Thanks very much Sarah - would it be possible to also add my e-mail address
[log in to unmask]

Regards
Chris
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sarah Galvani" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:53 PM
Subject: Solvent abuse infor from Re-Solv


The following information is from Chris Daly, Re-Solv - an organisation
working specifically with solvent abuse among young people.  It contains
some links to articles, research reports and websites that you might be
interested in.  Chris is a former social worker and contacted me following
the recent article in Community Care on social work being overlooked in
the new drugs strategy consultation.

Chris writes:
"I was recruited by Re-Solv in 2001 to assist with the development of our
training pack 'Tackling Volatile Substance Abuse' funded by the Department
of Health.  This need was highlighted by the 1997 Social Services
Inspectorate’s study, Young People and Substance Misuse: The Social
Services Response, (www.doh.gov.uk/scg/socinsp) which identified a
particular problem of solvent abuse reported amongst younger teenagers
living in children’s homes in the majority of areas across the country.

The report also identified that many authorities did not provide substance
abuse services suitable for young people.  It was also recognised that
there was a need for clearer guidance and training for social services on
the implications of VSA in terms of the legislative framework (see report
Buzzing, Sniffing, Tooting',2001, Staffordshire University Institute of
Social Work and Applied Social Studies)

A copy of the pack was sent to every Social Services Department in England
and Wales and is still available on our website.

We are about to launch a similar resource for Scottish social care
personnel entitled 'Tackling Volatile Substance Abuse in Scotland' as a
recent report commissioned by the Scottish Executive states that ‘the
abuse of volatile substances has, in the last 20 years, become a secondary
research agenda and is often poorly understood as a drug misuse problem
among care professionals and the public alike. A lack of contemporary
research is coupled with low levels of media reporting on the issue, and a
lack of obvious presence of VSA in drug education programmes, professional
training packages and treatment services.’ The perceptions of social
workers, including the view that VSA is a problem of the past, have not
changed from those described in earlier research (see also   Jagger, L.,
(1997) Ambiguities in Decision Making: social work’s response to ‘glue
sniffing’ in Scotland.  British Journal of Social Work, 27, 361 – 376.
and McKeganey, N.P., Beaton, K(2001) Drug and alcohol use amongst a sample
of looked after children in Scotland. Centre for Drug Misuse Research.
(unpublished)).  In the latter, a survey of the Looked After and
Accommodated Children Service identified that there was a lack of
awareness about VSA within residential units and that protocols and
policies were inconsistent. They also recommended that there was a need
for increased knowledge and training.  This of course equally applies to
foster carers and anyone working with vulnerable children and young people.

If you would like any further information on our resources, please do not
hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Chris Daly
Research Officer
RE-SOLV

Tel 01260 299093 (home office)

www.re-solv.org