DDN_June_2024 DDN June 2024 | Page 4

NEWS ROUND-UP

Government announces major workforce expansion

More addiction psychiatry posts and new training curricula for drug and alcohol workers , children and young people ’ s workers , and peer support staff form part of the new ten-year workforce plan launched by OHID and NHS England . New training curricula for the currently unregulated roles will be available by March 2025 , with accredited training two years later . More regulated professionals in the sector will lead to high-quality clinical governance and supervision , the government states , with the addiction psychiatry training posts also available by March 2025 .

The national workforce plan – the first of its kind for the drug and alcohol sector – includes one-year , three-year and ten-year
milestones , and builds on the drug strategy ’ s workforce expansion of 800 more medical and mental health professionals , 950 drug and alcohol and criminal justice workers , and more commissioners in every local authority area by the end of 2024-25 . Almost 4,000 additional staff have already been recruited using drug strategy funding , the government adds .
The plan and a forthcoming capability framework will provide the foundation for ‘ better and more consistent training , career progression and longerterm workforce planning ’ the document states , with three overarching priorities of reform , recruit , and ‘ train , develop and retain ’. The plan aims to provide clarity on the roles required to deliver effective services and standardise and accredit training
for drug and alcohol staff , as well as increase the sector ’ s professional mix , attract and retain ‘ more medics , nurses , psychologists , social workers and pharmacists ’ and ‘ significantly improve ’ the quality and coverage of clinical supervision .
‘ I am delighted that the government has delivered on one of the key recommendations from my Independent review of drugs with a new ten-year plan to help rebuild the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce ,’ said Dame Carol Black . ‘ It is imperative that this vital , specialist part of the health workforce has the skills and capacity to help people who are dependent on drugs and alcohol make positive changes to their lives .’ WithYou ’ s head of policy , Robin Pollard , said that while the workforce plan
would help to recruit and retain the skilled staff needed to deliver the government ’ s drug strategy ambitions , this would not be possible without guaranteeing a ‘ sustained long-term investment package ’ for the strategy ’ s duration .
DHSC has also announced plans to allow more police , paramedics , nurses , probation workers and others to provide take-home naloxone without a prescription . The government will ‘ shortly ’ be updating legislation to expand the number of professions and services that can supply naloxone , it says .
Drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce programme at https :// www . hee . nhs . uk / our-work / mental-health / drug-alcohol-treatment-recoveryworkforce-programme-0
Gary Brown , wearetheloop . org

Loop resumes festival testing

DRUG-CHECKING CHARITY The Loop will resume its drug testing programmes at UK music festivals this year , following its successful application for a licence from the Home Office . Substances will be tested onsite at the events in the charity ’ s mobile lab , providing ‘ rapid information to help keep festival attendees safe ’.
The organisation will also be sharing information with agencies such as health services and police to help increase understanding of local drug markets , it says . The onsite services will provide ‘ back of house ’ testing , The Loop states , which means rapid analysis of drugs obtained from amnesty bins , confiscations and submissions from paramedics following drugrelated medical incidents . It is distinct from ‘ front of house ’ checking where members of the public can submit drugs they intend to use for testing , and which are then returned to them .
The licences have been issued ‘ under strict conditions ,’ the Home Office stated . ‘ Confiscated or surrendered drugs will be tested on site and public alerts will be cascaded to festival goers if extremely potent drugs are detected to protect the public as much as possible and help prevent drug-related harm . This will also provide an important source of data for the government ’ s early warning system in tracking the prevalence of emerging threats , such as synthetic opioids .’ More licences are expected to be issued in the coming weeks , it added .

Funding extended for Scottish rehab

FOURTEEN DRUG SUPPORT PROJECTS will share £ 3.6m worth of funding , the Scottish Government has announced . Four new residential rehabs will receive a share of £ 1m , with £ 2.6m in continuation funding going to ten existing projects . The money will help to upgrade properties , provide more post-treatment support , and develop a new women ’ s recovery house as part of the country ’ s National Mission on Drugs , the Scottish Government states . Scottish Conservative SMP Sue Webber told the Herald newspaper that while the announcement was a ‘ step in the right direction ’ it needed to be seen in the context of ‘ previous SNP cuts to rehab places and a real-terms reduction in drug and alcohol funding announced in the budget . Drug fatality rates in Scotland are by far the worst in Europe , and they shame us a nation . Similarly , alcohol-related deaths are at their highest since 2008 .’
4 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • JUNE 2024 WWW . DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS . COM