Behaviour Support Plan: Good Practice

SAFER LUTON PARTNERSHIP:

PEER-LED DRUGS EDUCATION PROJECT

The Luton Youth Action Peer-led Drugs Education Project was set up in January 1997, funded from a variety of sources including the Single Regeneration Budget and Vauxhall Motors.

The project aims to:

• Provide a learning environment in which drugs issues can be discussed honestly.
• Enable young people to develop personal skills and knowledge through the experience of a peer-led approach to learning.

The use of peer educators is a way of engaging young people and challenging misinformation. Educators use role play exercises, games, mock trials, brainstorms, quizzes, attitude surveys and videos as well as providing written information on drugs.

The project delivers its message in schools, youth clubs and community groups, and an effort is made to reach those who might otherwise find themselves socially excluded. The project has been successful, partly because of its flexible and innovative approach.

Where language barriers threatened to prevent the flow of information to the Asian community, for example, bilingual young people trained as peer educators were able to overcome this. Similarly, young homeless peer educators have been passing on drugs education information to homeless drug users.

During the first year of operation, the project trained 121 peer educators, who were involved in delivering information to 2,187 people. In an evaluation of the project by Luton University, it was noted that the clearest indicator of the project's success' was the commitment and enthusiasm of the peer educators themselves'.

Joan Bailey runs the project. She can be contacted at the Safer Luton Partnership on 01582 483627.