Havering Council boosts its youth services working with substance abuse charity to tackle drug and alcohol abuse.

Havering Council has approved a £54,000 boost to its youth services after largely performing ahead of target.

Local democracy reporter Sebastian Mann today writes:

The council has worked with substance abuse charity Change Grow Live (CGL) since 2022 to offer support for youths struggling with alcohol and drug abuse.

The aim is to guide them towards “healthier coping mechanisms” and reduce the likelihood of long-term dependency and harm.

Between 2025 and 2027, it will pay the charity a total of £300,560 – up from the initially agreed sum of £245,827. The money will come from a public health grant, which has funded the service since 2013.

The council blamed “inflationary pressures” for the hike.

According to government data from 2022, cannabis was the most common substance young people aged below 18 sought treatment for. Just under half of those seeking treatment across the UK said they had issues with alcohol, while others reported problems with ecstacy and cocaine.

Analysis of crime rates shows there were 918 drug crimes committed in Havering between April 2023 and April 2024. That makes up just 0.02% of the total 36,948 drug offences reported across London in the same period.

Over the past year, Havering and CGL oversaw interventions and treatments for 248 youths who had been referred to the service.

Some 94% of people exiting care said their drug and alcohol use had reduced, they were using more ‘safely,’ or were totally abstaining. The wide-ranging figure was well clear of the national target of 65%.

The same percentage of youths left saying their mental health had improved, ahead of the 70% target.

However, 49% of youths came out of treatment saying they had improved relations with family members. The target was 70%.

Additionally, the council fell below the target for referring attendees at a higher risk of drug abuse for targeted interventions. It hit 48%, just shy of the target 50%.

Havering Council has faced “unprecedented” demand on its social services in recent years, the authority says.

Havering has the second oldest population in London but one of the fastest growing young populations in the country, data shows.

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