MORE than 150 concerns over children misusing drugs and alcohol have been reported in York over the last four years, new figures suggest.

Children’s charity Barnardo's warned that the impact of the Covid pandemic on young people’s mental health could have led to their use of drugs and alcohol.

The data from the Department of Education (DfE) shows that in York, 56 concerns about child-related alcohol misuse and 101 concerns relating to drug abuse were flagged up during assessments of children in need between 2017-18 and 2020-21.

Reacting to the DfE figures, Maxine Squire, assistant director of education and skills at City of York Council, said: “York schools continue to engage proactively with support agencies in this regard, including North Yorkshire Police and Changing Lives. Positive messages around keeping safe are delivered through schools PSHE (personal, social, health and economic) programmes and assemblies.

York Press: Maxine Squire, of City of York Council

“City of York council continues to seek to ensure schools have access to the support they need on the occasions when these concerns arise.”

In the latest year, assessors flagged 36 concerns about childhood substance misuse – 23 cases involving a youngster’s drug use, and 13 their misuse of alcohol. That figure was down from 58 the year before, but higher than the 31 cases recorded in 2018-19 before the Covid-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson for the DfE said that the total number of concerns does not necessarily reflect the number of children involved, as a child could be recorded as needing support for both drug and alcohol use at the same assessment.

Across England, concerns around a child’s drug or alcohol use were identified 39,000 times at assessments in 2020-21 – down seven per cent from the year before, but up nine per cent compared to 2018-19.

Barnardo’s charity interim CEO, Michelle Lee-Izu, said the figures were “alarming” and that the impact of the pandemic on young people’s mental health could have contributed to their use of drugs and alcohol.

“To counter this and help children and young people cope with the trauma, loss and adversity they have experienced, we need a radically different approach to ensure they get the support they need,” she added.

In York, social services received 1,553 referrals about children in need last year – 28 per cent fewer than the 2,152 in 2019-20. There were 1,091 children in need in the area as of the end of March, the figures show. They were among 388,000 youngsters across England in need of help and protection from local authority services.

A Government spokesperson said it was providing investment to charities supporting vulnerable children and giving billions of pounds to local authorities to help them respond to pressures, including for children’s services.

“We are also making £24 million available for a regional recovery fund for children’s social care, to tackle the most pressing issues vulnerable children face in those areas," the Government spokesperson added.