1. National Treatment Agency September 2009 Needs Assessment and the balanced treatment system 25 October 2010 London

2. A systematic method for reviewing the health issues facing a population, leading to agreed priorities and resource allocation that will improve health and reduce inequalities NICE Guidance on health needs assessment National Treatment Agency October 2010

3. Guidance applies to community and prison needs assessment in relation to drug treatment needs Includes the reintegration agenda Aims to guide people through an exploration of relative needs and harms, and enable ethical and evidence based decisions to be made about the application of resources Some of the more technical how to use the data sections that used to be included in the guidance are now produced alongside the data, rather than within the main guidance document At present, does not explicitly cover alcohol (except in relation to poly-use and YP guidance), though the models may be applicable and we will keep this under review NTA needs assessment guidance

5. National Treatment Agency October 2010 Consistency of process – with content to reflect local circumstances Strategic leadership, linkage to wider assessments and effective expert groups Better integration of needs assessment and commissioning cycle Mapping the system Movements in, through and out of treatment Understanding how the current system works for the benefit of the service user Ensuring a balanced treatment system Better use of data sets – and analyst capacity Consultation at every stage and with a broad range of people – especially service users. Main messages…

6. National Treatment Agency October 2010 People dont come into treatment with a vision of being there forever Visibility of those who have recovered A range of options that suit the assessed needs and strengths (recovery capital) of individuals An idea of the time that they might be engaged with treatment A comprehensive offer that considers their wider support needs as well as medical and psychosocial treatment (Mutual Aid, community support, housing, education and employment). New clinical protocols to prevent drift, and new Patient Placement Criteria to ensure a more transparent approach to accessing community and residential treatment Balanced treatment system