Sefton<\/a> has a \u2018serious problem\u2019, according to Cllr John Pugh, with \u2018stark\u2019 new figures showing the rate of young people offered support for substance misuse in the borough \u2013 \u2018significantly higher\u2019 than regional and national averages. Sefton Council convened last night to decide on a number of reports including the Youth Justice Service (YJS) plan.<\/p>\nThe YJS compiled data which also shows the percentage of children who accepted an offer of substance misuse support. In 2024\/25, the report shows 85 children were offered substance misuse support and all engaged.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, 34 children were referred to Change Grow Live and 28 of those children engaged. The remaining six children decided they wanted one-to-one support and intervention with their YJS case worker.<\/p>\n
The report states: \u201cThe increase of support our children require is nearly 15%. Sefton YJS has two dedicated CGL Workers. For the North West region, the average % of children in YJS receiving substance misuse support in 24\/25 was 31.3%.<\/p>\n
\u201cNational figures show the percentage was 29%. This indicates that regionally and nationally, Sefton is significantly high above these averages.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding to the report, Cllr John Pugh submitted an amendment which was approved by the chamber, which sought to add a clause acknowledging the large percentage of young people in Sefton \u2013 within the justice system \u2013 who have substance dependency issues.<\/p>\n
![\"Sefton](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Sefton-Council-meeting-at-Bootle-Town-Hall-on-September-4-2025-credit-LDRS.jpg\")
Sefton Council meeting at Bootle Town Hall on September 4, 2025(Image: LDRS)<\/p>\n
Speaking on that amendment, Cllr Pugh said: \u201cThe actual figures in the report [\u2026] are quite stark. The percentage of child offenders or youth offenders who are offered support for substance abuse in Sefton is 74% and for the North West it\u2019s 31% and for the nation as a whole, it\u2019s 29%.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe report actually says Sefton is significantly high above these averages, and that tends to tie in and chime in with what we\u2019ve already discussed regarding an alcohol strategy. The fact that there are large numbers of young people being admitted to the hospital with alcohol drug related problems [shows] we have a problem in Sefton.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good that we offer young people support, but it\u2019s not good that they need it, especially when you remember that the young people who persist in crime often are the very people who need persistent crime to feed and finance the drug habit.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we all know, there\u2019s no shortage of drugs on Merseyside, and they\u2019re probably cheaper in North Sefton than they are in inner city Liverpool. Members may also have seen, [it\u2019s been found] that ketamine use in the city region is five times above the national average.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cllr Pugh added: \u201cI believe locally, we have a specific problem, a serious problem, and a problem that needs a more direct focus. I\u2019m far from suggesting that nothing has been done, because I\u2019m sure members can tell me all sorts of good schemes that are designed precisely to address this problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what the facts tell us that we\u2019ve got to re-double our efforts and focus and above all, spread good practice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cllr Pugh went on to retell a personal story about a chance encounter with a former pupil and the importance of effective intervention and support for those suffering from drug misuse, he said: \u201cI was walking one evening, along a dingy, dark platform late on a Thursday night, several years back, and passed a group [of people] sitting in the corner.<\/p>\n
\u201cI walked past them with some trepidation, avoiding eye contact \u2013 the way you do. I got 20 yards when a voice rang out behind me: \u201cThat\u2019s Mr Pugh\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI turned around to see one of the group leap up on the road towards me, a young man, probably in his 30s, unkempt appearance and certainly old before his time, \u201cYou used to teach me\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI smiled, but I had no idea who he was, but he must have been to one of my social studies classes, a long time ago. He went on and said something that really did hit home. He said, \u201cI enjoyed your lessons, particularly the ones on drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adding: \u201cThat explains in a roundabout way [\u2026] that help cannot just be offered, it must be effective.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding to Cllr Pugh and confirming the council would back the proposed amendment, Leader of Sefton Council, Cllr Marion Atkinson said: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t disagree with any of that. We will be accepting this amendment.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working on a children\u2019s and young person\u2019s plan as we speak, and the mention today of ketamine that is included, it is a serious problem, you\u2019re absolutely right.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a problem across the city region, across the country, because it\u2019s cheap to get hold of. It\u2019s cheaper than most other things, and that\u2019s why young people are accessing it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is in our children and young parents, and I\u2019m hoping that we will get cross party agreement when we bring a motion forward about the ketamine issue for young people, and we get that support that\u2019s needed.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The percentage of young people offered support for substance misuse is significantly higher than regional and national averagesCllr…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":400791,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8815],"tags":[748,393,26695,4884,105,138319,179,218,12459,12460,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-400790","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-liverpool","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-family-and-kids","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-john-pugh","14":"tag-liverpool","15":"tag-mental-health","16":"tag-sefton","17":"tag-sefton-council","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115153428032683934","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=400790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/400790\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/400791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=400790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=400790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=400790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Cllr](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/0_Duke-Street-cemetery-overgrown.jpg\")
Cllr John Pugh(Image: Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n