Drug Interventions Programme

Drug testing guidance

Guidance for Partnership Areas Applying For Intensive Drug Interventions Programme Status on a Self-Funded Basis - the opportunity is now available for partnership areas across England and Wales to apply for DIP intensive status on a self-funded basis. This guidance sets out how those ambitions might be met in a way that helps local areas but also ensures that we provide with you a consistent approach to drug testing and the other services that are important to drug-misusing offenders.

Guidance for the Implementation of the DIP provisions of the Drugs Act 2005 - this document provides operational process guidance on the implementation on Testing on Arrest, Required Assessment (RA) and Restriction on Bail (RoB) provisions. This guidance updates and replaces guidance published in August 2007. The revised guidance came into effect on 10th September 2008 and is for use by all areas implementing Testing on Arrest and Required Assessment (Initial and Follow-up).

List of police force areas, BCUs and custody suites eligible for adult drug testing 

 DIP Operational Process FAQs - this document contains the FAQs relating to Testing on Arrest, Required Assessment (initial and follow-up assessment), Restrictions on Bail and changes to the Trigger Offences caused by the Fraud Act 2006. The document will continue to be updated as and when additional questions are sent in to us.

Lessons Learnt - Tough Choices project and presentations

Guidance for Non Intensive DIP areas - this guidance will also be relevant to Wave 2 areas (i.e. those implementing testing on arrest and required assessment from 31st March 2006) in relation to required assessment between 1st December 2005 and 31st March 2006. This has been updated as of March 2007 and is the final version. 

Changes to Drug Testing

Effective from 10 September, from changes to the process of sending medication samples for confirmatory testing: where an offender has accepted the positive drug test results as a reflection of their heroin use, and also declared taking medication, samples do not need to be sent for confirmatory analysis.

Memo to the Police and DIP GO Strategic Leads about the change in process.

Changes have been made on the process guidance to reflect this change.

Revised guidance has been published. September 08 version of the Operational Process Guidance on implementing Testing on Arrest, Required Assessment and Restrictions on Bail has been released.

• Forms to download

As of 10 September 2008, changes have been made to the DT1 form sections 4 and 5 relating to processes to follow for returning samples for confirmatory analysis where a positive test result is not disputed and medication is declared; and section 6 relating to Required Assessment.

DT1 arrest or charge - this is the form completed when performing a drug test either at arrest or charge by areas that are authorised to test on arrest/and or on charge

• DT1 on charge - form for completion when performing a drug test after an offender has been charged in areas that are authorised to conduct DIP drug testing on charge only
• DT2 - for completion with the results of the drugs test