The South Tyneside Drug Action Team (DAT) was formed in 1998 in response to the UK's 10-year drug strategy. The DAT is a multi-agency partnership that oversees drug treatment and prevention efforts. Recent changes include a new drug strategy focusing on reducing supply and harm, as well as treatment and social reintegration. The DAT also reconfigured local treatment services. Key challenges for the DAT include increasing shared care with GPs, improving treatment for stimulant users, and ensuring needs are met with reduced budgets that focus only on opiate users.

1. South TynesideSouth Tyneside
Drug Action TeamDrug Action Team
ImprovementsImprovements
AndAnd
ReformReform

2. ContextContext
• An estimated 3.764 million people in the UK use at least one
illicit drug each year (British crime survey) and around one
million people use at least one of the most dangerous drugs
such as heroin and crack
• For most people this will be a passing phase and they will not
continue to take drugs or require any special treatment. A
minority of approximately 330,000 in the UK will, however,
develop serious drug problems, typically involving heroin
and/or cocaine. This is the group targeted by government
• In South Tyneside, there are approx 400 heroin and crack users
who are receiving treatment, and approx a further 250 users of
other drugs such as amphetamines and cannabis who are also
receiving treatment. Recent surveys estimate that there may be
a further 250 drug misusers who are not in treatment

3. South Tyneside DATSouth Tyneside DAT
• Formed in 1998 as a response to the 10-year strategy “TacklingFormed in 1998 as a response to the 10-year strategy “Tackling
drugs to build a better Britian”drugs to build a better Britian”
• One of 149 DAT’s in the UK and is a multi-agency partnershipOne of 149 DAT’s in the UK and is a multi-agency partnership
of key statutory and voluntary agencies at a senior levelof key statutory and voluntary agencies at a senior level
• The 10-year strategy focused on 4 themes:The 10-year strategy focused on 4 themes:
• Availability and reducing supplyAvailability and reducing supply
• Young peopleYoung people
• CommunitiesCommunities
• Adult treatmentAdult treatment
• The strategy was concerned with ensuring that drug users
were engaged in effective treatment and key targets around
numbers in treatment were heavily monitored
• Nationally, the strategy met its target early in 2007, to get 100%
more users into treatment
• Locally, the numbers in treatment have risen to approx 650

4. Recent Changes 1: New Drug StrategyRecent Changes 1: New Drug Strategy
• A new 10-year strategy was launched recently, called “Drugs:
strengthening families and communities”
• There are four strands, developing and improving on the
previous legislation:
• Protecting communities through tackling drug supply,Protecting communities through tackling drug supply,
drug-related crime and anti-social behaviourdrug-related crime and anti-social behaviour
• Preventing harm to children, young people and familiesPreventing harm to children, young people and families
affected by drug misuseaffected by drug misuse
• Delivering new approaches to drug treatment and socialDelivering new approaches to drug treatment and social
re-integrationre-integration
• Public information campaigns, communications andPublic information campaigns, communications and
community engagementcommunity engagement
• There is also a change in the way that DATs and drug services
are funded, which will have a significant impact on South
Tyneside’s services

5. Recent changes 2: Local improvementsRecent changes 2: Local improvements
• As a result of local Needs Assessment, (including independent
and user-led research) and performance monitoring of
commissioned services, we concluded that the current
configuration of treatment services was not as effective as
required
• We have therefore, in collaboration with partner agencies,
tendered for an integrated Prescribing and Treatment Service
which will significantly alter the landscape and improve the
effectiveness of service delivery
• A key issue arising from the new strategy and changes in
funding is that there will be a concentration on Problematic
Drug Users (PDU), ie: those using opiates such as heroin and
crack –funding numbers in treatment of this group largely to
the exclusion of other drug users

6. ChallengesChallenges for 2008/9for 2008/9
The DAT has identified a number of areas of “reform” and
development for 2008/9,and the following 2 years as a result of
a 30% budget reduction between 2008-20011.
• Shared care –– increasing the number of GP’s involved in
supporting and treating drug users in the community
• Stimulants – having robust pathways into effective treatment for
stimulant users
• Harm reduction – ensuring effective preventative services linked to
primary and general health services which may also attract new
users into treatment
• Infrastructure – improving the way the DAT partnership works and
commissions services jointly on behalf of partners
• Ensure financial fidelity in the face of reduced budget and risks to
DAT team staff funding/contracts, and identifying opportunities for
cost-efficiencies
• Establish the new prescribing and treatment service and ensure it
functions effectively within the local treatment system

7. • The effect of this is that DAT’s will be less able to commission
services to ALL drug users, and it is therefore expected by
government that the other statutory partner agencies will
ensure non-PDUsers receive appropriate services – usually
jointly commissioned by DAT’s on the statutory partners’
behalf
• In addition, the funding is not able to be used for alcohol
services – although locally, the DAT will commission such
services on behalf of the PCT, and would prefer to do so on
behalf of other statutory partner agencies as in most other
areas
• The result will be to increase the need to improve “Partnership
Commissioning” via the DAT to ensure that the needs of all
substance misusers are met, and the impact of substance
misuse in terms of anti-social behaviour; crime; and social
inclusion issues are addressed
ChallengesChallenges for 2008/9 (cont.)for 2008/9 (cont.)