Substance misuse

From prevention to treatment, we have more than 25 years’ experience improving the lives of children affected by drug and alcohol misuse, and helping local authorities meet their outcomes in this area.

What makes our substance misuse services different?

Each year, The Children’s Society works with thousands of children and young people with substance misuse problems, or at risk of experiencing substance misuse.

People are at the heart of our work. Our expert staff are able to meet children and young people’s needs, whether that’s counselling to help them stay off drugs or support to deal with a parent who misuses substances. We give our young service users a say in everything we do, to make sure we are giving them the best support possible. 

Why commission us?

Our services are holistic - we support young people practically and emotionally. We provide treatment for young substance abusers, including counselling and needle exchange.

Our preventative work means your budget goes further because it saves money down the line. We educate children and young people about substance misuse, discouraging them from misusing alcohol and drugs.

We have a successful track record of working with other agencies. We work with a whole plethora of local and national organisations such as Youth Offending Teams to support young offenders with substance misuse issues.

We provide children and young people with a safe space to help improve their well-being. Our centre provides a safe and confidential space for children and young people affected by their or other’s substance misuse to get the support they need. 

Our fully trained staff are experts in their fields. We deliver training and awareness programmes for other organisations who want to understand substance misuse better.

Substance misuse services – some achievements

• Last year our EYPDAS outreach programme worked with over 23,000 children and young people with substance misuse problems, or at risk of experiencing substance misuse.
• The outreach team facilitated over 1,000 groups with young people at risk of social exclusion.
• Our drop-in information and advice service handled over 130 visits and almost 1,000 calls.
• Our schools liaison workers worked with over 10,000 children aged between 10-13 with primarily alcohol-related issues.
• Our training team delivered sessions to over 1,000 professionals working with young people affected by substance misuse, including those from youth and social care services, child and adolescent mental health services, foster carers, emergency services and health care services.