Advice on alcohol abuse
Warwickshire County Council is responding to calls from Alcohol Concern that people working with young people need better skills to identify alcohol misuse.
In a report released on 23 October, the national organisation advises that professionals working with children and young adults should be supported and skilled through training, local knowledge, and access to resources.
The county council and other public sector partners strongly agree with this advice and already offer packages of support to the county’s children’s workforce.
As part of Alcohol Awareness Week (18-23 October), the council issued a toolkit to all schools and youth workers entitled ‘Working with young people using alcohol’.
The pack includes ten good reasons not to drink, and offers key pieces of advice for workers to pass on to young people such as things to say to avoid drinking, tips for keeping safe if they are drinking and important health information.
A screening tool is included in the guidance to help workers make decisions about how to respond to a young person’s substance use/misuse and make referrals to support services.
There is also a section in the pack for parents and carers, encouraging mums and dads to talk about alcohol at home and to set positive examples to their children.
Tips for parents include:
Setting clear boundaries - Explain what, when and how much you think it is appropriate for them to drink.
Being honest about alcohol - talk openly about your own attitude to alcohol, how much you drink and why you drink.
Don’t forget to listen - try asking your child what they understand about alcohol rather than telling them what you know.
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, cabinet member for community protection said: “If the messages that children and young people receive are consistent and repeated by a number of trusted sources we hope they will become better informed about alcohol and the harm it can cause.
“Alcohol consumption amongst under-18s remains a significant problem in the UK, but if we can educate our youngsters on the risks involved whilst reminding them to stay in control we can move forward in tackling this issue.”
To find out more about alcohol support services in Warwickshire visit http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/alcohol.