Feedback is important to us here at LAT. Recently, we have been asking for the views from the young people who access our 'Young Oasis' service. Young Oasis offers support to young people affected by parental (or other close relative) substance misuse.
These are the issues that the young people we work with have said that they face:
Having a family member who uses drugs (44.4%)
Having a family member who uses alcohol (88.9%)
Drugs and alcohol use (self) (5.6%)
Experienced abuse or neglect (27.8%)
Not feeling safe at home (38.9%)
Truancy or exclusion from school (22.2%)
Not doing well at school (27.8%)
Poor emotional wellbeing (44.4%)
Finding it difficult to make new friends (11.1%)
Feeling lonely (33.3%)
Bullying (33.3%)
Mental health problems (16.7%)
Anti-social behaviour (11.1%)
Poverty (22.2%)
Lack of confidence and self-esteem (50.0%)
Feel fear, guilt or embarrassment about what is going on (61.1%)
Worry about parents/family (83.3%)
Worry about the future (66.7%)
Other issues (33.3%). These issues included issues around parental imprisonment, the death of a parent, anger issues, and changes to family dynamics.
These are the ways in which the young people we work with said we had helped them:
| Keeping safe at home (43.8%)
Understanding parent/family member’s addiction (81.3%) Getting through bereavement (12.5%) Developing new skills (87.5%) Improving confidence and self-esteem (50.0%) Reducing anxiety about parent’s drugs/alcohol use (93.8%) Feeling less isolated and more supported (81.3%) Feeling more resilient (87.5%) Improving family relationships (37.5%) Improving my mental health (18.8%) Staying in school/do better in school (31.3%) Having fun (50.0%) Feeling more positive about my future (68.8%) Oasis helped me in another way (25%): These other ways included recognising they are not on their own, reducing family arguments and attending a respite day. None of the people who took part said that Oasis did not help them.
All of the Young Oasis People who took part rated the service as ‘Excellent’.
These are the things that they said they liked most about getting help from Young Oasis: Being able to talk about it and not feeling judged A support worker who is easy to talk to, respects confidentiality and gives good tips on how to cope with everything Having another person to help me get over my past and recognise my potential It helps me feel more positive They are always there when I need them
Progress All of our Young Oasis clients complete regular progress reviews. This was how they progressed over the past year: 83% increased their wellbeing 50% improved in school 92% increased their coping skills 75% had better support networks 71% had better relationships with their families. |
