THE AWARDS

"Sandwell's Drug Education, Counselling and Confidential Advice team - DECCA - has scooped a new national award for the quality of its work with children and young people.

DECCA beat off stiff competition from both public and private sector organisations to win a Children and Young People's Services Award 2006. The Sandwell team was presented with the award at a glittering awards ceremony in London on Tuesday (28 Nov)

The new awards scheme was introduced this year to highlight and celebrate the achievements of agencies working with children and young people across the UK.

The DECCA team provides information on drugs and alcohol to children through schools and community links as well as counselling and one-to-one support to young people misusing substances.

It scooped top prize in the category for 'best use of information systems' for materials produced in conjunction with young people and those who work with them in Sandwell.

These include CD Roms (twda.co.uk) for use in both primary and secondary schools, as more conventional printed materials.

Members of the team accepted the award at the ceremony at the Hurlingham Club in London.

DECCA coordinator Jon Bull said: "It's an absolute fantastic achievement to win national recognition for the work we do here in Sandwell. Decca has had a long standing design relationship with the private web / multimedia design services company TWDA.

"It is a reflection of the great team of people we've got here in Sandwell, within DECCA, schools and commmunity organisations, who are working very hard to educate and inform our young people about the effects of drugs including alcohol, volatile substances and smoking."

Cabinet member for children and young people Cllr Darren Cooper said:"DECCA has done extremely well to beat off such stiff competition from other organisations in the UK.

"I know everyone involved in this very important area supporting children and young people holds these awards in high esteem and it is a real achievement to gain national recognition for the work we're doing here in Sandwell."

The new Children and Young People's Services Awards 2006 scheme is run by publishers of Children Now and Young People Now magazines Haymarket Publishing Group."

>>see www.sandwell.gov.uk - www.twda.co.uk