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
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.
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?
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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, carlitam@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 carlitam@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
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WELFARE REFORM GREEN PAPER CONSULTATION: DRUG CHARITIES OPPOSE BENEFIT SANCTION PLANS
Drug charities are opposed to plans to introduce benefit sanctions for drug users who do not declare their drug use to JobCentre staff and attend treatment.
Concerns raised about the controversial plans outlined in the Welfare Reform Green Paper include:
- Benefit sanctions will push drug users away from the benefit system and other vital support services
- Benefit sanctions will deepen drug users' poverty and social exclusion and increase crime levels
- Benefit sanctions will penalise families and children as well as drug users themselves, marginalising further an already vulnerable group.
Drug charities argue there are more effective ways than sanctions to cut benefit numbers including giving drug users "a fair chance" in the jobs market and more individualised help and support
To read what DrugScope has to say about the proposals click here
LONDON LOSES OUT UNDER NEW FUNDING FORMULA
Drug services in London are adversely affected by a new formula for allocating funding. Under the formula funding for London drug services could drop 14% over the next three years, while a third of London boroughs could see their funding reduced by a quarter.
Read more about providers concerns about the funding changes in the February edition of LDAN News by clicking here
BUILD BRIDGES AND COMPETENCE - LDAN CONFERENCE TOLD
Build bridges and competence – that was the message given to drug and alcohol workers at the London Drug and Alcohol Network’s annual conference. The conference focused on the complexity of drug users needs and barriers to improving treatment services for them.
Read more about the conference in the December 2007 edition of LDAN News
TREATMENT SYSTEM "DOES NOT PROMOTE" BME WORK
Drug and alcohol services say it is becoming increasingly difficult to work with black and minority ethnic communities.They say the current Class A focused, target driven system does little to promote BME work.
To read more about black and minority ethnic substance use and service provision in a special BME edition of LDAN News click here
To read about some of the issues around BME service provision click here
DRUG REPORT OUTLINES SHORTCOMINGS IN TREATMENT SYSTEM
The Government is right to increase spending on drug treatment, as evidence suggests it is effective and cuts drug-related health and crime problems. But a new report by the RSA is heavily critical of the favourable treatment drug-using offenders get in the system, as well as outlining a raft of other shortcomings.
Click here to read the full article in the March 2007 edition of LDAN News.
Click here to download the RSA report.
DRUG SERVICES CAN HELP PUSH ALCOHOL UP TREATMENT AGENDA
Drug and alcohol services can help push alcohol up the treatment agenda. Delegates attending the London Drug and Alcohol Network’s (LDAN) annual conference were told practitioners have a key part to play improving alcohol treatment and pushing it up the health agenda. LDAN chair Robyn Doran said: “Most of us have clients affected by both drugs and alcohol, so we need to be asking ourselves "what are we doing with the resources that we do have?”
Read more about the conference “Alcohol: the Forgotten Substance in Drug Treatment” in the December 2006 edition of LDAN News by clicking here
Click here for the conference presentations.
SYSTEMS FOR MEASURING ALCOHOL RELATED HARM "INADEQUATE"
Not enough is being done to measure the impact of longer opening hours on drinkers’ health. One year after the Licensing Act came into force, researchers say the systems in place for gathering alcohol-related health information are inadequate and will not pick up any increase in health problems.They say only people that arrive in A+E departments intoxicated are counted under the current system
Read the full story about the impact of the licensing changes in the November 2006 edition of LDAN News by clicking here
MORE SPECIALIST SERVICES NEEDED FOR SOCIALLY EXCLUDED FAMILIES
Services working with families affected by drug and alcohol misuse say they need more funding if the Government is to successfully tackle social exclusion. They say it is difficult to help vulnerable families because the treatment system is “skewed” towards individuals. The question of funding was highlighted by the publication of the Government’s social exclusion action plan.
Read the full story on the frontpage of the September 2006 edition of LDAN News
Click here to download the Government's social exclusion action plan
"STATISTICS DRIVEN" DIP EXPANSION QUESTIONED
DIP providers have doubts about whether the Home Office’s latest initiative to cut drug-related crime will work. Many question whether Tough Choices focus on testing and assessing large numbers of drug users in custody, will result in many more people in treatment. If it does, drug workers are concerned that the treatment system will not be able to cope with the influx. One worker said the danger with such a “statistics driven” system was that only "what gets measured gets done”.
Click here to read the full article on Tough Choices in the April 2006 edition of LDAN News
"TICKBOX" USER INVOLVEMENT CRITICISED
Service providers are critical of the way user involvement is being implemented in London. Providers have told LDAN some commissioners are "hijacking" the process and "parachuting" service users onto committees and user groups. They say this top-down approach is tokenistic and indicative of a “tickbox” attitude rather than any concern to meaningfully increase service users input.
Read the full article in a special edition of LDAN News published in February 2006 User News
To read a briefing on User Involvement click here
LDAN REPORT HIGHLIGHTS ALCOHOL RESOURCE ISSUES
An LDAN report suggests alcohol services in London are not adequately funded to cope with the growing levels of alcohol misuse. The London Alcohol Statistics Project indicates that alcohol misusers are waiting twice as long as drug users for treatment, while staff struggle to keep on top of data collection and outcome monitoring. Data on almost 7000 service users in 27 London boroughs was collected in the project.
To download the report click here
LDAN WEBSITE RECRUITMENT SERVICE
LDAN has an online recruitment service which is free to members and available to associate members and others at highly competitive rates. You can post an advertisement directly onto the site via our quick and easy ‘Post a Job’ service—or send us your job details by post, fax or email. So, if you have a job to advertise, click on the 'jobs' section on the left hand menu and see how easy it is to advertise with us.
NOT A MEMBER? If you are interested in receiving regular news of London's drug and alcohol services or the issues that affect them, please contact LDAN (tel: 020 7704 0004 / email: info@ldan.org.uk) for membership details or join us via our online LDAN membership facility.
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