most effective interventions. Any
treatment strategy has to maintain the
‘menu of services’ approach that was
established in the 1990s, but needs to
give more support to services and
mutual aid groups that help people
move towards recovery.
The best lever the government
possesses to ensure its treatment policy
is pursued around the country is to set
strong indicators of successful
outcomes – the opportunity to do this
through the payment by results pilots
was squandered by overcomplicating
the metrics. The next government
should set these clear expectations, and
ensure commissioners and providers are
judged by them.
Alex Boyt, service user involvement
coordinator, VoiceAbility, Camden
I sit on the drugs, alcohol and justice
parliamentary group, which invited all
the parties to come and tell us about
their stance on drugs. Pretty much
nobody turned up. Politicians see drug
policy as a lose/lose debate – if they
Mike Trace, chief executive, RAPt
The first thing an incoming government
should do is take drug and alcohol
treatment seriously. While the period of
top-level political attention and
increased investment is over, it is still
the case that effective drug and alcohol
treatment makes a significant
contribution to crime reduction, public
health and social inclusion of the most
marginalised groups. Treatment policy
has been drifting – with no clear
direction, and the beginnings of
disinvestment – and needs to have a
renewed focus.
This does not mean going back to ring-
fenced budgets, or central control, but
there has to be some more strategic
planning to ensure that the reduced
funds available are directed towards the
6 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| May 2015
‘The first thing an
incoming govern-
ment should do is
take treatment
seriously.‘
ELECTION SPECIAL
Make or
In a couple of days the country goes
to the polls for one of the most
unpredictable – and significant –
elections in decades. As the outcome
is likely to have a decisive impact on
what the treatment sector, and
wider society, might look like in a
few years’ time,
DDN
decided to
canvass opinion on what the new
government’s priorities should be.
