Young people accessing support or treatment for alcohol and drugs: standards - November 2025

4. Drug and Alcohol: Standards of Treatment and Support for Young People (aged 25 and under)

• Standards - what young people should expect when seeking help for their own alcohol or drug use.
• Recommendations for delivery - action for local commissioners and local services to deliver the Standards.

Information on Services needs to be widely available so that a young person, and their family or support network, can get support before substance use becomes problematic

Standards – what I should expect

1.1 Information about the help I can get will be easy to understand and available to me, my friends, my family, or someone I trust, like my support worker.

1.2 I will be able to find clear information that explains how someone can help me to get support or how I can ask for help myself.

1.3 If I want, the people who support me (like family or friends) can be included in my care.

Recommendations for service delivery

1.4 Information for young people should:

• detail the support available, opening hours and the referral process
• be clear, non-stigmatising and tailored to young people
• use appropriate language/terminology that is inclusive and sensitive to culture, gender, sexuality, disability and ethnicity
• adhere to accessibility standards^[8] while being aesthetically appealing

1.5 The young person’s support network should be supported, through a whole family approach^[9] and family inclusive practice.

1.6 Services should work to reduce stigma and other barriers to accessing support experienced by children, young people and families.

A range of services should be available for young people

Standards – what I should expect

2.1 The help I receive will be based on my individual requirements, and take into account my background and experiences.

2.2 I will be able to choose from a range of treatment or support options that suit me. I should be able to have someone speak on my behalf. I can find an independent advocate through the following website: https://www.siaa.org.uk/find-an-advocate/

Recommendations for service delivery

2.3 Services should ensure that treatment or support is person-centred, and wherever possible, builds on any positive relationships that exist in the young person’s life.

2.4 Services should ensure they understand and take into account the young person’s cultural and social needs.

Accessibility means different things for different people

Standards – what I should expect

3.1 I will be able to get support in a way that works for me, like talking to someone online, on the phone, or face to face.

3.2 I will be able to access treatment and support when I need it, have a choice of appointment times, at a place that I can easily get to and where I feel comfortable.

3.3 I will be able to bring an appropriate person with me to appointments, if I want to.

3.4 I won’t lose access to the service if I miss an appointment.

3.5 The service and I will talk and agree how we should communicate.

Recommendations for service delivery

3.6 Services will be flexible in keeping contact with the young person if they are finding it difficult to attend.

3.7 Interpretation support in services should be available in different spoken languages and British Sign Language (BSL)/Sign Supported English (SSE).

Good support takes time

Standards – what I should expect

4.1 The service will take time to get to know me and understand my life and help me to trust them.

4.2 I will work with the service to develop realistic goals, and they will help me choose the support that’s right for me.

4.3 My support plan belongs to me. It should improve different areas of my life and let me move forward at my own pace.

4.4 Me and the support team will work together to make sure the things in my plan get done.

Recommendations for service delivery

4.5 Services to ensure support workers have the time to build trusting relationships.

4.6 Services should be clear on how outcomes are measured, such as using outcome tools.^[10]

Consistent and respectful support to build positive relationships

Standards – what I should expect

5.1 I will get help in a kind and caring place where people won’t judge me, and where my thoughts and feelings will be taken seriously.

5.2 I will receive consistency in my support and be supported with any transitions to other services. With my permission, my plan will be shared so I don’t have to keep retelling my story.

Recommendations for service delivery

5.3 Services should be trustworthy, empowering and work in collaboration with the young person, their support network and partner organisations.

5.4 Services should prioritise consistency in the staff member(s) supporting an individual.

5.5 Services should support the young person as appropriate during transitions to other services (including into adult services, discharge from the service and changes of support worker), facilitating a smooth transition to ensure continuity.

Young person’s safety

Standards – what I should expect

6.1 I understand that if I ask for help, this will be confidential. However, I also understand that if I am at risk, then other services may need to be contacted to keep me safe.

Recommendations for service delivery

6.2 Services should inform young people about the limits of confidentiality. The young person’s safety and the safety of the community is paramount.

6.3 Services should tailor their approach towards the most successful outcomes for that young person, whilst being mindful of harm reduction and safety.

6.4 Services should be delivered in an environment which is accessible and safe.

Services should take a holistic view of the young person and value their whole life

Standards – what I should expect

7.1 If I need extra help with other things in my life, like my mental health, people will help me find the right support.

Recommendations for service delivery

7.2 Services should take a holistic approach, working with other agencies and organisations to improve outcomes for young people and their families (where appropriate).

7.3 Commissioners and Services should work in partnership to adopt a whole-system approach to ensure there are no gaps in access and provision of treatment or support.

Feedback from young people should be used to improve services

Standards – what I should expect

8.1 I will be asked about my experiences of the support I have received, and this feedback will be used to improve services.

8.2 If I’m not happy with how I’ve been treated, I have the right to complain and will be supported to do this. My feedback will be considered and acted upon.

Recommendations for service delivery

8.3 Service providers should routinely seek feedback from young people, ensuring that information on how to give feedback and make a complaint is easily available and in a clear format. Complaints^[11] should be handled in a young-person-friendly way. Feedback should be used to improve services.

8.4 Providers should create opportunities to support and empower young people and their support network to contribute and feedback on the design and delivery of services.

8.5 Commissioners and Service should monitor and report on these standards and embed these in governance processes.