Treatment
Sandwell Adult Treatment Strategy 2008
Sandwell’s approach to drug treatment considers the social, psychological and medical needs of individuals and includes emphasis on helping people to become and remain stabilised in society.
In relation to drug use locally, there are an estimated 2,000 – 2,441 individuals using drugs problematically. In relation to the 2006 mid year estimates of the population this accounts for approximately 0.84% of the total local population.
The Partnerships’ strategic aim for the future centres on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the drug treatment system in order to sustain resources and reintegrate more drug users back into the community. The treatment plan will support the delivery of Local Area Agreement targets around health and wellbeing, safer and stronger communities and employment and skills.
To see the Sandwell Adult Treatment Plan go to Strategies, Plans, Reports & other Resources.
For help and support for drug and alcohol problems go to Help & Support.
Sandwell Drug Interventions Programme (DIP)
The Drug Interventions Programme is a key Government initiative which forms part of the national commitment to reducing the effects of drug related crime on the community.
The Programme was launched in 2003 and its primary aim is to get offenders who misuse drugs out of crime and into treatment.
At the heart of the Programme is partnership working and information sharing between criminal justice, treatment and aftercare agencies. The Programme has introduced a case-management approach to offer offenders treatment and support from the point of arrest to beyond sentencing, preventing them from slipping through gaps in the system. Sharing information on the treatment needs of individual offenders allows professional multi-skilled teams to provide tailored solutions.
The Programme is viewed as a forward thinking initiative which acknowledges that treatment works and is not a soft option and its processes have gradually become the established way of working with drug misusing offenders.
For further information on DIP, visit: http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/drug-interventions-programme/
Models of Care (MoC)
There are two documents that relate to Models of Care.
- Models of Care 2002 and Updated 2006 – this relates to adult drug treatment
- Models of Care for alcohol – Mocam
These documents were produced to provide a set of guidelines for commissioning teams, providers and service users across England. Scotland and Wales have their own versions.
The Models of Care frameworks aim to:
- Introduce an integrated system of care
- Achieve equality, consistency and parity of service provision
- Identify and offer a range of services that could be provided (with local variation), which are based on current evidence of “what works best”, good practice, guidance, and quality standards in drug and alcohol treatment
- Introduce a “Tier” system. There are four Tiers of treatment
- Offer support to DAAT’s in the development of an efficient and effective treatment and care system
- Offer guidance to support the co-ordination of drug and alcohol treatment and effective management of care cross drug and alcohol misuse services and general health, social and other care
- Set minimum standards
They do not cover:
- Prescription drugs
- Young People – Under 18’s
- Treatment in prisons
For further information on MoC and Mocam go to http://www.nta.nhs.uk/
Housing and drug users in treatment
The aim of this project is to house vulnerable adults (18+) who have completed a minimum of 12 weeks of drug treatment.
Clients who live in Sandwell are helped to be housed, through Sandwell Homes, Registered Social Landlords (RSL’s) or Private Landlords.
Private landlords are offered a rent bond which can pay the first months rent for clients. Clients then pay the first month’s rent back to the project over a number of months.
With the aid of Tenancy Support the project aims to help clients to maintain their chosen tenancy.
For more information about the project please contact Tina Richards or Ramanjit Paul on 07815875072.
Service User Involvement
Sandwell Addicts Views Expressed (SAVE)
Positive communication with service users has been shown to reduce risk and improves the treatment experience and outcomes. Furthermore the service user perspective can aid in the development of drug treatment services to ensure it is effective, culturally sensitive, accessible and well delivered. The benefits for the service users can be numerous and include an increase in self- esteem, which should lead to increased social integration.
SAVE have been around in Sandwell for about 2 ½ years and have grown from just two key members to an average of 12 group members. Their motto is by “addicts for addicts.”
SAVE:
- Produce their own newsletter “The Rattle” 3 times a year.
- Present overdose awareness sessions to other users – 4 times a year
- Attend a variety of meetings to represent the views of Sandwell’s users regarding adult substance misuse treatment services
- Members have sat on interview panels
- And have recently undertaken a Sandwell User Survey, which has recently been recognised as good practice. This Survey has been used to in the annual Needs Analysis document, the Treatment Plan, and a number of local actions plans relating directly to the care and service provision of service users.
To be a member of SAVE, you have to be a “service user “; this means current, ex and potential users of drug treatment services in Sandwell.
For more information contact Sharron on 0121 612 5064
Tier 1 Training and Referral Awareness
‘Tier 1 workers’ are people who may have contact with drug users and may need to refer them to drug treatment, but have no specialist drugs knowledge/remit. They can be working in both statutory and/or voluntary sectors.
Currently, the DAAT provide the following Training:
For Tier 1 workers:
- Basic Drug Awareness
- Harm Reduction
- Tier 1 Training
For senior managers in Safer Sandwell Partnership organisations (e.g. Probation, Police, Adult Social Care etc.):
Treatment & Referral Awareness
For further information please contact:
Iqubal Birdi at Sandwell DAAT: 0121 612 5061
Iqubal.birdi@sandwell-pct.nhs.uk
