It’s Not OK!
| Description | A range of initiatives to provide education on the dangers of irresponsible drinking made by young people for young people. |
|---|---|
| Setting | Secondary schools and youth organisations. |
| Populationting | Young people between the ages of 13 to 16 years. |
| Intervention summary | A film and a teacher-support pack on the dangers of irresponsible drinking are distributed to every secondary school and youth organisation in Liverpool. |
| Outcome Summary | Increase of knowledge and awareness of the consequences of binge drinking and the alternative life choices available to young people. |
| Startup Cost | £65 000 |
| Running Cost | Continuing Professional Development training for teachers and youth workers are the only on-going costs. The resource, once purchased by schools or youth associations, has no on-going cost implication. |
| Funding | The project was funded by Neighbourhood Renewal Funding, plus contributions from Liverpool Culture Company, Liverpool Children’s Services, Connexions, Merseyside Police, Liverpool Primary Care Trust (PCT) and others. |
| Started | April 2005 |
| Ended | The DVD and teacher support pack was completed in February 2006. Circulation to secondary schools and other organisations started in April 2006 as part of the 2006-7 curriculum. The film will probably have a shelf life of approximately four years. |
| Location | Liverpool, England |
| Contact |
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Background
As part of the Every Child Matters Programme, Liverpool Culture Company, Liverpool Children’s Services are leading a multi-agency partnership promoting a number of initiatives under the banner of the It’s Not OK! education programme, tackling challenging subjects such as underage drinking, bullying, violence and gun crime. It’s Not OK! is the first education-based initiative that tackles alcohol consumption by young people.
What is the problem you are trying to solve?
UK teenagers are drinking alcohol at a younger age and we have one of the highest levels of binge drinking throughout Europe. In addition, the quantity of alcohol being consumed is rising across the population as a whole. All these factors are affecting the health and safety of teenagers in the UK.
We are specifically targeting this age group because they are more likely to experiment with alcohol and lack the maturity to be able to drink it sensibly. In addition, lessons learnt by this age group are likely to have a lifelong impact.
What local organisations are involved?
The product was designed and produced by young people living in Liverpool, a media production company and Liverpool Council Services including the Culture Company, Liverpool Primary Care Trust (PCT), emergency services and the local community.
How many people are running this project and who are they?
The original film and advertisement production team comprised 16 individuals in addition to other professionals who assisted in the implementing of the initiative. Teachers in the 30 secondary schools in Liverpool will provide most of the pupil support along with an unknown number of youth workers.
What local population are you targeting?
We are targeting young people between the ages of 13 and 16 years.
How many people are you targeting?
In 2006, the programme engaged with in excess of 6000 Year 9 schoolchildren across Merseyside, and young people attending youth associations. This will then be a year on year figure while the product maintains a credible use. In 2007 we anticipate similar target figures.
Interventions
What interventions are you using to address the problem?
A DVD entitled "Plastered" and several supporting radio advertisements were made by young people in Liverpool with the aim of educating their fellow peers about the hazards of irresponsible drinking.
The DVD provides information about the hazards of drinking to young teenagers in a format that they will identify with. Our young film makers, under the direction of professionals, used their language, concepts, motivations and actions to produce a product that would replicate the environment of their age group. The whole product provides information about the choices young people have to make and the possible outcomes of those choices.
The DVD and accompanying teacher support pack are given to every secondary school in Liverpool to be used as part of the Year 9 curriculum. There is also a scriptwriting competition associated with the pack, the winners of which will be tutored by a professional TV scriptwriter prior to performing the script by professional actors on radio.
Is the project design based on evidence? If so, please state reference.
No, this is an original concept.
Outcome
What outcomes or planned outcomes are you measuring?
We are evaluating the project in the form of a beneficiary analysis, such as information on ward, number, age, sex, ethnicity and disability, in addition to milestone information concerning production dates, film and radio presentations, public showings and distribution targets. A focus group of 31 schools has been used to collect baseline data and ongoing data collection via interviews and questionnaires. Analysis of attitudinal change will be assessed and recorded in a detailed evaluation report.
We want to provide young people with ongoing advice about sensible drinking and life, thereby promoting a change in attitudes. This in turn we hope will improve overall levels of health, reduce criminal and antisocial behaviour and improve social interaction.
Do you have any outcomes or results yet? If so, what are they?
Our evaluation report is due for completion in April 2007.
Is your project relevant to a government target or guideline?
No.
Feedback
What obstacles did you have to overcome to set up this project?
We found it difficult initially to obtain and maintain commitment from young people to produce the film and advertisements. Initial funding was inadequate and additional funds had to be sourced.
What have you learned about the project so far?
It is important to keep partners informed and consulted. In particular, initial agreement at an early stage with the teaching profession to incorporate the initiative into the curriculum is a necessity.
What would you do differently?
Areas we would consider more thoroughly in future are the early collection of baseline data, a more thorough early planning of the evaluation process and the sale of the product to interested parties.