Children and young people often think they know it all when it comes to the effects of drinking and drug taking. The aim of our youth outreach team is to help them to understand the facts and help those misusing drink or drugs change their behaviour.

We run a number of initiatives using a mobile unit and interactive and visual props and tools to engage youths in the dangers of substance misuse, so that they will make informed and responsible choices. We started in 1996 and our services have ranged from prevention to intervention, working with local councils, schools, local safety partnerships, the police and youth organisations. We can offer tailored services to any interested organisation. We also offer a ‘hot-spot’ service to tackle specific problem areas. For more information please contact us: Tel:01622 816 081 Email: youthservices@kenwardtrust.org.uk

John Shanley, our team leader, says that the Kenward Trust is the first port of call for local authorities needing to tackle the problems of under-age drinking and drug abuse in anti-social behaviour hotspots across West Kent.

Kenward Trust is seen as one of the leaders in drug and alcohol work with young people in Kent as we work on the streets at night and are experts in building trust with disaffected young people.

Outreach

Kenward Youth Services (KYS) outreach workers assess and evaluate hotspot areas within your community. They then set about working with young people in the parks, youth clubs and at community events giving up to date information regarding substances and their misuse using a variety of fun and interactive resources. We are currently funded by four District / Borough Councils in Kent for outreach work.

Alcohol and drug support programmes (aka DISP)

For years the KYS team has facilitated these programmes county-wide as part of a multi-agency approach to combat school exclusion and entry into the criminal justice system. The aim was to educate young people about the physical and mental effects of drugs and alcohol, and addressed the legal implications of misuse.

The initiative was supported by Kent Police, Kent Drug & Alcohol Action Team (KDAAT), Youth & Community and Refocus.

For more information please contact us.

Schools work

The KYS offers a whole host of fun and informative substance misuse lessons using up to date interactive resources. And in particular using a new and innovative technology known as Quizdom, a tool that can process real time opinions and the understanding of a class, using a handheld keypad, which is helpful to produce statistics. These vary in subjects to suit a range of age groups, from Safety In Action for year 6s, smoking for year 7s to Alcohol in Action for year 10s.

Year 7 Smoking Lesson

We offer an engaging lesson to tackle why people start smoking and look at the health and cost implications. With the help of Quizdom, we can ascertain the class’ knowledge and opinions around this subject with ease. We can also show the powerful visual effect smoking is likely to have on someone’s appearance, with our APRIL Aging programme, which will age a young person up to the age of 72.

Year 9 Drugs Lesson

The aim is to explore in detail the students’ knowledge around drugs, the law and coping strategies for risky situations. This is achieved in an interactive setting with the use of our Drugs Box and Quizdom handsets. It’s an informative lesson, targeted to the class’ particular needs.

Year 10 Alcohol in Action Lesson

This a very memorable and interactive lesson focusing on the dangers of ‘binge drinking’. The lesson covers the law alongside both the physical and social consequences of alcohol misuse, and how to protect oneself from or indeed cope with risky situations/behaviour.

Fetes and community events

The KYS team regularly attends community events around the county. If you have an event scheduled and would like the presence of our team with its gazebos and multiple resources then please contact us.

Quit smoking service

Our staff are all level 2 smoking cessation trained advisers, specific to young people.

Guidance, information and support

KYS can provide 1 to 1 mentoring.

The team has a variety of skills and knowledge which can be utilised and adapted to suit you and your young people’s specific needs.

If you would like more information on what we can offer please contact us.

Tel: 01622 816 081 / 07988 480 736
Email: youthservices@kenwardtrust.org.uk