BARNSLEY Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service is transferring to Barnsley Recovery Steps today.

The service will provide easy-to-access advice, information and support for anyone under 18 or family members supporting a young person who is experiencing issues around drug or alcohol use in Barnsley.

The service will continue to be free and confidential, and we will continue to work with a wide range of established partner organisations to ensure that the needs of every young person in Barnsley are met.

Anna Hartley, Executive Director for Public Health and Communities, said: “Through Barnsley Recovery Steps, Humankind has been providing substance misuse support service to adults in Barnsley for some time now.

“Their proven track record and experience in the area will help us expand on the existing service, creating an all-age offer and a single point of contact for those who need support.”

Carly Speechley, Executive Director for Children’s Services, said: “We are happy to announce the expansion of our partnership with Humankind to deliver crucial support services to children and young people in Barnsley, making support friendly, unjudgmental and accessible.

“Every young person will have a care plan which they will design alongside their worker to ensure that it addresses their strengths and needs.

“We remain committed to providing services that meet the needs of local people and work with our partners to deliver it to local communities.”

Sam Higgins, Humankind Operations Director for South Yorkshire and Calderdale, said: “Having one integrated drug and alcohol service for all ages across Barnsley is a huge asset for the area. Bridging the young people’s service into Barnsley Recovery Steps allows us to further embed ourselves in local communities and provide a bespoke drug and alcohol service to people of all ages when and where they most need it.

“For young people who transition to the adult service, there will be benefits in terms of continuity of care and consistency of high-quality support. The Barnsley Children and Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service will focus on ensuring ease of access for children, young people and their families, by engaging with a range of stakeholders such as educational settings.”

People will be able to refer someone to seek support from the service by calling 01226 779066 or emailing brs.referrals@humankindcharity.org.uk.

Barnsley Children and Young People’s Drug and Alcohol Service information will transfer to a new website shortly and a webchat service will be offered as an additional referral method.