Local Action Plan

Accommodation
Increasing the opportunities for substance misusers to access appropriate types of accommodation with appropriate levels of support.

• Making sure adequate housing is available to help in the rehabilitation of drug and alcohol users
• Identifying gaps in service provision and developing appropriate action plans
• Making sure drug and alcohol users' housing needs are recognised and addressed in related housing strategies, such as the 'Supporting People Agenda'.

Availability
Stifling the availability of class 'A' drugs on our streets.

• Co-ordinating all local efforts to disrupt local drug markets
• Increasing the percentage of drugs seized, particularly heroin and cocaine
• Increasing the amount of assets identified and seized from drug dealers.

Communities
Protecting communities from drug-related anti-social behaviour.

• Working closely with communities to increase their knowledge of drug and alcohol related issues
• Working closely with communities to identify their concerns/local issues relating to drug and alcohol use and help to find solutions
• Feeding community concerns into the Drug and Alcohol Action Team structure.

Treatment
Helping people with drug and alcohol problems to overcome them and live healthy, crime-free lives.

• Making sure a range of treatment options are made available to drug and alcohol users locally
• Increasing the amount of problem drug users taking part in treatment programmes that have a positive impact on health and crime
• Sticking to national waiting times for admission into treatment programmes
• Making sure all treatment programmes accord with nationally accepted quality standards
• Reduce the number of drug-related deaths
• Reducing numbers in treatment who report injecting and the numbers of those injecting who report sharing injecting equipment
• Ensuring that relevant programmes are delivered throughout the criminal justice system i.e. from the point of arrest to release from prison back into the community.

Young People
Helping young people resist drug and alcohol misuse in order to achieve their full potential in society.

• Making sure all drug and alcohol education in schools is provided in line with DfEE guidance
• Making sure all young people identified as being vulnerable to developing drug and/or alcohol problems get appropriate education, advice, information and support both in and out of school settings
• Making sure all young people identified as being in need/having problems with substance misuse are referred to appropriate treatment/support programmes and get an appropriate care package with support for parents/carers.

Joint Commissioning
Making sure resources are used to commission the best range of evidence-based treatment and social care programmes.

• Providing a forum for commissioners from all relevant agencies to work together
• Adopting a whole-system approach that incorporates the social inclusion needs of an individual
• Commmissioning services strategically and systematically and ensuring appropriate service level agreements are in place
• Ensuring there is a robust outcome monitoring framework to inform progress
• Ensuring adequate data collection systems are in place.

Training
Creating  a knowledgeable community and skilled workforce.

• Developing a training strategy to incorporate the needs of the community and service providers, ensuring an awareness of drug and alcohol related issues
• Ensuring local staff are trained to meet national vocational standards.

For further information about the Stoke-on-Trent Drug and Alcohol Action Team, please contact us.