Working with Young People

Posts and Roles

There are three broadly different roles within the young person's service.   

  • Young Person's Worker
  • Co-ordinator
  • Service Manager

However, Young Person's workers can specialise within this by

  • working with vulnerable young people to prevent involvement in substance misuse in the first place,
  • working with young people who have become involved inthe criminal justice system and
  • working with young people who are using substances problematically.

What does the Young Person's Team do? 

KCA's young person's team is compact and friendly and, despite working across Kent, Medway and two London boroughs, the dynamic and supportive team members collaborate to bring a range of skills and backgrounds to the task of working with young people.

The team works with young people who, because of circumstances, may be or become vulnerable to misusing drugs or alcohol.  We quite often work one-to-one with young people, meeting them in 'stigma-free' venues, such as cafes, youth clubs, and GP surgeries.  Talking to young people about drugs (and sex and relationships) is quite an art, so our staff are characterised by their imaginative and creative qualities, as well as the ability to work on their own.

Our staff combine a flair for engaging with young people with an ability to work to targets and facilitate change.  

The need for this mix of skills is a reflected in our selection process, which involves a service user panel, and in our line management process, which includes a systematic evaluation of outcomes achieved.

Extending the role

Training and Consultancy

Members of the team can extend their practice roles by  

  • Delivering drug and alcohol training to other professionals, as well as advising on how to respond to children who have been identified as being at risk of misusing substances
  • Acting as consultants to other professionals
  • Chairing and organising forums for practitioners
  • Delivering presentations on the work of the Young Person's Team

Research

The Team also work individually and under the guidance of Neil Hunt, KCA's Director of Research, to carry out research on topics such as:

< more roles within KCA