This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Funding for drugs projects
19/10/2006
Five ground-breaking drug treatment projects across the country are to receive a share of £1.7 million to test out new approaches towards helping more people lead drug-free lives.
The funding is part of the record resources which the Executive is investing in tackling drugs across Scotland - £66.7 million in 2005-6.
Up to 120 women leaving Cornton Vale each year will benefit from £450,000 in funding to Dundee City Council to provide intensive community support in Tayside to tackle their drug problems and related offending, and reduce the likelihood of them ending up back behind bars.
The four remaining projects will extend the range of treatment options available in different parts of the country, 'test bedding' a range of new approaches towards getting more people off drugs and helping them get lives back on track. This includes:
- £800,000 for an intensive community-based abstinence pilot in Edinburgh and the Lothians, the first project of its kind to be run solely by the NHS in the UK
- £256,000 for a detoxification and extensive support project in Forth Valley, offering a structured package of health care, social support and employment and training assistance
- £130,000 for an abstinence-based project for rural drug misusers in Dumfries and Galloway, offering specialist NHS treatment and follow-up support from the voluntary sector, for those who otherwise might find it difficult to access help
- £62,000 for 'SMART Recovery' therapy for prisoners being released from HMP Inverness. For the first time, this will enable this mutual support programme to be provided via distance support using an innovative secure computer system, text messaging or a hand-held device enabling former prisoners to receive continued help in the community
Deputy Justice Minister Hugh Henry said:
"Drug addiction is a problem not just for the individuals involved but their family and friends, and the wider community which suffers the impact of drug-related crime.
"That's why as part of our wide-ranging drugs strategy we have increased the funding available to get more people into treatment and why we are continuing to seek out and support new, innovative projects and services to encourage them to lead drug-free lives.
"The projects to benefit from today's funding offer a range of approaches - abstinence support, help with detoxification, and help for offenders leaving prison to minimise the risk of further drug related offending. A broad mix of approaches to deliver the right support at the right time for those who are determined to turn their lives around, and which if successful could be rolled-out to other parts of the country.
"Today's announcement will also help us to tackle one of root causes of offending behaviour - drug addiction - so that we can continue to build on the figures from last month which showed that crime in Scotland is falling, and make Scotland a safer place to live and work."
Bailie Helen Wright, Convenor of Dundee City Council's Social Work Committee and Tayside Community Justice Authority welcomed the announcement.
"The numbers of women going to prison continues to rise and more and more of them have drug problems. I welcome this opportunity to expand the work that Angus, Dundee City and Perth and Kinross are undertaking with this group of offenders which will require close liaison with the Scottish Prison Service.
"This is a new way of working that will bring together a range of resources to support women in facing a problem that threatens their future, their families and the wider community."
On October 27 2004, the Justice Minister announced that the Executive would increase its funding for drug treatment and rehabilitation by £6 million a year in 2005-6 and 2006-7 to enable more people to enter treatment.
Drugs Action Teams were allocated £4 million a year from this to establish or develop existing services aimed at increasing the numbers entering treatment, expanding the range of drug interventions and reducing waiting times.
The remaining £2 million a year was earmarked for criminal justice interventions. For various reasons, it was not possible to allocate that funding during 2005-06 and therefore for one year only, it is being allocated towards the five projects outlined above.
The five projects announced today will benefit from funding totalling £1.7 million. Ministers are considering the best use of the remaining £0.3 million.
The Cornton Vale project will provide intensive support for up to 120 women leaving the prison each year, to help them avoid becoming involved in drug misuse/alcohol abuse, further offending and returning to custody. It will also help female ex-prisoners make and sustain connections with existing services such as throughcare addiction support, accommodation, money advice, child care and further education/employment.
The Lothian pilot will support 80 patients in its first year, and is the first NHS community-based abstinence pilot in the UK. Individuals taking part would be assessed by a doctor or nurse and admitted to a 12 week programme during which they would be housed in supported accommodation to protect them from a disruptive environment. They would also have access to a wide range of other support including, psychiatric help, training, education and employment, and exercise/recreational activities to support the move towards a healthy, productive life.
The Forth Valley project - FV-TOX - aims to provide a structured, package of care to minimise withdrawal symptoms in people dependent on opiates who seek to become drug-free. The funding will provide 100 additional detoxification programme places in the area and will aim to prepare/support clients for detoxification, encourage lifestyle and behaviour change, improve the health and well-being of the client, improve positive interaction between clients and their non-drug using friends and family members, and support access to employment and training services.
The Dumfries and Galloway project will be focused on the Nithsdale area and will run for 24 months. Participants will be given a key worker from the NHS specialist treatment service who will prepare them for detox/abstinence. Following that a support worker from the voluntary sector will provide additional help for up to six months.
Inverness Prison has been using the SMART Recovery Inside Out Programme for around four years. It offers face-to-face and online mutual help groups for people wanting to deal with addiction problems. It is an alternative to Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Experience has shown that prisoners attending this programme also wish to continue with this support upon release. This pilot would link prisoners up via an innovative secure computer system called Distance Therapy, text messaging and/or a hand-held device to enable them to access SMART Recovery on a continued support basis in the community.