NEW Government data reveals that in the last five years, Tameside Council has slashed substance misuse services in schools by more than £50,000 as experts warn that the coronavirus impact on schools could pull even more money away this year.
The figures, analysed by the UK Addiction Treatment Group, show that in 2014-15, £203,000 was spent in schools across Tameside on drug, alcohol and volatile substances support, but this figure has been cut to £151,230 in 2019-20 – a 26 per cent reduction in such a vital and important service for young people.
UKAT’s analysis shows that over the years, less and less is being spent on providing support to children in school when it comes to drugs, alcohol and volatile substances, raising concern that this type of support service could become teachers’ responsibility at a time when “teachers already have to wear a lot of hats to keep our children safe”.
The recently released report by the Government contains detailed information on expenditure by local authority maintained schools and how much local authorities like Tameside spent on education and children and young people’s services.
The specific pot of money spent on providing drug, alcohol and volatile substance support to children in schools across Tameside has been hit the hardest over the last five years.
UKAT’s analysis of the report shows that in 2014-15, £203,000 was spent, before being cut by £26,560 down to £176,440 spent in 2018-19. Latest figures show an even further annual cut to budgets of 14 per cent to £151,230 spent on substance misuse services in schools in 2019-20.
Nuno Albuquerque, group treatment lead at UKAT, said: “Teachers across Tameside are already wearing a lot of different hats in order to keep children safe. Tameside Council’s decision to cut funding for vital support services in schools just isn’t helpful in any way.
“The money was there to relieve teachers of this responsibility and to provide expert, specialised support to children in school who might be experimenting with drugs and alcohol or to those whose parents are misusing substances at home. It would have provided help, guidance, preventative messaging and support to these children.
“Slashing this vital support budget could well result in children needing help slipping through the net now, and needing help with drugs and alcohol in the future. Ultimately it’s a false economy.”
The UK Addiction Treatment Group also recently revealed that in schools across the country, drug offences in schools, colleges and universities had almost doubled, based on information gained from a Freedom of Information request to all police constabularies.
Nuno continued: “It cannot be a coincidence that as decisions are made by local authorities to spend less on substance misuse support services in schools each year, drug offences within schools rise.
“We’re concerned that the recent coronavirus crisis and the impact the pandemic had on schools could result in even more money being pulled away from substance misuse support services this financial year.”
To combat these cuts to substance misuse support services in schools, the UK Addiction Treatment Group has launched a free drug and alcohol education programme, available to all schools, colleges and universities across Tameside and the North West, helping to relieve the burden on teachers and to engagingly educate children on drugs and alcohol.
The programme is set to support schools in preventing dependency to drugs and alcohol from arising in order to reduce the number of adult substance misuse hospital admissions, long-term illnesses, treatment and ultimately, death and is led by qualified therapists from UKAT’s treatment facilities.
More information about the free education programme, including how to book a seminar can be found at www.ukat.co.uk/education-programme/v83/
A Tameside Council spokesperson said: “Across Tameside, we have continued to invest in and support work in schools and educational settings to improve health and wellbeing and this remains a priority.
“Despite year-on-year changes in the reported individual budgets, there has not been a reduction in total investment support for schools to tackle drug and alcohol harms.
“The council commissions a number of core services through Change Grow Live (CGL) our drug and alcohol specialist provider, which provide direct support to schools and families, as well as additional programmes with new investment over the last two years including a new drug and alcohol curriculum, training for teaching staff, theatre workshops, school nursing service and dedicated health mentors. The above services and programmes are available free-of charge to all Tameside schools.”