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Drugs service
Drugs & Alcohol Problems: Don’t Know Where To Turn?
If you or someone you care about uses drugs or alcohol, but doesn't regard it as a problem, why not talk to someone anyway? The better informed you are, the less likely problems will occur.
Drug Intervention Programme
Effective treatment can reduce crime amongst drug users and is a key aim of the local Drug Intervention Programme (DIP) set up in 2004.
As part of the DIP, anyone in Wirral who is arrested and tests positive for drugs will be invited to take part in the programme, rather than being sent to prison.
Treatments include methadone prescribing, counselling, alternative therapies, group work. The offenders are also required to enter other programmes and activities to reduce their offending. There is plenty of evidence to show that this approach works. Reducing supply of illegal drugs in Wirral is another key aim for the DAAT.
DIP/Criminal Justice Interventions:
Drug Testing
The Police at Wirral Custody Suite test offenders for heroin and cocaine. If they test positive, the offender will be required to see an Arrest Referral worker.
Arrest Referral
The oldest part of the DIP and is now accepted as routine within the local Criminal Justice System. Employed by ARCH Initiatives, workers will give advice, information and support to people detained in the Custody Suite.
Restrictions On Bail
The Court will be made aware of a positive drug test result and will be expected not to grant bail to an offender, unless they are willing to be assessed by the drug service and enter a treatment programme. Appointments with the treatment agency will be conditions of bail. (If the court feels there are other reasons that an offender should be remanded in custody, they may still be refused bail.)
Bail Support
Bail Support allows Police to bail prisoners into treatment. The quicker a problematic drug user can access drug services the higher the chances are that they will remain in treatment.
DRR
Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRR) is supervised by the National Probation Service Merseyside. The DRR team is co-located within ARCH Initiatives. Offenders on the scheme are drug tested regularly and receive treatment and other support to address their offending behaviour.
Pier Project
The Pier Project is a multi agency team consisting of Police, Probation and ARCH Initiatives. The team work with offenders who are part of the Prolific and Priority Offenders Scheme giving the offenders support and access to treatment.
CARAT
The Counsel, Advise, Refer, Assess and Through-care Team within the Prison Service works closely with ARCH Initiatives and is supplemented by a Probation Officer. It engages with those offenders who usually attract short prison sentences.