Book reviews: Under my Roof

‘Under my Roof?’ – Young people’s substance misuse and the provision of accommodation

NCH, Training pack: code 40913

Drug use among young people in care or in accommodation is far higher than the national average, and so any resource that is specifically aimed and designed with this client group in mind is to be welcomed, writes Kevin Flemen.

This ring-binder resource includes some suggested training plans, exercises and discussion material, all backed up by a powerpoint presentation on CD-Rom and a DVD.

At its strongest, this pack discusses and explores workers’ (and young people’s) attitudes to drugs, and how to engage with young people. However, the pack was weaker in some other areas: the harm reduction section is very short but the pack does stress the need to access more detailed and comprehensive knowledge. If indeed a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, the information in this section would be unsuitable, in isolation, for an inexperienced worker.

Given the range of situations that are likely to be encountered in young people’s accommodation, the range of “crises” outlined in the pack is limited, and doesn’t explore solutions in much detail.

Likewise, the legal section is very brief, and doesn’t include any slides or handouts to help explore this complex area. The pack doesn’t look at medication storage, supply, drug paraphernalia, finding drugs, or any of the other issues that challenge accommodation providers working with young people.

Kevin Flemen runs the KFx and Drugs and Housing websites: www.ixion.demon.co.uk and trains extensively on the subject of drugs and housing