The following exercise is a tool to help you decide how well your current pathways to and between housing and care (treatment and aftercare) services are working at present in your local authority area, and whether and where you need to focus resources to improve them.
6. Do local drug treatment and aftercare agencies know which agencies to refer clients with housing needs to?
7. Do local housing agencies know how to refer service users to treatment or aftercare services?
8. Is there clear and easily available information for service users on how to access housing and treatment services (for instance posters, leaflets, free phonelines, websites)?
9. Is timely throughput to services monitored and ensured?
10. Can housing providers get help from specialist drugs workers or agencies when any problems arise due to tenants’ problematic drug use?
11. Do housing and treatment agencies work in partnership (for instance by using forums, training, job shadowing etc to improve understanding and appreciation of each others’ work)?
12. Is there an adequate local supply of accommodation and support for people who are aiming to remain abstinent – for instance which does not require them to live very closely alongside active drug users?
13. Is there an adequate local supply of accommodation and support for people who are stable and on prescribed substitutes?
14. Is there an adequate local supply of accommodation and support for people who are reducing their problematic drug use but not yet stable?
15. Is there an adequate local supply of accommodation for chaotic drug users?
16. Do you have at least one of example of joint commissioning of accommodation or related support for homeless drug users across sectors?
17. Have you explored the scope to increase access to the private rented sector for homeless drug users by talking directly to landlords, estate agents or colleagues procuring private rented properties for statutory homeless households?
18. Have you explored the scope for remodelling of existing hostels or supported housing for drug users?
19. Have you talked to the local housing department about the scope to have a specific allocation of independent social housing for drug users?
20. Have you talked to neighbouring authorities about the scope to jointly commission some housing or related support for drug users and/or to enter into reciprocal arrangements for drug users who need to relocate?
Count the number of ‘Yes’ answers you gave.
Over 15 – Excellent. Your authority has obviously developed the partnerships and services necessary to ensure that drug users are able to have access the housing and related support they need to support and sustain treatment outcomes. But don’t be complacent – make sure that you regularly review performance in this area and aim for continuous improvement.
8 - 15 – You are doing better than some authorities and have taken some valuable steps towards improved access to housing and support for drug users. However, you still have work to do in order to create more effective pathways.
0 - 7 – Oh dear! Your authority appears not to have invested sufficient time or resources to ensuring that accommodation and support is in place for drug users engaging in treatment services. It is highly likely that investment in treatment services is currently going to waste as a result. You need to undertake a thorough review of your performance in this area and put measures in place to remedy your weaknesses.