Billy and the Big D-cision

Information PLUS, 3 Hill of Heddle, Finstown,
Orkney. www.orknet.co.uk/iplus
  £39.95

Interactive media on tackling issues around
drugs are always welcome. This CD-Rom offers some real-life
situations for young people working with professionals or their
parents. It doesn’t seek to give a “just say no” message or to
pretend there isn’t a pleasurable side to drug use. Through this
realistic approach it is a useful tool in raising awareness of drug
use with the 10-12 age group. The use of the technology makes the
CD-Rom a fun tool to use. While it’s no Gameboy, it does have a few
quirky things happening for those curious to click around the
screens. The main character, Billy, makes use of a mobile phone,
which serves as a tool for finding out more about drug issues. The
CD-Rom was created in Orkney and consequently the young people
depicted are all white with Scottish accents. In a multicultural
setting the material may not be so relevant but may still be a
useful guide for professionals in providing good drugs information
and possible discussion points. It is not recommended that it be
used without some adult input.

Team Development Programme – A
training manual

Joan Walton, Russell House Publishing, 4 St
George’s House, The Business Park, Uplyme Road, Lyme Regis, Dorset,
DT7 3LS. Tel 01297 443 948. E-mail: help@russellhouse.co.uk
    £29.95 plus £1.50
p&p

Although created and widely used in
residential care settings, this manual has been developed for any
group of people aiming to work together as a team. The programme
includes 10 modules, such as “Understanding the nature of stress”,
“Giving and receiving feedback” and “Effective use of meetings”,
which can be used as a whole course or separately as need requires.
Lessons learned can be usefully reinforced by revisiting
modules.