Overview
This Conference will provide updates and insights on From Harm to Hope, the Government’s joint-departmental 10-year strategy for tackling drug related crime and reducing related deaths. With £3 billion set to be spent in the next three years on various aspects of the new strategy, following recommendations from the two-part independent review by Professor Dame Carol Black, there has never been a more important time for agencies involved in prevention and treatment services to join together with wider stakeholders, including across the criminal justice system and local authorities, and explore how to implement effective approaches that utilise available funding.
The Strategy and related spending includes investing an additional £780 million to rebuild drug treatment and recovery services, and an aim to reduce overall drug use towards a historic 30-year low. Three core priorities outlined in the document are:
- Break drug supply chains
- Deliver a world-class treatment and recovery system
- Achieve a shift in the demand for recreational drugs
The Conference will also explore how wider substance misuse may differ from as well as appear alongside drug misuse, and the nuances of different people involved in this cycle, with a view to help attendees create a person-centred approach to strategy implementation, regardless of their area of focus.
Through a series of updates from policymakers, discussions with experts and peers, and the chance to reflect and plan through dedicated networking breaks, this Conference provides a timely opportunity to learn, examine, and strategise to effectively tackle substance misuse.
Key Speakers
Other Speakers
Agenda
This session will give a deeper insight into spending plans for implementing the £3 billon strategy, broken down to £900 million per Spending Review period, for tackling drug issues.
Updates will be provided on progress of the core priorities since the strategy launch in December 2021, including:
- Breaking drug supply chains
- Delivering a world-class treatment and recovery system
- Achieving a shift in the demand for recreational drugs
Advice will be given on how key stakeholders can support each other’s efforts in delivering activities related to these priorities, to ensure a holistic approach that works for the whole of society.
This session will include time for questions.
- Outlining the key features of the £64 million Changing Futures programme, and specifically how the initiative adopts a local approach through 15 local, public and community partnerships
- Highlighting how the government is partnering with the National Lottery Community Fund to deliver community-based projects that support the programme’s aims
- Understanding how the programme is successfully involving people with lived experience of multiple disadvantage in the design, delivery and evaluation of services, including working to reduce the demand for drugs
- Sharing successes of the programme through its first year of implementation, and priorities up until March 2024, including transforming local services to provide a person-centred approach
This session will include time for questions.
This session will share insights into the work of the APPG in liaising with UK-based and international colleagues on informing better approaches to drug policies, and how the Group’s work has fed into the Government’s 10 year strategy.
Discussing how the focus of the group has adapted to the changing landscape of drugs policy, Crispin will explore how key partners and wider society can work to help a shift in demand for drug misuse, and, based on interactions with experts, what is needed for a truly world-class recovery system.
This session will include time for questions.
This session will provide an overview on NHS England & NHS Improvement’s role in supporting continuity of care for substance misuse treatment and recovery for individuals in the Criminal Justice System.
Key discussion points will include:
- Commissioning of health services with a core focus on treatment and recovery, and continuity of care back into the community
- Building on the treatment and recovery capital made whilst people are in prison, and supporting the challenges across the diverse nature of the prison population
- Providing an overview of the RECONNECT Service and its core aims to increase access and uptake of healthcare and reduce health inequalities for those leaving prison
This session will include time for questions.
This session will provide an update on the work of the London Mayor’s Office in tackling drug crime and how ongoing efforts relate to the updated government strategy.
Key themes explored will include:
- Insights into how tackling drug crime and related deaths has become part of the Police and Crime Plan for London 2022-25, and what other local areas can learn from this
- Analysis of County Lines complexities, and how exploitation is being tackled as part of related crime-tackling efforts
- How the Mayor’s Office is supporting the work of local police teams to address community-specific issues, while taking a London-wide approach to the problem of drug crime, including to encourage a shift in demand
This session will include time for questions.
Following a brief introduction, panellists will explore the key discussion points below. Delegates will be invited to raise questions and comments throughout for the panel to respond to.
- Understanding the differences between drug and alcohol dependency, and how services may need to address prevention and treatment services separately as well as appreciating the parallels and intersections of misuse
- Exploring the wider vulnerabilities that often relate to substance misuse, and how holistic support for these can be better embedded into recovery and treatment services to end a cycle of misuse
- Highlighting the importance of including lived experience insights into programmes around substance misuse, and sharing best practice approaches of a person-centred approach
In this session you will gain a detailed understanding of the five key elements that make up a CQC inspection, and explore best practice examples of these areas, including how quality service providers have demonstrated:
- Safety and functional safeguarding systems
- Effectiveness in assessments, care and treatment
- Care, compassion and inclusivity
- Responsive, personalised and timely care
- Strong leadership and management for sustainable care
This session will include time for questions.
Following a brief introduction, panellists will explore the key discussion points below. Delegates will be invited to raise questions and comments throughout for the panel to respond to.
- Sharing insights from the roles of different agencies in delivering Project ADDER, and perceived success so far
- Understanding how different elements of the Project relate to reducing drug-related deaths, offending and prevalence of drugs, and how community partners work together across these aims
- Highlighting how the Project boosts treatment capacity and recovery support with holistic partnerships between housing, justice and healthcare sector partners
- Discussing how the funding and Project initiatives relate to other ongoing local work to, for example, support young people at risk and tackle anti-social behaviour, and considerations for how other local partnerships may incorporate learning into their community programmes
This session will provide an opportunity to hear from Professor Dame Carol Black about her thoughts on the government’s drug strategy, following her two-part independent review which put forward recommendations and key next steps for government.
The conversation will explore progress made so far since Dame Carol Black’s reviews, and advise on how all partner agencies can effectively work on prevention and treatment approaches in the short and long-term to ensure the key aims and priorities of the strategy are implemented.
The Conference chair will engage in a Q&A with Dame Carol, and take questions from attendees throughout.
Following a brief introduction, panellists will explore the key discussion points below. Delegates will be invited to raise questions and comments throughout for the panel to respond to.
- Exploring the success of decriminalisation approaches in countries around the world, as well as the ongoing negative debates around these
- Discussing what a human rights-based approach to drugs policy could look like in the UK
- Understanding ‘what works’ to reduce demand for drugs in different policy and country contexts
- Learning from countries where policymakers have ensured involvement from local NGOs and grassroots organisations to bring positive change to drug use of policy
*Programme subject to change
