The Base - Kirklees

The Base is a drug and alcohol service for young people and young adults in Kirklees (up to the age of 25). We provide free, friendly and confidential support on drugs, ‘legal highs’ and/or alcohol issues. The service also offers provision for parents, carers and professionals that support young people in Kirklees

What we do

We offer a wide range of services and support, ranging from one-off to longer term support. These include:

• One-to-one young person centred interventions which promote positive change. These can include advice and information on drugs/alcohol, harm reduction support and structured psychosocial interventions.
• Group work sessions for young people, which provide education and advice to reduce or prevent the harms associated with drugs and alcohol. These sessions take place throughout Kirklees and are tailored to meet the specific needs of the group. However, we do offer standards group work programmes around New Psychoactive Substances (‘Legal Highs’), Cannabis and Alcohol. Get in touch to request group work delivery.
• Outreach - You may see members of our team at various different venues and events across Kirklees promoting positive messages about drugs and alcohol. These also ensure that getting informal advice and support around drugs/alcohol is made as accessible as possible for all young people across Kirklees. Keep an eye out for us or contact us if you would like to request this service.
• A daily drop-in service in Huddersfield and Dewsbury, where young people, parents and professionals can talk to someone immediately without the need to make an appointment.
• Specialist training programmes for professionals. We provide high quality courses to increase practitioner confidence in identifying and responding to drug and alcohol issues amongst young people. We offer a comprehensive training schedule but can also provide bespoke training on request. Training is free to those providing support to young people in Kirklees. Please contact us for more information.
• Support for parents and families who are concerned about the drug and/or alcohol use of a young person. We understand the important supportive role that families can play and offer tailored support to help them better understand and support their loved ones. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you feel you would benefit from this support.
• Support for young people who are affected by a family members’ substance use. We understand the difficulties in seeing the life of a loved one being affected by drugs and/or alcohol. We offer a service to ensure that the needs of the child or young person are also being met
• Volunteering - we offer volunteering opportunities to those who are passionate about making a difference to the lives of young people in Kirklees. We offer our volunteers a comprehensive training programme as well as regular, quality supervision. If you are interested in volunteering for the Base, please contact us for more information.
• Peer Mentoring Programme for 16-24 year olds that are passionate about supporting other young adults going through difficult times. This programme is free of charge to young people in Kirklees and carries a nationally recognised qualification, equivalent to a Diploma! Contact us for more inforomation.

How we do it

The service we offer is based on several principles:

• The service is young person centred. We listen to young people and build support around their needs, whether that’s a one off conversation or longer term, structured support.
• The service is flexible and accessible. We understand that it’s not always easy to come to us for support. Therefore, we offer appointments across Kirklees to ensure that accessing any of our services is made as easy as possible. Equally, we offer provision on evenings and weekends where requested so simply speak to a worker if you would benefit from this. We also offer support via the telephone and on social media so getting and staying in touch has never been easier!
• The service we provide is friendly and professional. Our staff offer a non-judgemental, respectful and inclusive service. They pride themselves on being warm, welcoming and friendly. We’re not here to judge, but to give information and support to help young people make informed decisions about their own lives.
• The service offers holistic support. Many young people who misuse substances do so because of more underlying issues they have in their lives. We will work closely with young people at a pace that suits them to develop a plan which will meet their wider needs also. This often requires us to rely on our positive approach to partnership working to ensure that young people are getting the right support at the right time.

Make a referral

We can receive referrals from anyone wanting to refer a young person for support, including young people themselves. It is important that the young person is aware of the referral as our experience suggests that engagement is improved this way. If you would like a member of the team to support initial discussions with a young person regarding a referral please do let us know and we will be happy to assist.

To make a referral, call us on 01484541589, email raj.ubhi@cri.org.uk , get in touch via Facebook (thebasekirklees) or Twitter (@basekirklees) or just drop in at either address below.

We have two Bases where we can support you:

Dewsbury: CRI - the Base, Young Dewsbury, Dewsbury Town Hall, Old Wakefield Rd, Dewsbury, WF12 8DG

T: 01924324557

Huddersfield: CRI - The Base, 2 Spring Bank, New North Rd, Huddersfield, HD1 5NB

T: 01484541589

Can’t attend your appointment?

If you’re a young person and are unable to attend your appointment, and you already have an allocated worker, please contact the worker directly to inform them.

If you don’t have an allocated worker then please contact The Base on 01484 541589 to let the team know.

Other sources of local support

• www.kirklees.gov.uk
• www.strangemolecules.org.uk - for information on 'legal highs' / NPS (Novel Psychoactive Substances)
• CRI The Base – Facebook
• CRI The Base Twitter
• Kirklees Youth Offending Team, T: 01484 226263
• Targeted Youth Support Services, T: 01484 223197 or 01924 324558
• Children’s Emotional Wellbeing Service, T: 01924 492183
• CAMHS - Mental Health Service, T: 01484 342141
• Brunswick - Sexual Health Service, T: 01484 469691
• Emergency Services, T: 999