GambleAware and Citizens Advice Scotland launch new support service

The Gambling Support Service will deliver training to staff in order to provide them with the necessary tools to both identify and support people who may be experiencing harm from gambling.

GambleAware said the new service will also allow workers to direct those at risk to the specialist help that is available.

Training will be available to workers in professions who may come across people experiencing harm from gambling, such as frontline local authority staff, youth practitioners and healthcare workers, as well as debt advisors.

The project will be based around four regional hubs across Scotland, including in Airdrie, Inverness, South West Aberdeenshire and West Lothian.

The Gambling Support Service will run from 2020 until 2022 and compliment a similar programme operated in partnership with Citizens Advice England and Wales.

Formed in September 2018, the project saw GambleAware and Citizens Advice commit an initial £1.5m (€1.7m/$2.0m) to deliver training to debt advisers to help them identify and offer support to people suffering gambling problems.

The England and Wales project also included establishing a network of regional hubs to support workers across the two countries.

The latest initiative comes after GambleAware last month revealed the multi-level setup of its treatment and support system led to major knowledge gaps, and that its organic growth has resulted in the lack of a defined strategy.

Carried out by Leeds Beckett University, the study found the multi-level nature funded treatment system meant not all components have a direct connection with one another.

It was also revealed that as the system structure has grown organically, rather than being purposefully designed through a defined strategy, this impacted its overall functioning, and has made collaboration between each component more difficult.