The Health Advisory Service (HAS) reports (1996, 2001) detailed recommendations about the design and delivery for drug and alcohol services for young people. This included the description of a four tiered model. Central to the success of the model is the ability of staff to carry out specific roles. Appropriate training is fundamental to ensuring that staff understand where they fit within the model and have the skills to be able to respond appropriately to the needs of young people. The HAS approach has been adopted to good effect in Hertfordshire and many professionals have been trained and are able to respond to young people’s drug and alcohol needs and know how and when to refer onto specialist services.

Best practice and the ‘TIPS’ approach

The HAS report 2001 provides guidance about how training should be organised and delivered. This formed the basis of training strategy in Hertfordshire and led to the development of ‘TIPS’. ‘TIPS’ provides a consistent model of training and resources and tools to support training delivery.

‘TIPS’ incorporates the HAS principles that include:
• Substance use and misuse screening needs to be
   integrated into all services for young people
• Improve early recognition of substance use in all children
   and young people
• All practitioners working with young people should have
   at least a basic level of training in substance issues, be
   aware of vulnerability and child protection
• Substance use should be integral and embedded in
   assessment frameworks