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 Young Persons Substance Misuse Service (YPSSMS) – ASM(Q) 03 / Tystiolaeth gan Gwasanaeth Camddefnyddio Sylweddau i Blant a Phobl Ifanc – ASM(Q) 03
Inquiry into alcohol and substance misuse
Survey Consultation Response
Organisation/Respondent: Sally Winterflood, Young Persons Substance Misuse Service (YPSSMS)
Questionnaire
01. Which client group(s) do you work with? (For example, under 18s, older persons, homeless, or female only)
YPSSMS is a tier 3 Aneurin Bevan University Health Board provision that focuses on the complex needs of individuals aged under 18 years that misuse drugs or alcohol.
We are part of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service, and have direct links into
CAMHS locality teams and Doctors.
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.
Comments
Sexual exploitation / exploitation as a form of self-harm.
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?
A high percentage of our clients have at some point been referred or seen by CAMHS. Due to changes in CAMHS criteria, waiting lists, lack of follow up, etc., our clients have self-medicated in order to relieve their diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health issues.
We have had an increase in females that are sexually exploited.
Clients that have a diagnosed mental health issue but are not appropriate for a CAHMS intervention, such as Conduct Disorder, attachment disorders, Oppositional defiance disorder & emerging personality disorders.
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.)
§ Adolescence;
§ Unemployment/lack of prospects/poor educational attainment;
§ School exclusion;
§ Ongoing deprivation & poverty;
§ Emerging mental health issues.
05. What barriers exist for your client(s) when trying to access support and services?
Location- YPSSMS operates within the home/school/gp surgery- anywhere the client is most comfortable. Yet, services which we refer into such as CAHMS, New pathways (for sexual abuse), etc., these services operate on a clinic basis and do not provide transport. Clients cannot afford or have the necessary social skills to get to these facilities.
There is disparity in service provision and service funding. Within Gwent YPSSMS is only provided within 3 of the 5 Localities.
06. What barriers exist for services when trying to access support for client(s)?
There is disparity in service provision and service funding. Within Gwent YPSSMS is only provided within 3 of the 5 Localities. If clients move areas, they will not receive the same specialist service provision.
Provisions within Gwent have changed dramatically over the last few years. Reduced funding
has resulted in the loss of many valued services for example Turnaround & Prevent.
A wealth of diverse and interesting services are available within Newport, with very few
comparisons in the valleys.
07. What do you consider to be barriers for staff and frontline services in working with your client group(s), or substance misuse generally?
1. No long term contracts for staff, keeping experienced staff in post;
2. Reduced service funding, no cover for annual leave & sickness as teams are running on bare minimum staff ratios;
3. Lack of vision and clarity from Area planning boards, who have very little understanding of what happens at grass roots level. Cheaper options are not better options!
4. As non-stat agencies are more cost effective, NHS based services are seen as an expensive option. Yet with the level of complexity and risk associated with our current client group, these NHS services are essential. Very few members of the area planning board appreciate this.
08. Where do you think efforts should be targeted to address the issue of alcohol and substance misuse in Wales?
1. Joint planning and commissioning, which looks at need and not just cost, recognising that Dual Diagnosis provisions needs to health led in order to meet need and address complexities;
2. Continuity of service provision, where ever you live or move to;
3. Single points of contact for referrals;
4. Residential/supported accommodation for young people with complex needs. At the moment young people that are difficult to manage are placed in adult settings. This has resulted in an increase of IV Heroin use. There are more options within Newport, yet Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent have very little provision;
5) Our young people are interested in and respond well to alternative therapies. Yet, there is no funding or good practice incentives to take this forward.
09. In which local authority area do you work? If you work outside of Wales, please write your local authority area below.
Newport
Contact Details
Sally Winterflood
Young Persons Specialist Substance Misuse Service
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