Welcome to Staying Safe Parents
Giving parents the skills, knowledge and confidence to talk about substance use and mental health, to help their teenage children stay safe
Working to reduce the risk of substance use in young people
Good drug education prevents or delays the age of onset of substance use and reduces the risk of experimental use causing harm or transitioning to problem/ dependent use.
Government data shows that the first place 11–15 year-olds turn for useful information about drugs and alcohol is their parents. Our programme has been designed to help you learn alongside your child, so conversations can be grounded in shared knowledge, free from judgement or assumptions.
Staying Safe Parents does not look at the use of alcohol and other drugs in isolation. We provide parents with the facts about drugs and other risk behaviours and the links with adolescent brain development, mental illness, to early life experiences of those around them.
Our online programme brings together a team of experts in psychiatry, psychology, family therapy and drugs to provide parents with the tools they need to understand the realities of drug use and its impact on teenagers.
In partnership with
A message from the Founder of Staying Safe Parents, Prof Adam R Winstock
“Staying Safe Parents gives parents the knowledge, communication skills, and strategies to effectively understand and manage issues related to alcohol and other drugs in their teenage children.
Adapted from our highly evaluated Staying Safe Programme used by leading UK universities to deliver non-judgmental, credible information to their student on substance use, sex, consent, the law and mental health, our parents programme gives access to over 50 video-based modules delivered by experts in the fields of mental health, addiction, psychology, education, neurodevelopment, family therapy and behaviour change.
If you’d like to find out more for yourself or your organisation, please contact adam@stayingsafer.com or a.winstock@ucl.ac.uk”
What We Offer
Staying Safe Parents - The Course
Across the more than 50 modules in the programme you’ll find information that is useful, honest and practical:
the developing adolescent brain, neurodiversity and adolescent mental health.
druges, their effects, risks, vulnerability and protective factors
related behaviours such as sexual consent and assault, dealing with drug emergencies and the law
effective communication techniques and proactive approaches to guide your children through the maze of peer pressure, experimentation, and risk-taking behaviour
Raising teenagers can be a challenging and complex journey, especially when it comes to discussing sensitive topics like alcohol, other drugs and mental health.
Additional Services
Q+A Webinars
Hosted by experts in adolescent mental health, substance use, family therapy and psychology, our themed monthly webinars offer parents are carers the chance to ask questions and share experiences.
The topics for our webinars will be identified through suggestions from our partners and community.
Teacher Training
We are currently seeking CPD accreditation for our Staying Safe Programme to provide teachers with additional knowledge to support the delivery of effective drug and alcohol education and policy in their schools.
Bespoke online webinars can be requested by schools to address particular topics of concern relevant to their area.
Consultancy
Through our network of clinical experts, we can help schools access experienced mental healthcare professionals and advise schools on optimising drug policy and creating supportive policies to encourage those with issues to seek help.