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More London Drug and Alcohol News

New Report: PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT IN LONDON- A guide for drug and alcohol services

LDAN has produced a new report Pathways to employment in London: A guide for drug and alcohol services, which we hope you will find a useful resource for improving pathways to employment for people affected by substance misuse problems, helping to facilitate work to improve outcomes for service users, families and communities. The report has been produced as part of a two year ‘Pathways to Employment’ project that has been funded by Trust for London. The project has been supported and informed by a pan-London network made up of people responsible for designing, delivering and using drug and alco­hol and education, training and employment (ETE) services in the capital.

The report sets out the findings from a literature review on ‘what works’ and key messages from our network events. It also includes a direc­tory of employment training and education services in London that have been identified by the project.

To access the report click here (PDF)

LDAN / DRUGSCOPE RESPONSE TO DRUG STRATEGY CONSULTATION 2010

We would like to thank LDAN and DrugScope members and others who helped inform our response to the drug strategy consultation, particularly those who took the time to take part in our consultation events and complete our survey. To view our response to the consultation click (here)

We have also put together a briefing (PDF)which collates key messages from responses to the drug strategy consultation from a range of drug and alcohol and related service providers from across the UK.

LDAN RESPONDS TO LONDON COUNCILS GRANTS CONSULTATION

The London Councils grants programme currently funds around 400 organisations voluntary sector organisations in London, many of which work with marginalised populations, including people with drug and alcohol problems. Following the local elections in May 2010, some borough leaders argued in favour or "repatriation" of a significant share of the London Council’s grants programme to the boroughs to enable them to commission services locally rather than paying into a central ‘pot’. Against this background, London Councils announced a review of its Grant Scheme. The consultation document includes the possibility that no existing commissions will be renewed beyond the current financial year.

To respond to the consultation, please complete the online form at London Councils Website by the 10th November 2010. LDAN/DrugScope has responded both via the online form and as a letter to the Gants Committee. (PDF) Our response highlights the need for substance misuse, domestic violence and homelessness services to continue to be commissioned at a Pan-London Level, becuase these issues cannot be effectively addressed by one borough alone. We also raised concerns about the timescales of the consultation process itself.

For more information on the London Councils Grants Consultation see our Funding FAQ page

LDAN PUBLISHES PAN-LONDON GUIDANCE

LDAN is funded to provide support to the Joint Action Group on Alcohol for London (JAG). On 20th May, The Third JAG Alcohol Practitioners Forum was held at City Hall on alcohol related housing problems and drinking in the home. A summary of the feedback and presentations from the day can be accessed here (PDF).The event also saw the launch the new Pan-London Guidance Document on Children, Young people and Alcohol.

The first London forum for alcohol practitioners’ was held at City Hall in March 2009 and had the theme of support for young people. A key issue raised at the forum was the need for greater consistency in approach across London boroughs. Following on from this a working group was set up by the JAG, and the resulting guidance is aimed at all commissioners, service managers and frontline staff who work with children and young people in London. It is aimed at the YP support sector as a whole, including education, social care, CAMHS, Youth offending, paediatrics, and also adult services that work with young adults.

The guidance was produced by gathering information from a select number of statutory bodies and practitioners across London and therefore cannot be taken as a comprehensive guide; however we hope that it will:

• Support consistent alcohol messages and working practice across London Boroughs
• Provide examples of innovative practice
• Provide links to key contacts and existing guidance and resources in London

To download as a pdf click here

To download as RTF click here

If you would like to order a hard copy of the report, please email esthers.ldan@drugscope.org.uk

LDAN RESPONSE TO THE LONDON HEALTH INEQUALITIES STRATEGY

Following a consultation process with members, LDAN has submitted a response to the London Health Inequality Strategy.

The Mayor of London has published the first London Health Inequality Strategy for public consultation. The strategy proposes ways to improve the physical and mental health of Londoners, with a focus on health as a state of overall ‘wellbeing’ and not merely the absence of ill health. The strategy acknowledges a key health determinant as ‘the use, or level of use, of tobacco, alcohol or other substances’. The final statutory strategy will be published later in 2010.

LDAN’s response focuses on barriers to health and social care for drug and alcohol service users, and also includes specific recommendations that relate to dual diagnosis and employment pathways.

To access LDAN’s response on the Health Inequalities Strategy click here. (pdf)

To access LDAN’s briefing on the Health Inequalities Strategy click here. (pdf)

To access the full draft strategy click here (pdf)

DRUGSCOPE PUBLISHES UPDATED ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

With half a million copies sold since its launch in 1982 and now in its 14th edition, The Essential Guide to Drugs and Alcohol is indispensable to everyone with a professional interest in the field. With an A-Z of illicit substances including new sections on BZP, mephedrone and naphyrone, a jargon buster of key sector terms and accessible tables on seizure stats and prevalence, the guide pulls together vital information in an easily digestible way. Find out more here

DRUG USE AND DRUG SERVICES AMONGST BLACK AND ETHNIC MINORITIES

LDAN has produced a summary of Jane Fountain’s series of publications to inform drug service planning and provision amongst Black and ethnic minorities. This summary focuses on the findings that relate to patterns of substance use and drug service needs in England. The reports are based on the results from the Department of Health’s Black and minority ethnic drug misuse needs assessment project and focus on the following groups:

• Black African
• Black Caribbean
• Kurdish, Turkish Cypriot, Turkish
• Chinese and Vietnamese
• South Asian

To access the LDAN summary click here

To access the full reports click here

DRUGSCOPE/ LDAN NEW HORIZONS RESPONSE TO MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY

LDAN has contributed to DrugScope’s response to the New Horizons consultation. New Horizons is the new national mental health strategy to promote good mental health and well-being and improve services for people who have mental health problems. New Horizons will build on the National Service Framework (NSF) for mental health which comes to an end in 2009. The DrugScope/LDAN response has a particular concern with the relationship between substance misuse and mental health problems, and the complex and multiple needs that often accompany ‘dual diagnosis’.

The DrugScope/LDAN response primarily builds on a consultation process with DrugScope members, including an expert seminar held on New Horizons in September. However, following LDAN’s merger with DrugScope in March 2009, our 200 strong membership of London-based drug and alcohol agencies has also provided invaluable input and feedback into DrugScope’s work on New Horizons and other key policy areas.

Download the response here (PDF)

INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING FOR LDAN/DRUGSCOPE?

Find out more here

LDAN BRIEFING ON SUBSTANCE MISUSE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

As part of LDAN’s London Councils funded Domestic Violence Project, LDAN produced a new briefing that explores the links between substance misuse and domestic violence and outlines the current research, responsible bodies, legislation and policy that relates to this issue.

To access LDAN’s Briefing on Substance Misuse and Domestic Violence click here (PDF).

LDAN is launching a Domestic Violence peer support network on 29th October in Central London. The network will focus on identifying best practice and current issues in relation to substance misuse and domestic violence, particularly in relation to domestic violence perpetrators. If you are interested in finding out more about this network, please contact Carlita McKnight, LDAN Membership Development Officer, esthers.ldan@drugscope.org.uk

LDAN RESPONSE TO THE DRAFT LONDON HOUSING STRATEGY

Following a consultation event with LDAN members held at City Hall and a number of member emails, LDAN has submitted a response to the Draft London Housing Strategy.

The London Housing Strategy sets out the Mayor’s vision for housing in London. It includes key policy commitments for the drug and alcohol sector in London, such as the development of a specialist project for rough sleepers with multiple needs, especially targeting those who have behavioural and health-related problems linked with alcohol abuse.

Our response focused on the following issues in relation to substance misuse:

• Housing, social re-integration and recovery
• Access to housing
• Support in housing
• Quality of housing
• Substance misuse, housing and welfare to work
• Impact of drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour

To read LDAN’s response to the Draft London Housing Strategy click here (PDF)

To read LDAN’s briefing on The Draft London Housing Strategy click here (PDF)

To access the full Draft Strategy click here

CAN YOU HELP LDAN TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO PSYCHOLOGICAL THERAPIES FOR SERVICE USERS?

LDAN is working to improve links between our sector and the Government’s £200 million programme Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (or IAPT). We know that a high proportion of people in drug and alcohol services experience depression or anxiety, but are they accessing IAPT therapists who can help them with these issues?

We are interested in hearing about your experience with IAPT – including any experiences of working with the IAPT programme to facilitate effective working arrangements between drug and alcohol, IAPT services and other local stakeholders. Potentially, these could be showcased nationally by IAPT in supporting the development of best practice.

If you have experience of working with a local IAPT initiative, or any other comments on the IAPT programme we would be interested in hearing from you. Please contact Carlita McKnight on 020 7520 7558 or alternatively email at esthers.ldan@drugscope.org.uk

For further information on the IAPT programme, including pathfinder projects in your area, please go to the IAPT website at www.iapt.nhs.uk