The Amy Winehouse Foundation Drug & Alcohol Awareness Programme brings together the Foundation’s existing work with Addaction’s Skills 4 Change, which supports those young people affected by a parent’s drug or alcohol problems.
It supports any student that seeks help, and:
- Helps to reduce substance misuse and anti-social behaviour in the local area.
- Increases young people’s awareness and knowledge regarding drugs and alcohol, as well as anti-social behaviour and offending.
- Increases young people’s levels of resilience, self esteem and resistance to peer pressure.
- Increases knowledge about drug and alcohol issues, as well as of accessing specialist support and treatment, among pupils, teachers and parents.
- Offers a free, confidential phone and online service for children and young people across the UK with support from Childline.
The programme has been rolled out in ten different locations across England and is delivered by people who are already in recovery. This team is fully trained, accredited and supported by professional workers in the field. Through the programme, they share their own experiences as recovering addicts to give young people a better understanding of drug and alcohol misuse. These ‘share’ sessions focus on self-esteem, risky behaviour and peer pressure and allow young people to explore the issues in a non-judgmental, effective and educational way.
We also work with Addaction to increase parents’ knowledge about the help that is on offer, and what support is available to both adults and young people. These evening sessions help parents to hold informed and confident conversations about drug and alcohol issues with their children.
The third part of our programme trains teachers to better identify students at risk of substance misuse and to help to better support those who need it. We do this through Addaction’s Skills 4 Change which has been a great success since it began in 2011, with 86% of enrolled students stating that they are coping better at school, and 74% stating that they are coping better at home, You can read more about how Skills 4 Change works here.
In sites where Addaction do not deliver young peoples services the Amy Winehouse Foundation engages with local treatment services to provide teacher training and targeted intervention work.
For more information, email resilience@amywinehousefoundation.org
