Group of four people walking outdoors, one holding a skateboard, black and white photo from behind.

Core Services - Advocacy

Support for
Substance Use

Non-judgemental support for young people navigating drug or alcohol use

Substance use can affect your physical health, mental wellbeing, relationships, and future choices. At Early Break, we provide confidential advocacy and support for young people who are using or affected by drugs and alcohol without judgement.

We listen to your story and work with you to set your own goals, whether that means reducing use, staying safe, or making positive changes in other parts of your life.

Our service is free, confidential, and tailored to your individual needs. Whether you’re just starting to worry about your use or have been using substances for a while, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

“We believe that our best and most valued resource is our workforce and the expectations of their abilities to deliver an exceptional service to young people.”
— Vicky Maloney (CEO)

How Our Advocacy Service Supports Young People

Our Advocacy Service is designed to give young people a voice in their own care.

We help you make informed decisions about your health, relationships and future by offering:

  • One-to-one support provided by a specialist, young person’s substance advocate

  • Harm reduction strategies to stay safe

  • Support with emotional health, sexual health, family issues, and school or work

  • Links to other Early Break services like counselling, wellbeing groups or housing support

Advocacy Workers offer one-to-one support, education, advice, and harm reduction interventions. They also have access to prescribing doctors, holistic therapies, and sexual health services.

Sometimes, the young person may only require a couple of sessions with an Advocacy Worker, while at other times, they may work together for a more extended period.

We’re already working with young people and families in Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Salford, and Trafford at Early Break, both in their homes and in schools and community venues.

In Blackburn with Darwen, we’re part of the SPARK Recovery Collaborative, offering tailored one-to-one support for under-25s affected by substance use.

What is Advocacy?

Get Support for Substance Use Today

Advocacy FAQ’s

  • Advocacy is the act of supporting or speaking up for someone else to help them express their views and wishes, and ensure their rights are protected. It involves taking action to help individuals have their voices heard, understand their rights, and access the support they need. 

    Advocates support individuals in making their own decisions; they do not make decisions on their behalf. 

  • Substance use means using drugs or alcohol in a way that harms your health, wellbeing, or ability to manage daily life. It can include regular use, bingeing, or using substances to cope with difficult emotions.

  • Our support is for young people up to age 25 who are affected by drug or alcohol misuse, whether they’re using substances themselves or impacted by someone else’s use.

    Some locations have differing age upper and lower limits, but don’t worry our referral forms will guide you.

  • Yes. We offer a safe space where you can speak freely. We only share information if we’re worried about your safety or someone else’s, and we’ll always try to talk to you about it first.

  • Yes. Young people, parents, carers and professionals can all make referrals.

    Visit our Referrals page or call 0161 723 3880.

  • No. We’ll meet you where you’re at and help you make informed choices about your use. It’s about what works for you, not what someone else thinks you should do.

  • We support young people in Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Salford, Trafford and Blackburn with Darwen in the North West.

    Visit our locations page to get more info.

  • Absolutely. We know that drug or alcohol misuse is often linked to other things like mental health, housing, relationships, or school. We offer holistic support to help you with the bigger picture.

  • Yes, all our services are 100% free of charge and funded through local commissioning.

  • You can stay connected to Early Break in various ways listed below:

  • If you or someone you know needs urgent help, you can access our list of emergency and useful helpline numbers by clicking the Get Help Now. 

    This will open a quick-reference popup with 24/7 services and support lines for mental health, safeguarding, substance use, and crisis care.

From the Blog

Here’s a selection of articles from the blog related to our Advocacy services.