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 and 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

New briefing available

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

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.

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

To access the full Draft Strategy click here

LDAN are currently putting together a response that will focus on the following issues in relation to substance misuse:

Housing, social re-integration and recovery
Access to housing (including the role of different sectors)
Support in housing (floating support)
Quality of housing (stable accommodation)
Substance misuse, housing and welfare to work
Impact of drug-related crime and anti-social behaviour

The consultation period ends on 31 August 2009. If you would like to contribute to the development of LDAN’s response, or have comments on any of the above issues, then please contact Esther Sample, LDAN Policy Officer, e-mail esthers.ldan@drugscope.org.uk

Drug and alcohol services may soon have a legal duty to take account of the new NHS Constitution.

The Constitution applies not only to NHS services, but to all services funded by the NHS, including those delivered by Third Sector providers.

The rights guaranteed to patients in the NHS Constitution include a right to make choices about your care, and to information to help exercise choice, as well as a right making explicit an entitlement to treatments that have been recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, if they are clinically appropriate for you.

The NHS Constitution could be a powerful tool for improving the experiences of drug treatment service users and of staff delivering drug services - as well as access of people with experience of drug problems to other NHS services.

To read LDAN’s briefing (PDF)on the NHS constitution click here

Mayoral Candidates Make Their Pitch on Drugs

Drug and alcohol misuse is a serious and complex problem in London. The three main contenders in the London Mayoral election outline to the London Drug and Alcohol Network what they would do to tackle it.


To download the article from the April 2008 edition of LDAN News
click here

Time for Drug Partnerships to Join the LAA table

At a time when local areas are being given greater freedom to meet their own needs, drug treatment still seems a long way from the LAA table. Drug specialist Sara McGrail argues it is time drug treatment joins up.


To download the article from the February 2008 edition of LDAN News click here

Debate reigns over complexities of improving BME access

Drug and alcohol use among black and minority ethnic communities in London is increasing. This briefing looks at some of the complexities around BME drug and alcohol use and at why it is difficult to improve BME access to drug services.


To download the briefing from a BME special edition of LDAN News click here

London providers and commissioners debate the drug strategy

LDAN facilitated a meeting of London-based service providers and commissioners in August 2007 - during the consultation period over the new drug strategy. This briefing looks at some of the issues raised at the meeting.


To download the briefing from the September 2007 edition of LDAN News click here

New monitoring tool welcomed with some reservations

The National Treatment Agency has launched a new tool for monitoring drug treatment outcomes - the Treatment Outcomes Profile or TOP. This briefing outlines how it works and what service providers think about it


To read more about the Treatment Outcomes Profile in the July 2007 edition of LDAN News click here

What are the risks attached to charities delivering public services ?

The third sector is being love-bombed by a Government keen to increase the involvement of charities in public service delivery. This briefing looks at a Charity Commission report outlining the risks attached to delivering public services and at substance misuse providers perspective on the subject.


To download the briefing from the March 2007 edition of LDAN News click here

What impact has the drinks industry had on alcohol policy?

The drinks industry's new partnership role combating alcohol misuse is becoming increasingly apparent. This briefing looks at the industry's perspective on alcohol problems and its impact on the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy.


To download the briefing from the January 2007 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

The Case For and Against Increasing Tax on Alcohol

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt's comments in support of using taxation as a way to reduce alcohol consumption were welcomed by health specialists. This briefing looks at the arguments for and against increasing taxation and assesses whether the Government is open to persuasion, whatever the evidence base.


To download the briefing from the November 2006 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

Unit Costing Likely to Have Big Impact on Sector

The National Treatment Agency is in the process of calculating the unit costs of drug treatments. Within the next few months, it will produce something not that far off a price list for a whole range of interventions. This briefing looks at the background to unit costing and what it will mean for the drug sector.

To download the briefing from the October 2006 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

Drug Classification System "unfit for purpose"

In July the Science and Technology Committee published a scathing report on the drug classification system describing it as anomylous, opaque and “unfit for purpose”.The Advisory Committee on the Misuse of Drugs was also heavily criticised. This briefing looks at the background to the committee’s inquiry, what the report said in detail and its likely impact.

To dowload the briefing from the August 2006 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

How likely is another "Ice Age"?

Despite little evidence that its use is on the increase, methamphetamine is in the news - constantly. This briefing looks at why the drug is causing so much concern and what is being done to combat the threat.

To download the briefing from the July 2006 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

Report Highly Critical of Health Service's Response to Tackling Hepatitis C

A recently published report is highly critical of the Department of Health’s response to tackling Hepatitis C. It says the health service is ill prepared to tackle the spread of the virus, and gives a bleak assessment of the consequences for tens of thousands of injecting drug users, if action is not taken.

To download this briefing from the June edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

How effective is local authorities main weapon against street drinking?

Local authorities in London are busy setting up controlled drinking zones in an attempt to curb street drinking and the anti-social behaviour associated with it.This briefing looks at the restrictions CDZs impose, why they are so popular with local councils and what outreach workers think of them.

To download the briefing in the April 2006 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

What every provider should know about user involvement

User involvement is fast becoming a big issue in the drug and alcohol fields. This briefing explains what it is about, providers and "champions" viewpoints, and its prospects for success.

To download this briefing from the February 2006 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

New Acronym holds dangers for treatment agencies

Local area agreements or LAAs are another opaque acronym to arrive on the drug and alcohol scene. Designed to allow local authorities decide on local priorities so they can deliver services in tune with local need, they hold dangers for drug and alcohol services. This briefing looks at how LAAs work, the timeframe for implementation, and their likely impact.

To download this briefing from the January 2006 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

What impact will the licensing changes have on drinking patterns?

The Licensing Act sweeps away in one go a licensing regime in place for almost a century. This briefing looks at what changes the legislation will bring about and why health professionals are so critical of it.

To download this briefing from the November 2005 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

Contestability and what it might mean for treatment providers

Last month Home Secretary Charles Clarke said he is going to push forward with the introduction of “contestability” or competition to criminal justice interventions. This briefing looks at what contestability is all about, why it is so controversial and what it might mean for treatment providers in the future.

To download this briefing on contestabilty from the October 2005 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here

How has Models of Care for Alcohol gone down in the field?
Models of Care for Alcohol was finally published at the end of June. This article canvasses opinion on the long awaited guidelines.

To download the article from the July 2006 edition of LDAN's newsletter click here