Outcomes from the Street Talk project, delivering brief interventions to young people at risk of drug and alcohol misuse.

1. Achievements, Learning
and Outcomes

2. Overview
• Partnership with Addaction
• Six month project to training youth workers
to deliver Motivational Interviewing to
vulnerable young people
• Delivered in
Brent, Bournemouth, Cornwall, Halton, an
d Lancashire
• Funded by Home Office

3. Innovation
• Screening, and
outcome measurement
via Android App
– Young people friendly
– Ability to follow up
– Security of data
– Real time management
information
– Enhances accessibility
by authorised staff

4. Achievements
• 150 youth workers
trained and supported
to deliver Brief
Interventions
• Over 2,000 young
people screened for
substance misuse
• Over 800 young
people assessed as
requiring a brief
intervention

5. Young People Screened
600
516
500 463 454 443
400
300 Young men
Young women
200
118
100 86
64 52
0
Aged 10--15 Aged 16-- 18 Aged 19--21 Aged 22-- 25

6. The Young People
Numbers of young people and the level of risk of
substance misuse
600 571 807 eligible for
intervention
500
400 358
325
292
300
200 157
100
0
No risk Low risk Medium risk High risk Severe risk

7. Disclosure of Substance Misuse
900 35% of young
811
800 752 people
700
disclosed poly
substance use
600
493
500 Alcohol disclosure
400 355 Cannabis disclosure
300 Other drug disclosure
200
122
100 83
0
Female Male

8. Crime and Anti-Social Behaviours
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Non Intervention Group Intervention Group

9. Risky Behaviours
Getting into trouble 49%
Family/friends concerned 43%
Forgetting 61%
Using when alone 45%
Using to relax 74%
Car driven under the influence 56%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

10. Where can I get support if I need it?
Pre-Intervention Post-Intervention
100% 100%
90% 90%
80% 80%
70% 70%
60% 60%
50% 50%
Some Increased
40% 40%
30% Neutral 30% No Change
20% None 20% Deteriorated
10% 10%
0% 0%
Knowledge of Knowledge of
where to get where to get
support support

11. How confident am I about making
an informed choice?
Pre-Intervention Post Intervention
100% 100%
90% 90%
80% 80%
70% 70%
60% 60%
50% 50%
Some Increased
40% 40%
Neutral No Change
30% 30%
None 20% Deteriorated
20%
10% 10%
0% 0%
Confidence in making an informed decision Confidence in
making an
informed
decision

12. Intention to Change
Significant Confident
Intention Future Others About
for Future safer use Approve of Future Safer
Safer Use preferable Safe /
Use
Informed Use
80 80 80
70 70 80
70 70
60 60 60
60
50 50 50 50
40 40 40 40
30 30 30 30
20 20 20 20
10 10 10 10
0 0 0 0
Agree
Disagree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Neutral
Disagree
Agree
Disagree
Agree
Neutral
Neutral

13. Key Findings
• Street Talk led to youth workers being able
to identify and provide an effective early
intervention with young people taking risks
with drugs and alcohol.
• A large majority young people who took
part in Street Talk described having a
positive desire to deal with these
risks, and had a better understanding of
how to do so following the intervention.

14. Additional Findings
• A significant proportion of young people in touch with
youth services are taking considerable risks with
substances. Almost all of these would not be eligible
for treatment services.
• Local youth services and organisations that work with
vulnerable young people, properly trained, may be a
highly effective means of reaching this group.
• Brief interventions, in particular Motivational
Interviewing, can be used effectively by youth workers
to help young people to reduce risky behaviours.
• Smartphone Apps and web surveys are an effective
medium for researching young people’s behaviours
and evidence change over time.

15. Next Steps
• Street Talk has shown immense promise
as a route to tackling the early misuse of
drugs and alcohol, in order to progress we
need to:
– Replicate the findings from this project
– Measure the effect on behaviour over time
– Develop the programme so that Street Talk
can be rolled out nationally