Inspecting the field - Harm Reduction and Commissioning Systems
Scoring local areas from "weak" to "excellent" the review gives us some interesting information about the maturity of our commissioning systems and the effectiveness of harm reduction implementation and planning, but does the inspection report raise more questions than it answers?
Read More...Whatever Happened to Harm Reduction?
The Department of Health Reducing Drug Related Harm Action Plan is coming up to its first birthday in a couple of weeks.
How much have we achieved since its publication and what can that tell us about the state of harm reduction in the UK?
The Great Debate?
I've just taken part in the Drugscope and Conference Consortium Great Debate looking at the issues around the resurgence of the abstinence vs maintenance arguments.
You can download Mike Ashton's article, 'The new abstentionists', here.
A number of people have asked for a copy of my speech, so I’m blogging it for them and anyone else who's interested.
Comments below or email me using the "get in touch link" on the main page.
Strategic Directions
Read More...New Drug Strategy Guide - Hot Off The Press
Produced by the LDPF and supported by the RSA, this update to the blue guide published last year provides some ideas about integration of your local drug strategy in the broader LAA agenda, and looks at the implications of the new strategy for local partnerships.
Read More...Something old, something new ...
Its a mixed bag with some great new focus on reintegration and mainstreaming, but also a worrying lack of detail about harm reduction, drug related deaths and blood born viruses. More than a touch of the manse maybe in the emphasis on drug free communities ....?
Read More...Ever Decreasing Pools
But why has the allocations system changed, what information are they using to work out what different areas get and what's it going to mean for services, service users and communities?
How Was It For You - A Drug Policy Review of the Year (Part Two)
How Was It For You? - A Drug Policy Review of the Year (Part 1)
(Thanks to The Daily Dose and Drink and Drugs News for their impeccably kept online archives - without them I would have had to make it all up ... then again, you couldn't really could you?)
Read More...
Drugs Forgotten in New Government Agreement
Work Works
Some pretty creative work around drug - and particularly - alcohol use has been funded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (NRF) up and down the country over the past few years. Projects looking at regeneration, workskills - and in some of the most creative partnerships - essentially the elements of treatment we know should be in place but which simply weren't fundable through the pooled treatment budget - like workplace mentoring and advocacy schemes.
But in 2008, NRF ends. I know a lot of projects I've been talking to are worried that their funding won't be replaced by mainstream monies or by drug specific spend. There's a feeling too that no one is really putting pressure on local partnerships engaged in regeneration to think about drugs after NRF.
Well the Government has announced its replacement for NRF. Its called The Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) and its going to be available to local partnerships (that is Local Strategic Partnerships*) in the most deprived areas to support initiatives that increase enterprise and get more people back into work. There's £1.5 billion going to 86 areas across England. The areas getting WNF were announced on the 6th December. Read More...
APACs up your troubles in your old kit bag ....
8 Home Office Reports Partially Digested
Same Old Anorak - Local Government Indicators 2
To remind you, these are the indicators that will sit at the heart of the LAA, the CAA and the SCS (That's the Local Area Agreement, The Sustainable Communities Strategy and the Comprehensive Area Assessment - the divine troika of local partnership planning, measurement and delivery). Read More...
More than your job's worth? - Local Government Indicators 1
Read More...