Young People's Drugs & Alcohol Service

The Young Person's Substance Misuse Service engages vulnerable young people and intervenes early to avoid or limit escalating risk and harm from substance misuse. The objective of the service is to support sustained recovery by supporting young people, from entrance into the service to re-integration back into the wider community or adult services.

1. This service will operate within the context and expectations outlined in the National Drug Strategy (2017). With regards to young people, the strategy is clear that a targeted approach with specialist services are needed for those most at risk of misusing drugs and to tackle the threats of new types of drug misuse. In brief, the aim of the Strategy is to support people to live a drug free life through a whole-life approach to preventing and reducing the demand for drugs that will lead to the following outcomes:

1. With regards to a local context, Havering is the third largest London borough, covering some 43 square miles. It is located on the northeast boundary of Greater London. To the north and east the Borough is bordered by the Essex countryside, to the south by a three mile River Thames frontage, and to the west by the neighbouring boroughs of Redbridge and Barking & Dagenham. The general population of the Borough has increased year on year since 2002, with a 13.7% increase from 2002 to 2017. Looking ahead, it is projected that the largest increases in population will occur in children (0-17 years) and older people age groups (65 years and above) up to 2033.