Policy & Research
I used to harm myself. Steve, my keyworker, got me to go to a psychiatrist. Steve made me see that I had to do this for myself as well as the people around me.
Rainer young person
Personal Development & Health
Key facts
- 2000 drunken young children are admitted to hospital each year (Observer, 16 January 2005, ref. British Medical Journal).
- UK teenage birth rates are twice as high as in Germany, three times as high as in France and six times as high as in The Netherlands (Social Exclusion Unit website, 02 February 2005).
- 6 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls aged 16-19 are thought to have some form of mental health problem (Mental Health Foundation, 2003).
- 10-20 per cent of young people involved in criminal activity are thought to have a 'psychiatric disorder' (Mental Health Foundation, 2003).
- In the United Kingdom about 450 children start smoking every day (Action on Smoking and Health, January 2005).
- British teenagers are some of the heaviest teenage drinkers in Europe (National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, September 2003).
At Rainer we know that good physical and mental health is important if young people are to lead secure and fulfilled lives.
Many of the under-supported young people we see are held back from living their lives to the full because of health problems or low self-esteem - such as self-harm, smoking, binge drinking or drug misuse, or taking risks with their sexual health.
We encourage young people to develop healthy attitudes towards themselves and others, helping them learn the skills they need to look after themselves. We know that increased self-respect in young people leads to them being able to make positive changes in their lives and move on to adulthood. We believe all young people should be able to access appropriate services in order to do this and therefore need information about key health issues affecting them.
Our services address under-supported young people's mental well-being and physical health alongside getting them a place to live, helping them back into education or training or helping them find work. Our staff and volunteers work with young people to identify their health and personal development needs, such as reducing substance misuse, dealing with bullying and raising self-esteem. We work with a range of statutory and voluntary sector partners to ensure young people have access to the health services they need, and continue to offer support to young people so that they are able to benefit fully from them.
At all of our services our first priority is to address immediate health issues, mental or physical, ensuring that young people get the right help and make healthy lifestyle choices.
Individual assessment plans
When we first come into contact with a young person, we work with them to draw up an individual assessment of their needs. We look at their past, their current health and practical needs, how they would like their present and future to be, and identify any health and emotional barriers to achieving them. We then deliver a package of support, in partnership with other agencies including health, social services and housing departments to address all the young person's needs.
Physical health
We start with the basics, helping young people to access doctors and dentists, and working with them to learn the practical skills they need to look after themselves. We also help them access other specialist services, such as drug support agencies, if they need it Rainer will always go the extra mile, including accompanying young people to appointments if that is what they want.
Mental well-being
We recognise that young people who have experienced neglect, abuse and social disadvantage are much more likely to experience poor mental health. We provide counselling to help young people work through their problems as well as referring young people with depression and other mental illness to specialist agencies while continuing to give them our full support. We have over 750 volunteers, including mentors, who are trained to listen and guide young people, to help raise their self-confidence and act as role models.
Personal development
Self-confidence and self-respect are essential if young people are to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. We understand that the importance of having a job, training, support and somewhere to live. We never underestimate how all of these can impact significantly upon an individual's health and well-being. We support young people to make the most of their abilities, develop confidence in themselves and encourage them to take responsibility for achieving their goals.
Health promotion
We recognise it is not always easy for young people to gain access to non-judgemental and appropriate advice and health care. We ensure that up-to-date information regarding physical and mental health issues are made available in our services. We also aim, where possible, to refer young people to services that are young people-friendly. Rainer trains young people to deliver health workshops to other young people, in schools and other settings. This is used to increase young people's skills in relation to sensitive subjects such as self-harm, sexual health and substance misuse. Young people are more likely to ask questions of their peers, and important messages have more impact when delivered this way.
Contact: elaine.floodgate@raineronline.org or sali.walker@raineronline.org
