Local News
News
DDN ONLINE All the news and views www . drinkanddrugsnews . com
New DWP scheme for people with experience of dependency
A new peer mentoring programme that will place people with experience of drug or alcohol dependency in Jobcentres to help others get back into work has been launched by the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ). The £ 3.7m scheme will be trialled in 40 Jobcentres across England , says DWP .
The mentors will be contracted by the department following recommendations from partner organisations . They will then ‘ draw on their lived experience of drug or alcohol dependency to support people in the same position ’, the government states . The aim is that people will feel comfortable in disclosing dependency issues ‘ without fear of reprisal ’ and be signposted to appropriate support , as well as equipped with skills to access training , volunteering or employment .
The programme is open for referrals to Jobcentres in locations
PEOPLE AGED OVER 18 and living in England can order free confidential home tests for hepatitis C via the NHS – the selfsample testing process involves taking a few drops of blood from the finger .
According to the most recent UKHSA report on hepatitis C , around 81,000 people in England are
‘ Our new peer mentors are proof that work can be a crucial part of someone ’ s journey out of substance dependency .’
MIMS DAVIES
including Hull , Liverpool and Portsmouth , as well as the London boroughs of Camden , Croydon , Hackney , Islington , Lambeth , Newham , Tower Hamlets and Westminster . DWP will also be expanding its individual Placement and Support programme for drug and alcohol dependency to all local authority areas in England by 2025 , it says . ‘ Our new peer mentors are proof that work can be a crucial part of someone ’ s journey out of substance dependency ,
Free hep C tests on NHS
‘ If you are concerned about hepatitis C , it ’ s never been easier to find out if you have it .’
RACHEL HALFORD
currently living with a chronic HCV infection , down from almost 130,000 in 2015 . More than 60 per cent of these are people with a past drug injecting history , while 27 per cent are ‘ current or recent PWID ’. As injecting drug use is the main driver of HCV transmission , it was concerning that ‘ a significant proportion of PWID remain unaware of their HCV infections ’, the report added .
‘ If you are concerned about hepatitis C , it ’ s never been easier to find out if you have it ,’ said Hepatitis C Trust CEO Rachel Halford . ‘ Free , at-home testing kits will give anyone who is worried about hepatitis C the ability to find out their status quickly and confidentially .’
Tests available at https :// hepctest . nhs . uk / transforming their life ,’ said social mobility minister Mims Davies . ‘ Their lived experience will help them provide expert one-to-one advice and support from DWP in our Jobcentres , helping people recovering from addiction move into work . This new form of support will not only give people in recovery the tailored help they need to get on in life and prosper , but it will also help grow our economy by getting more people back into the workforce .’
Crackdown on youth vaping
THE GOVERNMENT IS SET TO CLOSE A ‘ LOOPHOLE ’ that allows shops to give free vape samples to young people , it has announced . It has also launched a review into banning the sale of ‘ nicotine-free ’ vapes to people under 18 .
While selling vapes to under-18s is already illegal , the government intends make it easier for trading standards officers to issue on-the-spot fines to retailers selling the products to children illegally . The risks of vaping will also be included in Relationships , Sex and Health Education ( RHSE ) lessons , the government said , while OHID is also developing a vaping resource pack for schools .
‘ Whilst vaping can be an effective quitting tool for smokers , it is important that non-smokers are not encouraged to start vaping ,’ said chief medical officer Chris Whitty .
Local News
MEMORY LANE Clouds House is celebrating its 40th year with a free reunion event on 10 June . The day will include speakers , live music and more . Full details at www . eventbrite . co . uk / e / clouds- house-reunion-2023- tickets-549071185697
SHEFFIELD SUPPORT Humankind has been awarded a new contract to deliver drug and alcohol support in Sheffield from August , in partnership with Project 6 . ‘ We ’ ll be working closely with commissioners and other partners across the city , as well as listening to the people we will be supporting to continually develop and improve the service ,’ said Humankind ’ s executive director of operations Ted Haughey .
CITY CONNECTIONS International delegates gathered in Middlesbrough last month for a Recovery Connections event exploring the potential of recovery cities . While the true value of recovery was ‘ grounded in a community of lived experience ’, said Recovery Connections CEO Dot Smith , ‘ we need policy makers , business leaders , health professionals , the education sector and the wider public to play a role too ’. www . recoveryconnections . org . uk
Roger Harris Photography
WWW . DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS . COM JUNE 2023 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • 5