News & events
Back to Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) E-bulletinsDIP E-bulletin - June 2009
Welcome to the June 2009 edition of the monthly e-bulletin for the Drug Interventions Programme.
Pilots to assess use of Inspector’s Authority to tackle violent crime.
The Home Office is studying the use of Inspector’s Authority to drug test people arrested for violent crime.
The measure follows a letter to forces last month, co-signed by DIP and ACPO leads, to urge DIP intensive areas to use Inspector’s Authority as a tool to identify more drug misusing offenders. A police officer of at least Inspector rank can authorise the taking of a sample (from an individual arrested for a non-trigger offence) on the basis of having reasonable grounds to suspect that misuse of any specified class A drug caused or contributed to the offence. Inspector’s authority is used for around 14,000 of the drug tests conducted each year.
The drive for greater use of Inspector’s Authority is particularly focussed on violent offences and now six police forces have signed up to a three-month pilot project, which began on 1 June, in which they will record the specific violent offence where drug tests are conducted using Inspector’s Authority. The areas chosen are those with both higher numbers of drug tests conducted and higher levels of violent crime.
While this finer level of detail will not carry any extra burden for the police, it will give DIP’s central policy team at the Home Office a clearer picture of the link between specific violent offences and Class A drug use, which will inform any further consideration of the need to extend the current list of ‘trigger’ offences.
DIP Review Report published
A report of the DIP Review recently carried out to help central decision-making about the programme has been published online. The review found that DIP was working well in most areas and delivering significant benefits but there was room for improvement. Programme leads are now formulating an action plan to tackle some of the issues raised in the review.
The review was set up earlier this year to examine the strength and weaknesses of DIP’s current delivery model in achieving its aim of driving down drug-related offending and to review alternative models which can maximise local ownership and sustain and improve outcomes. It was initiated by Sally Richards, Programme Director, as part of a long-standing commitment to mainstream DIP funding by the end of the CSR period.
An independent facilitator, with expertise and knowledge of the delivery landscape, co-ordinated the work and he was supported by specialists from within the Home Office’s Offender-based Interventions Unit, of which DIP forms part.
DIP geographic overview at a glance
The DIP Geographic Spread Document is a spreadsheet showing which DIP interventions are operational in individual DATs and police areas around England and Wales. The document is published annually and the 2009/10 edition is now available online.
New aftercare publications
The central policy team for DIP Aftercare issues have just produced two new publications for stakeholders.
‘A guide to improving practice in housing for drug users’ is a 16 page booklet that offers fresh insight into the planning, development and delivery of housing and related support services for drug users and introduces new routes to joined-up working that will help improve practice.
‘Around Arrest, Beyond Release 2’ is a 40 page, A4 report exploring a range of issues around rehabilitation and resettlement of DIP clients.
Both publications were produced for use at the DIP/PPO Conference in Birmingham this month and they are now available to download via the DIP communications materials.
Tackling Drugs Awards
The fourth annual national Tackling Drugs Changing Lives Awards - designed to recognise, reward and celebrate the work being done by drug teams and workers across the country - have been launched by Home Office Minister Alan Campbell.
Award for DAT drugs website
A website set up last year by North Tyneside DAT has scooped an innovation award in the North East.
The hiwecanhelp.com (new window) website was developed by Roweena Russell, Harm Reduction Strategy Manager for the North Tyneside Drug Action Team. The site took second prize in the Innovative Service Delivery Category of the NHS Innovation North annual awards.
It was created to add a new dimension to both harm reduction and drug treatment by meeting a need for an effective online support community for drug misusers and their families and for drug professionals.
The website is a problem-solving resource that creates an online community for drug issues. What you see when you log on to the page is only some of what hi offers. There is a wealth of problem solving tools on the site for hi members.
It has a dual role as it is a site where people affected by drug abuse can find help and information, but it also assists front line staff to share resources and best practice.
NHS Innovations North is the innovation and intellectual property management service available to all NHS trusts in the North East of England. It acts as a broker between industry, academia and the health service to bring NHS employees’ bright ideas to life, turning them into products and services that improve healthcare and generate revenue for both the NHS and its industrial partners.
Meng Khaw, director of public health for North Tyneside Primary Care Trust said, ‘The impact of drug misuse is felt not just by drug users, but also by their families and the communities they live in.
‘Reducing the harm caused by drug abuse requires partnership working between the local NHS, the local authority and the police. This website is a great example of partnership working and North Tyneside PCT is delighted to be a part of this success.’
Drug Action Teams can purchase a licence to have full access to all that hiwecanhelp.com (new window) has to offer. Contact barbara.marriner@nhsinnovationsnorth.org.uk or roweena.russell@northtyneside.gov.uk for more information.
Link to latest Key Messages
The June/July edition of Key Messages for DIP is now online.
This can be a useful resource when preparing community presentations, news releases, reports, briefings and other publications about DIP and it is reviewed and updated every two months. The document is still under review and is expected to become more concise and more public-facing over the summer, to help local areas communicate with local neighbourhoods about the impact of the programme.
