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FRANK Action Update – Understanding Crack Cocaine1FRANK Action Update – Vunerable Young People – making the difference
 
WELCOME
Growing up is a tough time for any young person.Presented with a variety of choices – often with risksattached – they can feel uncertain about their future.During this period of development,many young peoplecan experience personal difficulties.Certain young people,however,face more extreme problems thanothers and are considered to be particularly at risk.School excludees and truants,young offenders,looked-after children,and children of substance misusingparents are among those who are especially vulnerable to the dangers of drugs.Their circumstances canhave a negative impact on their health,personal safety and education,and can leave them vulnerable tocriminal activity and,critically,problematic drug use.It’s vital that these young people are equipped with thenecessaryskills and support to help them lead a full healthy life.The experiences of these young people are likely to be more intense,their lifestyles more chaotic,and theirvulnerability to substance misuse more acute than those of other young people.Indeed,while Class A druguse among young people generally has been stable since 1998 at around 8%,among vulnerable youngpeople the figure is closer to 13%
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.Targeted intervention work is needed,including coordination among a wide range of stakeholders,fromeducation,the voluntary sector and public sector services.This is essential to help those who are morevulnerable become aware of the risks associated with substance misuse and to help them develop theskills to makemorepositivechoices for themselves.
IN THIS ISSUE
This FRANK Action Update aims to give you the low down on certain groups of young people who areconsidered to be among the most vulnerable in society today.It contains essential information on the issuesthey face,along with activities and advice on how to engage with them,gain their trust,and help orientatethem towards a brighter future.The pack explores key issues such as self-esteem,opportunities,relationships,and,of course,drugs,equipping you with tools to facilitate communications and prevention work onsubstance misuse in your area.
CONTENTS:
FRANK IN ACTION
Feedback from the public and local networks
2VITAL STATISTICS
Statistics and insights into communicating with the vulnerable
4MOVERS AND SHAKERS
Snapshots of positive practice
33IDEAS FOR ACTION
Ideas and inspiration for working with vulnerable young people
36USEFUL RESOURCES
Useful contacts,publications,resources and websites
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LOOSE SHEETS:
FRANK ACTIVITIES
FRANK Selecta!Moral dilemmasWhat a difference a day makesEsteeming ahead!Looking after you/looking out for othersThe FRANKbee flyerFRANK solutionsKnow your herd
FRANK FACTS
Drugs – the law
FRANK TIPS
10 ways to reach vulnerable young people
MORE FRANK
Order your FRANK resources
The coreaudience for this Update is those who currently work (or are seeking to work) with youngpeople who areparticularly vulnerable.
 
FRANK IN ACTION
FRANK Action Update – Vunerable Young People – making the difference2
For news on how FRANK is progressing,and details of future plans,make sure you register at www.drugs.gov.uk/frank(formally www.drugs.gov.uk/Campaign)
KEEP IN TOUCH!
Tell us what you’re doing – and what people are saying locally about FRANK – by emailing thecampaign team at
frank@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
FRANK THANKS
FRANK would like to thank the followingorganisations for taking partin important researchthat has made a significant contribution to thispack and to the direction of the campaign as awhole.Without their contributions this pack wouldhavenot been possible.•Barnardo's PolicyUnit•BAWYC (Barnardo's Action With Young Carers)•BASE (Barnardo's Against Sexual Exploitation)•Brighton Oasis Project•Children's Rights (Leeds)•COSMA (Children of substance misusing adults)•Foyer Federation•Get Real Team (Rotherham)•MASH (Manchester)•Motiv8 (Portsmouth)•New Horizon Youth Centre•Potteries Housing Association•POW(Nottingham)•STARS Project•SouthernFocus Trust (Portsmouth)•Stonham Housing•SW5 (Young Men's Project)•The Connection at St Martin's•The Who Cares? Trust
FRANK FEEDBACK
ADepartment of Health ‘Caller Satisfaction’surveyin 2005 aimed to assess the effectivenessof the helpline.Whilst ongoing monitoring remainsessential,results so far have been encouraging:
More FRANK facts from the survey
•The average length of a call to the helplineis around 11 minutes•28% of callers in the survey were aged 24or under,28% were calling ‘as a parent’•Only 4% of callers said they had had difficultyfinding the number
FRANK was launched in May 2003 and,in the first two years,has received over 1 millioncalls to the helpline resulting in 35,000 referrals to treatment and services.More than2.4 million visits have been made to www.talktofrank.com with over 200,000 visits totheservice listings and FRANK has responded to 62,480 emails.By the start of the thirdyearof the campaign,5181 stakeholders had registered at www.drugs.gov.uk/frankand have been integrating FRANK into their local drug communications activities.
10203040506070%
     5     3     %    r    a     t    e     d     t     h    e    s    e    r    v     i    c    e    a    s     ‘    e    x    c    e     l     l    e    n     t     ’     3     5     %    r    a     t    e     d     i     t     ‘    v    e    r    y    g    o    o     d     ’     9     %     t     h    o    u    g     h     t     i     t    w    a    s     ‘    q    u     i     t    e    g    o    o     d     ’     7     9     %    s    a     i     d     t     h    e    y    w    o    u     l     d     b    e     ‘    v    e    r    y     l     i     k    e     l    y     ’     t    o    c    a     l     l    a    g    a     i    n     7     9     %    o     f     t     h    o    s    e    r    e     f    e    r    r    e     d     t    o    a     3    r     d    p    a    r     t    y    s    a     i     d     t     h    e    y    w    e    r    e     ‘    v    e    r    y     l     i     k    e     l    y     ’     t    o    g    e     t     i    n     t    o    u    c     h     8     1     %    s    a     i     d     t     h    e    y    w    o    u     l     d     b    e     ‘    v    e    r    y     l     i     k    e     l    y     ’     t    o    r    e    c    o    m    m    e    n     d     t    o    a     f    r     i    e    n     d    o    r     f    a    m     i     l    y    m    e    m     b    e    r
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THE TOPLINE
THE NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION
From Summer 2005,FRANK entered a new phase of development.Building onthe awareness of the campaign to date,the new strategic direction focuseson building affinity with FRANK and has a broader focus.The campaignnow includes activity on ALL illegal drugs (rather than the previous focus onClass A),volatile substance abuse (VSA) and also incorporates informationon legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.FRANK continues to contributeto the Government’s Public Service Agreements (PSAs) – or performancetargets – on drugs.The targets fall into three main categories:
FRANK Action Update – Vunerable Young People – making the difference
T1.YOUNG PEOPLE (USAGE):
Reduce the use of Class A drugs and thefrequent use of anyillicit drug among allyoung people under the age of 25,especiallybythe most vulnerable young people.
T2.TREATMENT:
Increase the participation of problem drugusers in drug treatment programmes by 100%by 2008 [from 102,000 in 1998/9] and increaseyear-on-year the proportion of users successfullysustaining or completing treatment programmes.
T3.HARM / CRIME / SUPPLY:
Reduce the harm caused by illegal drugs(as measured by the Drug Harm Indexencompassing measures of the availabilityof Class Adrugs and drug-related crime)including substantially increasing the numberof drug misusing offenders entering treatmentthrough the Criminal Justice System.These PSAs are also reflected in the
Every Child Matters: Change for Children
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programme – aGovernment initiative from DfES focusing on thewell-being of children and young people up tothe age of 19.The programme embraces fivekeyoutcomes aiming for every child to havethenecessary support to:•Be healthy•Stay safe•Enjoy and achieve•Make a positive contribution•Achieve economic well-beingDrugs areclosely related to poor outcomesfor young people.Choosing not to take illegaldrugs has been identified as an aim within theoutcome ‘Be healthy’.
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