Working as part of the NHS Glasgow City Youth Health Service, includem has helped divert 71% of their client group away from engaging in anti-social behaviours or involvement with alcohol and drugs.
Through the Glasgow City Youth Health Service, includem’s delivery of the Multiple Risk programme works in partnership with nurses, doctors and counsellors to help support young people achieve positive outcomes in their lives.
Over the last nine months 166 young people have been supported by the programme with the vast majority achieving positive results.
The programme is delivered in nine venue locations across Glasgow; with includem offering outreach support to help young people attend.
In these venues young people aged 12-19 are helped to identify issues and underlying causes that are contributing to their risky and often unsafe behaviours.
The most common reasons for referral include alcohol and drug misuse, vaping, risk of offending and non-engagement in education or employment.
These behaviours are addressed in a focused manner by using includem’s ‘A Better Life’ toolkit which tailors support for individuals to support sustainable long-term change. Includem staff engage and support each young person one-to-one on a weekly basis for up to 12 weeks.
The team also works with parents/carers to ensure continued support is offered at home.
Sam* (14) was referred to the programme due to their non-engagement at school.
“Believe in yourself and your family has your back because you can change. The support I got from includem and the NHS Youth Health Service has helped my family big time and helped me massively. I’ve learned I can be a nice person and I have a future. I didn’t go to school, and I go now and I’ve been scouted for a football team,’ they said.
After attending the Multiple Risk programme Sam’s regular school attendance increased by more than 100% from around 1.5 days a week to almost four days a week.
‘Sometimes it can be something as simple as providing funding for a dining table to enable the family to eat together, such a small step can improve communications within the family resulting in less conflict and better outcomes for all,’ said includem’s Team Manager, Nicola Galloway.
‘But without engaging intensively you can’t get to the root of what the issues are.’
