National Assembly for Wales / Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru
Health and Social Care Committee / Y Pwyllgor Iechyd a Gofal Cymdeithasol

Inquiry into alcohol and substance misuse / Ymchwiliad i gamddefnyddio alcohol a sylweddau

Evidence from Clwyd Alyn Housing Association – ASM(Q) 14 / Tystiolaeth gan Cymdeithas Tai Clwyd Alyn – ASM(Q) 14

Inquiry into alcohol and substance misuse

Survey Consultation Response

Organisation: Clwyd Alyn Housing Association

Questionnaire

01. Which client group(s) do you work with? (For example, under 18s, older persons, homeless, or female only)

16 – 25 year olds experiencing homelessness in a supported living environment.

02. What are the main reasons why your clients take drugs or drink excessively?  Please tick all that apply.

If you work with more than one client group or you feel that there are other reasons as to why your clients take drugs or drink excessively, please comment in the box below.

§ Peer pressure;

§ A way to deal with stress;

§ Mental health;

§ Boost confidence;

§ Relieve social anxiety;

§ Environmental factors (for example – excessive drinking and/or drugs normalised in the home/community)

§ Relationship problems;

§ Financial concerns;

§ Self-medication;

§ Escapism.

03. Are there certain groups of people who are more likely to be affected by drugs and excessive drinking? If so, which groups might they be?

The young people I support come from a variety of backgrounds, they have different peer groups and not all of them are affected by drugs and excessive drinking. It depends on the individual but I mainly believe low self-esteem / confidence and mental health issues (largely drug induced) are significant in young people affected by drugs and excessive drinking.

04. Does a particular stage of your clients’ lives influence their likelihood of taking drugs or drinking excessively? If so, what stage might that be? (i.e. age, relationship breakdown, unemployment etc.)

All of the young people I support are experiencing some kind of relationship breakdown as they are living in a 'hostel environment', this is a very traumatic time in their lives and they find their own coping mechanisms. Their age and vulnerability makes them more susceptible to taking drugs and drinking excessively.

05. What barriers exist for your client(s) when trying to access support and services?

Long waiting lists for some external agencies, GP's sometimes don't realise the full extent of the young person's issues.

06. What barriers exist for services when trying to access support for client(s)?

Long waiting lists for some external agencies.

07. What do you consider to be barriers for staff and frontline services in working with your client group(s), or substance misuse generally?

Substances are so readily available to young people and affordable. The young person's friends may also be a substance user and this could encourage them to use more.

08. Where do you think efforts should be targeted to address the issue of alcohol and substance misuse in Wales?

More effort needs to be targeted in the root of the problem - why are these people misusing substances? Counselling young people in order for them to talk about their past and deal with issues they already have.

Encouraging young people to attend motivational classes in order to build their self-esteem and confidence.

09. In which local authority area do you work? If you work outside of Wales, please write your local authority area below.

Wrexham.

Contact Details

Anon.

Clwyd Alyn Housing Association