Issue - meetings

To approve the Scrutiny Review report and recommendations of the Review.

The Committee received the report on the scrutiny review of Support to Young People at Risk of Substance Abuse, presented by Councillor Alexander, Chair of the Scrutiny Review Panel.

The Committee were informed that the Review Panel had concluded that the assessment process for young people at risk of substance abuse was robust and that all agencies were following similar processes and that schools with a high truancy rate should be targeted for early intervention.

In response to the Committee’s concerns about looked after children in the Borough, Jane Painter (LB Haringey Young People's Substance Misuse Commissioner) explained that looked-after-children in Haringey were screened annually from age 12 upward.  Last year, out of 271 looked after children screened, 21 required further intervention.

The Committee noted that young people using drugs were under-identified and referral numbers were low.  There was a national drug treatment monitoring service  but this only monitored people over the age of sixteen.  A specialist substance misuse treatment agency operated in Haringey which used a range of interventions, counselling being the most utilised. Whilst treatment had a positive impact there were difficulties retaining young people in treatment programmes. Ms Painter highlighted that formal screening methods were not suitable for children of a young age and that awareness of factors that may lead to substance misuse was required.  Officers agreed to circulate figures for and evidence of the range of intervention processes in place.

Ms Painter informed the Committee that young people often decided not to access specific treatments due to the stigma attached and because they did not want to consent to being included in national monitoring figures.   Jan Doust (Head of Children’s Network) informed members that she was not aware of specific schools being targeted by drug dealers.

The Committee noted that closer liaison with school Police officers and headteachers would improve identification of children involved in drugs and agreed that recommendation 3 be amended to suggest a number of secondary schools pilot a scheme to improve early identification of pupils at risk of substance abuse.  This would reduce any stigma attached to one specific school being used in the pilot.

The Committee requested details of Haringey’s position in comparison to other Local Authorities in the British Crime Survey Figures and the Council’s protocol regarding knives, which would be circulated to Committee Members. 

RESOLVED

i.          That training sessions on the Common Assessment Framework and around the Joint Area Review Action Plan be strengthened to include the early identification of substance misuse by children and young people, and the correct assessment processes such as training to include school governors.

ii.         That the  Overview and Scrutiny Committee receive a further report in Autumn 2009 on the delivery of the JAR plan, detailing the specific impact   on young people  for whom substance abuse may be an issue.

iii.        That the Panel strongly recommends the introduction of a pilot scheme in a number of secondary schools to improve early identification of pupils at risk of substance abuse with the Director of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24