Who we are
The Alcohol Education Trust (AET) is a small focused charity which works across the UK to keep children safe around alcohol. We are a leading early intervention charity that supports young people in making more informed life choices through the 2,500 schools and youth organisations we support with our award-winning resources.
What we do
INTERVENE EARLY
We aim to catch children before they begin drinking and help them work out why it makes sense to wait until they are older (if they choose to drink) and how early and heavy drinking increases their risk of injury, accidents and assault and makes them more vulnerable to others. We build children’s resilience and life skills, helping them make responsible, informed choices as they encounter alcohol.
TRAIN THE WORKFORCE
We train teachers and health educators in how to deliver evidence-based, interactive and enjoyable alcohol education to young people of different abilities and backgrounds in a variety of settings.
IMPROVE LEARNING AND LIFE CHANCES
Our interactive activity-based and award-winning Talk About Alcohol programme is evidenced to improve knowledge and delay the age that teenagers choose to drink whole drinks. We focus on regions where alcohol harms are highest and have bespoke approaches for those most vulnerable to alcohol, such as looked-after children.
SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE LEGACY
Those we train become our ambassadors and cascade their learning to others, meaning Talk About Alcohol costs just 50p per child. We continue to update resources, provide professional development and ongoing phone/email support.
STRENGTHEN ROLE MODELS AND BOUNDARY SETTING
As parents and carers are the prime suppliers of alcohol to children, we
build parental confidence, knowledge and skills around alcohol. We encourage
parents to monitor their children and to understand the risks associated with
underage drinking, particularly in unsupervised settings.
Our impact and reach each year
In the last academic year:
DELIVERING AN EVIDENCED-BASED PROGRAMME THAT REDUCES ALCOHOL RELATED HARM NATIONWIDE FOR LESS THAN 50P A CHILD
Working in every county across England and Scotland (All impact figures from AET outreach during 2017/2018 academic year)
500,000+ Allowing 1 year group per school, we estimate in excess of 500,000 children used AET games, films, lesson plans and activities.
1,000+ parents and carers were advised face to face through 47 parental engagement events, with 110,000 accessing advice for parents online
3,500+ looked-after children and children with learning difficulties were supported in special schools, children’s homes and pupil referral units with targeted resources and bespoke training for their staff.
1,200 teachers and professionals were trained and supported through our National Conference and regional events across the country. 12,300 teachers and professionals received our bi termly updates and advice.
994 schools and organisations were provided with our 100 page Talk About Alcohol workbook or extended story and picture-led resource pack.
234,000 unique visits were made to our websites, with 40,000 using online games through talkaboutalcohol.com and 194,000 accessing resources via alcoholeducationtrust.org
Why we’re needed
CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
The Problems
◊ The average age for the consumption of a whole alcoholic drink is just 13 in Britain. Early and regular use of alcohol can affect brain development and increases the risk of dependency later in life.
◊ Children who drink regularly and heavily before the age of 15 are significantly more likely to try drugs, smoke, engage in unprotected or risky sex, be injured or assaulted.
GCSE predictions fall by 20 points, the difference between an A* and a C grade (9 to 4).
◊ Children who experience childhood adversity are twice as likely to binge drink and children with ADHD are three times more likely to face addiction when older.
Children with learning difficulties are three times more likely to be abused, with alcohol a factor in grooming and violence.
◊ Between 2013/4 -2016/17 there were 11,987 alcohol-specific hospital admissions for under 18s (rates were higher among girls than boys).
◊ In 2016/17, 9,075 children were excluded for a fixed period and 565 were excluded permanently from state schools in England due to alcohol or drugs.
Our Solutions
◊ We engage children with an interactive online platform talkaboutalcohol.com that encourages them to build knowledge and find out in a fun way, through games and quizzes, about the effects of alcohol on their physical and mental wellbeing.
◊ Our activities, rehearsal strategies and role play allow young people to work out for themselves the effect of impulsive behaviour or drinking too much, enabling them to make more responsible, informed choices.
◊ We focus our training and support workers in areas of high deprivation where alcohol related harms are highest. We have developed story and picture- led activities and games around alcohol for those who find reading a barrier to learning. We have targeted streams of work supporting looked-after children and those with learning difficulties who face a greater risk of alcohol dependency and misuse.
SCHOOLS AND HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
The Problems
◊ OFSTED found alcohol education to be inadequate in 40% of secondary schools in 2013. Teachers cite not having enough time and not being subject experts as barriers to improvement.
◊ The time dedicated to health education (PSHE) decreased by 32% in KS3/KS4 between 2011-15.
◊ A record number of school exclusions were issued in 2016/17 in England due to drugs and alcohol.
Our Solutions
◊ We provide an easy one stop shop for busy, time-poor teachers where they can download lesson plans as well as implementation and evaluation guidance by topic or by suitability for each year group.
◊ We make our evidenced programme available free of charge to all secondary schools.
◊ We train teachers and provide on going guidance so they feel confident and knowledgeable in teaching about alcohol.
COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES
The Problems
Parents and carers are the prime suppliers of alcohol to under 18s.
◊ Children living in households where parents drink to excess are more likely to drink early and problematically.
◊ Our research shows that 93% of parents and carers overestimate the number of teenagers who drink and get drunk and so supply their children with alcohol, thinking they will get it elsewhere otherwise.
Our Solutions
◊ We help parents and carers to understand why drinking at too young an age and drinking too much can harm their child’s short and long term health and also how drinking outside of the home raises the likelihood of other risk taking such as smoking or taking drugs.
◊ We correct perceived social norms with positive messages on how teenagers are drinking and getting drunk less than they were 10 years ago.
◊ We give positive parenting tips that reduce all risk taking such as how to set boundaries, be a good role model and know where their children are.
◊ We empower parents to resist teen pressure and manipulation.
Impacts and outcomes
Independent evaluation of our impact, fidelity and effectiveness
◊ The Talk About Alcohol programme is evidenced to significantly raise the age of onset of drinking through the delivery of 4 lessons in Year 8 and 2 top up lessons in
Year 9 (NFER 2013).
◊ This effect gets significantly stronger as teenagers get older (NFER 2015).
◊ It is equally effective for ethnic minorities (NFER 2013).
◊ It is effective in areas of multiple deprivation where alcohol related harms for under 18s are highest in England (2016 UCL Institute of Education).
The AET Talk About Alcohol programme is selected as best practice by
European Platform for Investment in Children Promising Practice
Centre for Analysis for Youth Transitions
PSHE Association Quality Assured
Early Intervention Foundation
Awards and recognition
Inspiring Wellbeing Awards 2018 – Outstanding contribution to Wellbeing
Children and Young People Now! 2017 Finalist for best early intervention awards
Alcohol Awareness for Young People Award (2018) from the Chris Donovan Trust
Education Resource Awards 2017 runner up and highly commended for best secondary school resource
Charity Times Finalist for best small charity of the year 2017
GSK King’s Fund Health Impact runner-up award 2016
A joined up approach to reduce alcohol related harm
ENSURING YOUNG PEOPLE LEARN TO STAY SAFE AROUND ALCOHOL
SUPPORT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
◊ Online games and activities
◊ Story and picture-led activities for children with learning disabilities
◊ Films, role play and engaging information and resources.
SUPPORT SCHOOLS AND ORGANISATIONS
◊ Evidenced resources fully supported online
◊ Age and ability appropriate
◊ Training + CPD
◊ Regular updates
◊ Printed online guidance/ resources/ evaluation.
EMPOWER PARENTS AND CARERS
◊ Face-to-face support sessions
◊ Confidential email advice
◊ Dedicated online advice and regular newsletter updates.
QUALITY ASSURANCE MEASURES
◊ Third party evaluation to assess impact and regular reporting on outcomes
◊ Piloting with young people and professionals to assure fidelity and fit for purpose
◊ Baseline and long term follow-up
◊ Advisory panel of experts.
FOCUS AREAS
◊ Special educational needs (SEN) and looked-after children (LAC)
◊ Geographical areas where alcohol related hospital admissions are highest for under 18s.
How will the Alcohol Education Trust continue to improve outcomes for young people around alcohol ?
Over the next three years (2018-20) our goals are to:
SUPPORT CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
◊ Enable 1.5 million young people (aged 11-18) to use the Talk About Alcohol programme across the UK.
◊ Support 10,000 vulnerable young people at higher risk of alcohol related harms with bespoke approaches.
◊ Expand the AET youth population reach from age 11 – 18 to include transition from Primary to Secondary school and from 6th Form to leaving school.
SUPPORT SCHOOLS AND ORGANISATIONS
◊ Train 3,000 more teachers, health educators (PSHE), professionals and community leaders and support a further 90,000 online.
◊ Expand our training and support by regionally based AET specialists throughout England & to N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
◊ Support the provision of the Talk About Alcohol resources free of charge to a further 1,500 schools.
EMPOWER PARENTS AND CARERS
◊ Equip 150,000 more parents and carers, face-to-face and online, with the necessary skills to keep their children safe around alcohol.
◊ Support parents and carers who struggle with literacy with bespoke approaches.
ENHANCE OUR SERVICES
◊ Develop and roll out additional alcohol related evidence-based programmes such as life skills, harm minimisation and social norms interventions for differing ages, ability and needs.
◊ Continue to develop more targeted approaches for children most vulnerable to alcohol misuse, dependency and abuse.
◊ Develop innovative approaches which deliver behaviour change with a focus on challengingp erceptions of drinking and building positive and engaging activities.
◊ Expand our digital outreach, games and interactive materials.
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Ensure all our training and resources are evaluated for their impact and produce regular reports on the outcomes of our work.
◊ Seek evaluation by academic specialists of our key programmes and only deliver evidenced approaches that prevent or reduce alcohol related harm.
Why not come along and support us?
The below invite includes all details of our exciting event and venue at Vintner’s Hall in London.
Contact details
The Alcohol Education Trust
Frampton House
Frampton
Dorset DT2 9NH
Tel: 01300 320 869
kate@alcoholeducationtrust.org
Registered Charity 1138775
facebook.com/talkaboutalcohol/
@talkalcohol
alcoholeducationtrust.org
talkaboutalcohol.com
