The LEAD project (Learning & Education in Alcohol & Drugs) is the primary deliverer of Drugs and Alcohol Training and Education across the Northern Health Trust Area.
Funded by money from the new NI Drugs Strategy this programme comprises two projects providing accessible drug and alcohol training across the causeway communities and beyond.

The LEAD Project: Targeted Education & Prevention Project

This Causeway-area project provides education and prevention programmes around drugs, alcohol and risky behaviours to 'at risk' groups of people, or those people supporting them. Working with groups of young people, survivors of domestic violence, parents, those in the youth justice system, people on probation, users/ex-users and communities with few resources, to mention a few,  this project designs specific training programmes of meet the needs of each group.

Current courses include
  • Accredited community drug and alcohol training programmes (OCN Level 1 & 2 Community Drugs Awareness)
  • Best Defence: An Alternative Alcohol Education Programme (based on the life of George Best) for young people
  • OCN accredited Peer Education Programmes
  • Talking to your child about tough issues (parents programmes)
  • LifeMatters - an early intervention programme aimed at young people involved in drug or alcohol related risky behaviours
All these programmes are found in more detail on the following pages

The LEAD Project: Cross Sectoral Training

This project is responsible for rolling out the adult training provision for drug and alcohol based programmes across the Northern Trust area.

There are 2 main areas of work that this project covers
  • Community focused Drug & Alcohol training
  • Workforce development: Practitioner and Professional Development Training
Community Training includes
  • OCN accredited Community Drugs Awareness Programmes at level 1 & 2
  • Individually designed training for community voluntary sector groups and organisations
  • OCN accredited Level 3 programme: Training the Trainer - Drug and Alcohol Practitioner
Workforce Development Training includes
  • Specific Training for practitioners from across the statutory and voluntary sectors (Tiers 1 - 3) e.g.

  1. Working More Effectively with Young Users (2-day course)
  2. Basic/Intermediate or Advanced Drugs Awareness for practitioners
  3. Drugs, Alcohol & Conflict management
  4. Staff Training - drugs awareness in the workplace
  5. Staff Training - drugs and students
  6. Talking to Your Child (TATI) facilitator training
Currently The LEAD Project works with practitioners from groups as diverse as

  • Youth Justice Agency
  • PSNI
  • NEELB - EWO's/Pastoral Care Staff
  • Causeway Trust (Northern Trust - Health & Social Care)
  • Homefirst Trust (Northern Trust - Health & Social Care)
  • Parents Advice Centre (PAC)
  • St Vincent de Paul
  • CAFRE
  • Womens Aid
  • Youth Intervention Project (BASE/Youth Forum)
  • NIACRO
  • Dunlewey Substance Advice Centre
  • Voluntary sector drug agencies
  • Portglenone Enterprise Group
  • Health Action Zone team & members