Three trainers visit all primary and secondary schools for Health and Drug Education work.
The team provides inspirational drug prevention programmes and resources for pupils within the Islands educational establishments. The programmes provide children with an awareness of themselves by helping them learn about the wonders of the human body, particularly how it’s delicate mechanism is affected by substances, legal or illegal. It also aims to provide children with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence to make healthy choices about their futures.
Prevention is a long term and gradual process and by starting with children in their formative years it is hoped that the impact of the programmes will be long lasting. The Early Years Programme lays the foundations of the understanding of good health and what affects it, so that by the time the issue of drugs is addressed directly, the children have acquired the information and skills to assist them in participating in sensitive discussions about the subject. The drug prevention message is continued in secondary schools and at the Isle of Man College.
The team of dedicated and well trained professionals also deliver other aspects of health education within the relevant current guidelines and curricula, including sexual and relationship education, parenting, citizenship, etc., and maintain a collection of resources available on loan for use by interested parties.
In addition to the team, there is also a Drug & Alcohol Liaison Officer. This post was created in response to the Chief Minister's Drug and Alcohol Strategies. The purpose of the post is to develop a more integrated approach to drug and alcohol education in schools and at the Isle of Man College, ensuring that students receive effective drugs/alcohol education and that teachers are well supported in their delivery with appropriate training, resources materials and input from outside agencies.
Drug and alcohol education on the Island employs a multi-agency approach involving nurses, youth workers, police and other agencies, as part of the drug/alcohol education curriculum and in conjunction with the teacher delivering the programme in each primary and secondary school.
The Drug and Alcohol Liaison Officer also assists with parent sessions in schools and at the Isle of Man College and in information awareness sessions for teachers, youth workers and other interested parties. Additionally this Officer is responsible for the monitoring and evaluating of the drug and alcohol programme and attends weekly clinical meetings as a member of the Community Drug and Alcohol Team. An exciting initiative in this area has been the development of a pilot peer education programme in one of the Island's secondary schools.
The Drug & Alcohol Education Liaison Officer can be contacted at the Education Office, St George's Court, Upper Church Street, Douglas (Tel: 01624 693837)
For more information contact Skimme Gien Mie, Professional Development Centre, Santon Old School, Santon, IM4 4HG Tel: (01624) 824706.
