POLICE in South Devon are supporting the launch of a programme aimed to help parents understand the challenges faced by young people.
‘Let’s Talk’ contains a mixture of resources that are completely free, including virtual toolkits and online sessions to support parents and guardians with young people aged 9-18.
Created and developed by Safer Devon, the prgramme aims to help parents and guardians understand more about the challenges young people are facing today, including drugs, alcohol and mental health.
Chief Inspector Miranda Pusey, who heads up the neighbourhood police teams in South Devon, said: ‘These free resources are invaluable.
‘The programme covers a number of topics that we see regularly as police officers that are impacting young people, such as drugs, exploitation and online safety.
‘They provide reliable information in a bitesize format to share important messages, including warning signs to look out for, where to go for help and support, and guidance about how parents and guardians can support young people impacted by the issues discussed.
‘Prevention and education are key in making sure young people don’t get involved in crime or antisocial behaviour.
‘It can feel overwhelming with the sheer amount of information that is available on websites, books and videos, so whenever it is possible, our officers signpost parents and guardians to access the free ‘Let’s Talk’ toolkits and sessions, knowing that they can access useful information from a trustworthy source.’
Nearly 6,000 people in Devon have completed the course or accessed the free online resources.
There are a range of resources available from ‘Let’s Talk’ for different age groups, including pre-teens and teenagers.
Rebecca Hewitt, Chairman of South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership, said: ‘We at the Let’s Talk team wanted to find a way to tackle community safety issues across our area.
‘We wanted to make information around these subjects freely available in a non-judgemental and easy to access way so parents and carers can support their children to become happy, resilient young people who can safely manage risk.’