In this section

• Getting the consent of the young person
• Involving parents and carers
• Not Involving Parents or carers
• Substance Misuse Screening and Confidentiality
• Substance Misuse Screening and Child
  Protection concerns
• Substance Misuse Screening and Common Assessment

Getting the Consent of the young person

You will need to have the agreement of the young person to go through the screening questions with them as clearly you need their cooperation and engagement for the process to work. You should also have their agreement before you refer them for any specialist help. You should also, as good practice, make sure that when you give any advice or information to young people, that you check the young person's understanding of this, and make sure the information you give is appropriate to their age and level of understanding.

There are specific guidelines relating to the issue of young people's consent to treatment services that apply to drug treatment services in the same way as to sexual health services. The Department of Health (2001) guidelines clearly define where consent is required:

“consent (to treatment) is not required for advice and information relating to substances and their use, as this is not treatment. Consent is required for treatment, which includes counselling or other psychological intervention, physical [medical] interventions including the provision of medication.”

Therefore, advice, information, screening and referral to an appropriate agency does not require a formal consideration of consent to treatment. It will be up to the SHED treatment team to consider at the point of offering a treatment service whether the young person is mature enough to consent to their own treatment or whether parental consent is required.