About ASCERT

23 Bridge Street Lisburn BT28 1XZ Tel: (028) 92604422 Fax: (028) 92603874 Email: info@ascert.biz

Information about ASCERT

The emphasis of the organisation is community empowerment and we work alongside groups to help them find ways to impact on the substance misuse related issues in their community. ASCERT provides a variety of training and education programmes in a range of settings, from school based programmes for children, teachers and parents, to community based training for young people and adu

lts and specialised training for professionals in the voluntary and statutory sectors.

We work with young people, who have committed substance related offences to encourage change in their behaviour, develop their personal and social skills and prevent them re-offending. We also have an extensive volunteering programme for young people and adults, encouraging personal development and voluntary activities that benefit the community.

In the past five years ASCERT has undergone a great deal of change as an organisation and the environment we work in has also changed considerably. Since its establishment in 1998 ASCERT has grown significantly and from having a single member of staff in 2001, now in 2003 we employ eight staff, delivering a range of services and projects. The development of the Northern Ireland Drug Strategy in 1999 and its implementation has provided both a more structured and focused approach to substance misuse and also increased challenges to organisations such as ASCERT working in the voluntary sector in the substance misuse field. Substance misuse continues to be an area of social concern and is having an increasing impact on society, making ASCERT's role increasingly relevant and the demands on its resources more acute.

Our core values 

We believe in change through empowerment of individuals families, groups and communities. We believe that we empower people when we:-

•  Genuinely listen to their needs and respond appropriately
•  Support them in developing skills, knowledge and abilities
•  Facilitate opportunities for discussion, planning and action
•  Share knowledge, experience and resources
•  Facilitate links to other organisations with a remit for empowerment

We believe in being inclusive , and in valuing and supporting diversity . This means that we ensure that our training is accessible to all – in terms of cost, venue/accessibility, locality, previous knowledge and experience, timing etc.

•  Advertise our services to in all local communities and monitor uptake
•  Actively seek to remove all potential barriers which stop people accessing our services
•  Understand that everyone is an individual with different needs, experiences, skills, abilities, beliefs and
opinions - and that we seek to work with and develop ourselves and others on this basis

We believe in recognising the potential of every individual . We believe that individual's can make a difference, and that everyone has the capacity and ability to effect change. To be able to bring about change – large or small – we believe that people need to be

•  Respected and valued for themselves
•  Supported in developing their understanding of what they want to change, and how they can do this
•  Given the opportunity to grow, learn and develop
•  Supported to believe in themselves and their own potential. 

Our approaches

 We will work in partnership with our clients, delivery partners and other relevant organisations to ensure the appropriateness, co-ordination, effectiveness, potential and the sustainability of both our and their actions

We will promote accountability through an open, transparent and responsive relationship with the community and our partners

Our work will respond and relate to specific areas of need and we will endeavour to establish evidence of need within the community

We will identify and share models of good practice and evidence-based approaches in all our areas of work while continually seeking to identify creative and innovative ways of working

We will continually seek feedback on our services and approaches, share our resources and experience with our partners and others in the field, be open to learning and ensure that evaluation informs our practice

Click here for our aims and objectives.

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"ASCERT empowers people to make a positive difference where alcohol and drug related issues damage lives".