|
Blackpool Drug Intervention Programme (DIP)
A wide range of people and services currently provide care for substance misusers who are involved in some way with the criminal justice system. All too frequently, lack of co-ordination between these services leads to inconsistency of care, inefficient working practices and failure to effectively engage and retain offenders in treatment. This is particularly true of offenders who are released from prison without adequate aftercare arrangements.
The Drug Interventions Programme is part of the National Drug Strategy 1998-2008.The aim of DIP is to reduce drug related crime by maximising the numbers of people entering and remaining in treatment for their drug use. The Blackpool DIP will ensure that, at the time of arrest, appearance at court, sentencing, or on leaving any treatment programme, systems and services will be in place to make access to treatment easy for the substance misuser .
In line with the National Treatment Agency Models of Care framework, this approach adopts the principle of identifying an integrated care pathway that clearly maps the course of treatment for a drug misuser who is assessed and referred within the criminal justice system. The two initiatives are closely similar in approach and cover between them the treatment of adult substance users both in community treatment and the criminal justice system settings.
The DIP team in Blackpool is part of this system and includes:
- The Arrest Referral Services operating in the custody suite at the central police station
- Restrictions on Bail (ROB) court coordinator who is based largely within the magistrates courts
- A range of Throughcare and Aftercare services providing comprehensive aftercare from the point at which clients engage with services
- The Community Prescribing Services
- Probation staff providing Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRR’s) as an option to a custodial sentence
- The Tower Project, providing intensive support for repeat offenders and closely linked to the Prolific and Priority Offenders Scheme (PPO) targeting the most prolific offenders in our communities, including those with substance misuse problems
Further information about these initiatives can be found on the Home Office DIP web site.
How we perform against our national and local targets
Local Contact:
Steve Owen
DIP Case Manager
(01253) 651246
steve.owen@blackpoolpct.nhs.uk
|
