Employment

LDAN Employment Pathways Project

Many drug and alcohol services in London are working with training and employment support services to create positive pathways to employment for their service users. However, to date this work has not been significantly highlighted or promoted within London. LDAN has been funded by the City Parochial Foundation over two years to identify and collate good practice, to start building an evidence base on what works in employment support for people with drug and alcohol problems, to disseminate this to LDAN members and to influence pan-London and national policy and strategy in this area.

LDAN has set up a pan-London Employment Expert Group to advise on this project. The group is made up from Key service providers, service user representatives, JobCentre Plus, NTA, LDPF and the UKDPC among others. LDAN, with support from the expert group, are holding a series of events/workshops in 2010-11 on employment pathways for people with drug or alcohol problems in London.

The first event on ‘What works in employment support?’ was held on 11th November 2009 at City Hall. The meeting was extremely well attended and had a focus on both developing internal employment support services within drug and alcohol organisations and making links to external providers. The group work discussions from the day can be accessed here. Please also find presentations below:

Internal education training & employment services within drug/alcohol organisations
Blenheim CDP/Service User Drug Reference Group – Laraine Start/Tim Sampey
Phoenix Futures - Adele Duncan Harvey
Creating partnerships with external employment support providers
Job Centre Plus - Carol Adams
NTA – Jo Roebuck
Red Kite Learning – Evet King
Off the Streets and into Work (OSW) - Michael Fothergill
The above event informed the November/December Employment Special Edition of LDAN News (PDF 1.2MB)

The next LDAN Employment Event will be held on 10th March 2010 at City Hall and will focus on ‘Welfare reform and employment support for people with drug and alcohol problems’ (post the Bill’s ascent through parliament).
If you are interested to attend the above event or to find out more about the LDAN Employment Project, please contact Esther Sample, LDAN Policy Officer, esthers.ldan@drugscope.org.uk

Frequently Asked Questions on the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA)

LDAN/DrugScope has produced a FAQ document for the drug and alcohol sector on the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), by posing questions from our members to Adrian Harding, Operational Head of the ISA.

The Independent Safeguarding Authority was set up in 2009 to strengthen the protection of children and vulnerable adults. The ISA will require all relevant employers to register their staff and volunteers for ISA approval. They will have the authority to put those they find unsuitable on a ‘barred list’ and prevent them from working with vulnerable groups.

The FAQ document outlines the implications of the new Vetting and Barring Scheme for both employers and service users. It includes information such as which roles within the sector will need to register with the ISA and which drug related offences are most likely to lead to a barring decision.

To access the LDAN/DrugScope ISA FAQ document click here

To access the LDAN background briefing on the ISA click here

For more information on the ISA visit www.isa-gov.org.uk