Re-Frame

What does this project involve?

The programme aims to reduce substance use and offending by providing two one-to-one sessions, approximately 45-60 minutes each, with a qualified youth substance misuse worker. The programme was designed and delivered by WithYou, a drug, alcohol and mental health support charity. In session one, the ‘Drug Triangle’ is used, an exercise designed to build self-efficacy. Session two involves using the ‘Drug Grid’, an exercise that teaches children and young people about different substances, aiming to dispel myths and provide information on the effects of different drugs. Children are also encouraged to reflect on how their actions have affected their lives, their family, and the wider community. 

Delivery of this project took place within Kent, Cornwall, Sefton and Wigan police force areas. 

Why did YEF fund this project?

Substance use is an important risk factor for involvement in violence. The 2024 Youth Endowment Fund’s Children, Violence and Vulnerability Report highlights the link between substance use and offending, with rates of substance use significantly higher among the victims and perpetrators of violent offences. 19% of victims and 22% of perpetrators reported cannabis use in the past 12-months. 

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) funded a randomised controlled trial of Re-Frame with participants randomised to either receive the Re-Frame programme or business as usual. Business as usual consisted of a single, routine conversation offering advice, information and signposting, including details of local WithYou drug and alcohol services.  

The evaluation aimed to establish whether Re-Frame reduced the number of offences committed by young people six months after the trial. It also measured the impact on the frequency of substance use, self-reported offences, emotional regulation, prosocial behaviour, peer problems, hyperactivity and conduct problems, wellbeing, quality of life, self-efficacy, motivation to change and beliefs about benefits from drug use. A total of 364 children in Kent, Cornwall, Sefton and Wigan police force areas, who were arrested and considered suitable for diversion, took part in the trial. 184 young people received Re-Frame and 180 joined the control group.  

The trial included an Implementation and Process Evaluation (IPE) which involved 15 interviews with young people, 14 interviews with staff who delivered the intervention and police officers, and three focus groups with family support workers, substance use practitioners, local authority commissioners, criminal justice staff, safeguarding leads and young people’s recovery workers.  

The study took place between February 2022 and February 2025. 89% of children in the trial were White; 6% from mixed or multiple ethnic groups; 2% Asian or Asian British; 2% Black, Black British, Caribbean or African; and 4% identified as from another ethnic group.

Key conclusions

Re-Frame demonstrated a moderate negative impact on children’s offending. Children who received Re-Frame were more likely to offend than children who did not receive Re-Frame. There is uncertainty surrounding the estimate. This result has a moderate security rating.

Re-Frame showed mixed results on secondary outcomes: a small positive impact on emotional regulation, beliefs about the risks of substance use and beliefs about benefits from drug use; a moderate positive impact on frequency of substance use, peer problems and self-efficacy. Re-Frame showed a small negative impact on hyperactivity/inattention behaviour, wellbeing and quality of life; a moderate negative impact on self-reported offences, prosocial and conduct behaviour and motivation to change. These are secondary outcomes and should be treated with more caution. There is statistical uncertainty regarding all outcomes, and the findings are also consistent with there being no impact.

Re-Frame was well received by participants and staff and compliance was very high. Young people found the content informative and reported that substance misuse workers were friendly and listened to them in a non-judgemental way. Police officers and senior management perceived Re-Frame to be valuable, especially for first time and low-level offenders.

Participants were relatively infrequent substance users of class B or C controlled drugs and did not perceive their use as a problem. In qualitative interviews many young people described using cannabis as being harmless or a substance they used to self-medicate the experience of neurodivergence.

Some staff thought that, while the programme could ‘slot in quite easily’ to current services without major structural change, two sessions may not be enough time to change substance use and offending behaviour.

How secure is this evidence?

These findings have a moderate security rating. The trial was a well-designed two-armed randomised controlled trial, randomised at individual level. Attrition and risk of bias were very low: very few children (1.1%) who started the trial were not included the final analysis. No significant threats to internal validity were identified. However, trials that aim to measure the impact on offending often require very large sample sizes to detect meaningful impacts and in this trial the sample size was smaller than ideal.  

Should we fund or deliver Re-Frame? 

Re-Frame did not show a positive impact on offending and there might be more effective programmes to reduce substance use and offending.  

It’s important to note that the study was designed to test the impact of Re-Frame as an intervention used in a diversion context, not diversion overall. Diversion is still a promising strategy for responding to low-level offending. See the YEF toolkit for useful resources and guidance on diversion.  

Additional learning from the Re-Frame evaluation if you are planning to deliver another intervention to reduce substance use includes: 

• Ensure effective targeting to maximise the chances of participants benefitting from the programme. Ensure that participants engage in the type and frequency of substance use behaviour the programme is suitable for. 
• Reflect on whether the intensity of the intervention is sufficient, especially when behavioural change is required. For example, a two hours intervention might not have sufficient intensity to translate into changes on substance use or offending.  

What will YEF do next?

YEF has no plans for further evaluation of Re-Frame at this stage.

Download the report