Archived: CAN Young Peoples Drug and Alcohol Service Northamptonshire

The young people we spoke with told us that they were happy with the level of support provided at the service. One young person told us that the staff provided support to them in a sensitive manner and regularly checked on their wellbeing by talking to them. They also told us that they found the staff easy to talk to because they 'understood their point of view'. They told us that the staff explained to them the risks of taking drugs and alcohol and provided support to enable them to make changes in their life.

Another young person told us that the staff gave them an acupuncture treatment to help them to relax. They also told us that the staff had explained to them the risks and benefits of having acupuncture and that they had given their consent by signing the treatment form.

We found that the provider had systems in place to make sure young people were well supported. We also found that young people made informed decisions and gave consent for the support and treatment they received. We also saw that the provider had an effective recruitment system and that complaints were dealt with appropriately. We found that accurate records had been maintained and the staff and young people's records were stored safely and securely at the service.

One young person told us that they had a good relationship with their key worker at CAN and this had made a difference to them getting help from the service. They told us that their key worker had given them information about drinking alcohol so they could make an informed choice about how much alcohol they consumed. They said that they had been given practical advice about limiting their intake of alcohol and that this had helped them to manage the amount of alcohol they were drinking.

They also told us that they had become involved with the CAN Young People Drug and Alcohol N-Gage project. This was where young people were given the opportunity to help shape the service that was provided. They told us that the project group had recently been working on a new poster, which was designed to target young people and make them aware of the CAN Young People Drug and Alcohol service.

Another young person told us that the staff had supported them though a difficult time. They said that their key worker had helped them to use a 'drug diary' so they could think about the reasons why they were using drugs. They also told us that they were going to be a 'peer mentor' for other young people to give them support for drug and alcohol difficulties.