Manager helps schools develop policy and curriculum around drugs and alcohol and also coordinates the work of a range of agencies within schools and Pupil Referral units to ensure that there is support in place for vulnerable pupils. Schools that have a comprehensive range of services will be awarded the DrugAware Award.