NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE DRUG ACTION TEAM YOUNG PEOPLE’S NEEDS ASSESSMENT FINAL REPORT Gill Davidson Lyn Dodds Kate O’Brien December 2001 NEWCASTLE DRUG ACTION TEAM: YOUNG PEOPLE’S NEEDS ASSESSMENT, DECEMBER 2001 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................1 1.1 THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S DATASET.............................................................................1 1.2 DEFINITIONS USED IN THIS REPORT..........................................................................2 1.2.1 DRUG...............................................................................................................2 1.2.2 SUBSTANCE......................................................................................................2 1.2.3 YOUNG PEOPLE ................................................................................................2 1.2.4 VULNERABLE ....................................................................................................2 2 RESEARCH METHODS ............................................................................................3 2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................................3 2.2 QUESTIONNAIRE.....................................................................................................3 2.3 PARTICIPATORY APPRAISAL WITH YOUNG PEOPLE....................................................3 2.4 INTERVIEWS WITH VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE.......................................................5 2.5 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION COLLECTION ..................................................................5 3 A PROFILE OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE............................6 3.1 NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE ...................................................................................6 3.2 AGE AND GENDER ..................................................................................................6 3.3 ETHNIC BACKGROUND ............................................................................................6 3.4 GEOGRAPHICAL SIZE AND URBAN/RURAL MIX...........................................................7 3.5 SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS ......................................................................................7 3.5.1 INDICES OF DEPRIVATION 2000 .........................................................................8 3.5.2 LEVELS OF CHILD POVERTY ...............................................................................8 3.5.3 ELIGIBILITY FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS ................................................................8 3.5.4 TAKE-UP OF BENEFITS.......................................................................................9 3.6 EDUCATION..........................................................................................................10 3.6.1 CHILDREN IN SCHOOL......................................................................................10 3.6.2 16 AND 17 YEAR OLDS IN EDUCATION ...............................................................10 3.6.3 EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT ...........................................................................11 3.7 EMPLOYMENT ......................................................................................................12 3.8 PATTERNS OF CRIME AND DISORDER .....................................................................13 3.8.1 RECORDED CRIME IN GENERAL ........................................................................13 3.8.2 DRUG OFFENCES ............................................................................................13 3.8.3 RESIDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME AND DISORDER AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE .....14 3.8.4 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND CRIME ...........................14 4 VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE DAT AREA............................................16 4.1 VULNERABILITY....................................................................................................16 4.2 METHODOLOGICAL CONCERNS..............................................................................17 4.3 HOMELESS PEOPLE ..............................................................................................18 4.4 ARRESTEES .........................................................................................................19 4.5 YOUNG OFFENDERS..............................................................................................19 4.6 CHILDREN IN NEED ...............................................................................................21 4.7 YOUNG PEOPLE IN LOCAL AUTHORITY CARE ..........................................................21 4.8 YOUNG PEOPLE IN NEED BUT NOT IN LOCAL AUTHORITY CARE................................23 4.9 CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE CHILD PROTECTION REGISTER ...................24 4.10 CARE LEAVERS...................................................................................................25 NEWCASTLE DRUG ACTION TEAM: YOUNG PEOPLE’S NEEDS ASSESSMENT, DECEMBER 2001 4.11 YOUNG PEOPLE CARING FOR ANOTHER PERSON ...................................................25 4.12 YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE EXCLUDED FROM SCHOOL ............................................25 4.13 TRUANCY ...........................................................................................................26 4.14 YOUNG PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES......................................................26 4.15 YOUNG PEOPLE WITH BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS...................................................27 4.16 CHILDREN NOT IN THE MAINSTREAM SCHOOL SYSTEM ...........................................27 4.17 YOUNG PEOPLE WITH A PHYSICAL DISABILITY OR LONG TERM ILLNESS...................27 4.18 YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES OR DISORDERS .....................................28 4.19 SUFFERING A BEREAVEMENT...............................................................................29 4.20 LIVING IN A RURAL AREA .....................................................................................29 4.21 ETHNIC MINORITIES.............................................................................................30 4.22 SPEAKING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE ......................................................30 4.23 CHILDREN OF SUBSTANCE MISUSING PARENTS .....................................................30 4.24 TRAVELLERS ......................................................................................................30 4.25 ASYLUM SEEKERS AND REFUGEES.......................................................................31 4.26 YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED WITH PROSTITUTION ....................................................31 4.27 YOUNG PREGNANT GIRLS AND YOUNG MOTHERS ..................................................32 5 AREAS OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE WITH PARTICULAR NEEDS...................34 5.1 WARD LEVEL DATA...............................................................................................34 5.1.1 BENWELL .......................................................................................................34 5.1.2 BLAKELAW......................................................................................................34 5.1.3 BYKER ...........................................................................................................34 5.1.4 CASTLE ..........................................................................................................34 5.1.5 DENE .............................................................................................................35 5.1.6 DENTON .........................................................................................................35 5.1.7 ELSWICK ........................................................................................................35 5.1.8 FAWDON ........................................................................................................35 5.1.9 FENHAM .........................................................................................................36 5.1.10 GRANGE .......................................................................................................36 5.1.11 HEATON .......................................................................................................36 5.1.12 JESMOND......................................................................................................36 5.1.13 KENTON........................................................................................................36 5.1.14 LEMINGTON ..................................................................................................36 5.1.15 MONKCHESTER .............................................................................................37 5.1.16 MOORSIDE....................................................................................................37 5.1.17 NEWBURN.....................................................................................................37 5.1.18 SANDYFORD .................................................................................................37 5.1.19 SCOTSWOOD ................................................................................................37 5.1.20 SOUTH GOSFORTH........................................................................................38 5.1.21 WALKER .......................................................................................................38 5.1.22 WALKERGATE ...............................................................................................38