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 Neath Port Talbot Youth Offending Team – ASM(Q) 29 / Tystiolaeth gan Tîm Troseddwyr Ifanc Castell-nedd Port Talbot – ASM(Q) 29
Inquiry into alcohol and substance misuse
Survey Consultation Response
Organisation: Neath Port Talbot Youth Offending Team
Questionnaire
01. Which client group(s) do you work with? (For example, under 18s, older persons, homeless, or female only)
Under 18 year olds who are involved in the Criminal Justice System and/or the early intervention and prevention team.
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;
§ Client(s) already substance reliant;
§ 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?
Any young person can be affected either by their won use of substances or by that of a parent/family member.
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.)
They can also be influenced at any time or stage, but are particularly vulnerable at times
when there is stress/trauma in their lives.
05. What barriers exist for your client(s) when trying to access support and services?
Trust can be a barrier, sometimes this can be a long standing issues within a family for instance, and can take time to build.
Transport can be a barrier as NPT is geographically difficult to get around without a car. We do what we can as an organisation to ensure that our client group is reached.
Understanding what services are available can also be a minefield for our client group.
06. What barriers exist for services when trying to access support for client(s)?
Funding is always an issues. Trying to break down barriers of trust within families to allow them to gain full access to services available.
07. What do you consider to be barriers for staff and frontline services in working with your client group(s), or substance misuse generally?
N/A
08. Where do you think efforts should be targeted to address the issue of alcohol and substance misuse in Wales?
Need to be targeting the 'Head Shops' that are popping up locally and selling so called 'legal highs' which are wreaking havoc in the communities and continuing to put our young people at high risk of accidental overdose and of accidents happening whilst under the influence of substances that they feel are 'safe' just because they are being sold freely.
We are battling with educating our client group about the dangers of these substances, but it is difficult when so many of the young people are using them and they are so easily available, not only locally but are so easy to purchase on the internet.
We also need to continue to address the issue of alcohol as we have with smoking, as it will take time to see changes.
09. In which local authority area do you work? If you work outside of Wales, please write your local authority area below.
Neath Port Talbot.
Contact Details