PSHE

Good Practice

The concept of Economic Wellbeing originates from the Every Child Matters agenda. It encompass careers education, work related learning, enterprise education, financial capability and economic understanding. The new National Curriculum links economic wellbeing and financial capability to the PSHEE (personal, health, social and economics education) framework.

Why is Economic Wellbeing important?

It is an aspirational concept, aimed at ensuring that all young people achieve their full potential even if they are economically disadvantaged. The position of economic wellbeing and financial capabilities has been strengthened and the new PHSEE programmes of study now offers opportunities to enlighten students as to the nature of business, finance and some key economic concepts.

It includes:

• Rights and responsibilities at work
• Different types of businesses
• Attitudes and values in relation to work and enterprise
• The local, national, European and global labour market
• Markets, competition and price
• Taxation
• Money management
• Social and moral dilemmas about the use of money
• Implications of the world as a global community.

Citizenship Through Work Related Learning & Enterprise

Has been written by a group of Walton High staff. The team of writers involved in this project have all participated in the school's development of KS3/4 PHSE / Citizenship / Enterprise schemes of work and resources. There a 5 themes in the book; each is divided into a series of lessons, with detailed lesson plans and resources. 

Theme 1: Defining Enterprise: What's it all about
Theme 2: Getting involved: How can I become an active citizen of the "third sector"?
Theme 3: What rights do I have as a consumer?
Theme 4: It's a small, small world (globalisation)
Theme 5: What are workers' rights and responsibilities?

Authors:
Charlotte East, Emma Charlton, Claire Golds, Stephen Powell, Carly Shadis & Julie Mickleburgh
* Publisher: Folens Publishers
* ISBN-13: 9781850084426

Objectives

• Provide up to date information on current drug trends in Milton Keynes
• Discuss signs and symptoms of substance use
• Give details of available support

Aim

• Parents will have greater confidence in talking to their teenagers about substance use and be able to recognise and respond to potential use at the earliest opportunity

Who are Compass?

• National charity specialising in treatment for substance misuse
• In Milton Keynes we provide the specialist intervention for people under the age of 18
• Outreach service providing:
  • Early intervention for targeted at risk groups. At risk groups include young people who have family members who use substances, young people from areas known to have a high level of substance use, and young people presenting with poor assessment of risk taking behaviour
  • CBT based 1-1 for problematic users. This is based on brief solution focused therapy and encourages the young person to take responsibility for their actions in-order to facilitate behavioural change
  • Family interventions including sessions with parents of young people using substances to support them through what can be a challenging time, and one off drug awareness sessions to improve knowledge

So what drugs are we talking about?

• Cannabis/Skunk – strength has increased dramatically over the last 10 years so is now a very powerful hallucinogen with strong links to psychological dependency. Average cost is £20 for 1/8, most young people buy in £10 bags known as a “tens”. Cannabis is a class B
• Alcohol – again strength has increased significantly leading to increased tolerance and excessive use
• MDMA – pure ecstasy and usually snorted however can also be taken in pill form. Gives the user a sense of euphoria, energy and ability to connect with people around them. Also known as MANDY and is usually around £40 per gram however has been sold for as little as £10 per gram to entice new users. MDMA is a class A
• Ketamine – normally used in the UK as a veterinary drug and painkiller for people involved in very traumatic accidents. Central nervous system depressant and disassociate substance that puts users into the “k-hole” by blocking communication between the brain and the rest of the body. Can cause temporary paralysis and currently being used to fend off stimulant come-downs. Currently a class C substance that is controlled by both the medicines act and the misuse of drugs act. Usually snorted and costs range from £10 to £20 per gram
• Methadrone – very powerful stimulant that has only been on the market for around 3 years. Costs have increased from £10 per gram to £25 for “yellow meth” that is reportedly the luxury version. Usually snorted and is a white powder tinged with yellow or orange. Can be purchased in shards and crushed by the user. Gives the user intense feelings of euphoria and energy. Currently a class B
• Volatile substance – laughing gas. Mainly used in the summer months and comes from stolen canisters. Now a national shortage in the NHS for medical use. Users experience feelings and responses similar to being drunk

How will we know?

• Physical signs may include:
• Spots in certain areas i.e. mouth and nose (due to route of use i.e. inhaling or snorting. Very noticeable with Ketamine and solvent abuse)
• Red eyes (due to increase in blood pressure)
• Scabs in certain areas i.e. nose (due to snorting particularly methadrone as it is so toxic)
• Poor hygiene (reduction in interest for everyday life as substance use takes over)
• Smell (strong sweet smell for cannabis and urine type smell for methadrone)
• Weight loss (stimulant substances increase metabolism and suppress appetite, lunch money may also be going on substances instead of food)
• Emotional/behavioural signs may include:
  • Severe mood-swings (look for pattern i.e. Monday and Tuesday blues followed by Friday and Saturday hyper-activity. Also if normal use is interrupted as will cause a craving)
  • Paranoia (over arousal of the fight or flight system with excess adrenaline leads to in-accurate risk perception)
  • Aggression (again due to over arousal of fight or flight system)
  • Isolation (due to paranoia or rejection by non-using peer group)
  • Anxiety (nervous energy due to craving and withdrawal)
  • Poor concentration/memory (substances interrupt normal cognitive functioning)
  • Reduction in sleep (interruption in normal hormonal cycles responsible for inducing sleep)
• Also look for…
  • Change in peer group
  • Groggy in the mornings even if they appear to have slept
  • Change after physical activity (substances still in the system can be reactivated by a raise in body temperature and heart rate
  • Monday/Tuesday blues (this is as the brain tries to re-stabilise)
  • Friday mania (brain starts to release endorphins in preparation for the high)
  • Jittery at certain times (brain follows the routine of substance use and if it is interrupted can go into fight or flight)
  • Paraphernalia (grinders, small plastic bags or “baggies”, mirrors, straws and rolled up notes
  • There is always a pattern!

Listen out for

• Cheese (Blue) (strong skunk)
• G13 (strong Skunk)
• Mandy (MDMA)
• Drone/Meth (methadrone)
• Ket (ket)
• Mortal Combat (mixture of methadrone and Ketamine)
• Wake and Bake (smoking cannabis first thing after waking)
• Blunt/Zeut (names for cannabis roll ups)
• Hot box (closing off a room and filling it with cannabis smoke to increase amount taken in)

How to contact Compass

• We are based at Acorn House and you can make appointments to see us there
• Our Office number is 01908 691911