1. Recovery led Drugs Policy – Employment and Welfare Reform Neil Hodgson 20 July 2010

2. Key Facts - England Social & economic cost of problem drug use £15billion a year. 330,000 problem drug users, 80% (270k) on benefit. 220,000 people in drug treatment. DWP spends the following on this group: ­over £1billion on benefits (around £4500 per person a year); ­£15m on on specialist employment support (helping 15k people); ­and probably in the region of £40m on mainstream provision; ­ie around £350 per year for every person in treatment.

3. What Is Recovery Aspirational, person-centred process in which individuals enabled to move on from problem drug or alcohol misuse, towards a drug or alcohol-free life as active and contributing members of society. – Scottish Government 2009. Gainful employment, appropriate housing & functional family relationships – NTA 2010. Over 70% of people entering treatment say they want to stop taking all drugs. Personal - means different things at different times to each individual. Most effective when persons needs and aspirations placed at heart of care. A broad church – incorporates both abstinence and harm reduction which are seen as complimentary.

4. Beyond Treatment: What Sustains Recovery? Sustained Recovery A HomeA Job Education & Skills Relation ships A New Start Belief

5. Role of Treatment in Recovery-led system: a turning point; Recovery should be explicit aim of all services; personalised - provide range of appropriate local interventions; integrated with range of other services (e.g. health, housing & employment) to address the whole range of individual needs; to support and engage families of substance misusers; where possible, to facilitate access to help through mainstream services to support reintegration in society.

6. Role of Employment Services - Phases of Recovery Sustain Activity and Support Plan and prepare Identify & Engage

7. Identification & Engagement What should be the aim of employment services in identifying and engaging this group - Benefits, employment, treatment? Role of benefit conditionality and mandatory activity in relation to substance misuse and treatment? How and where to most effectively engage – in Jobcentres or through outreach and integration with other services? Who should be spearheading engagement, JCP staff, employment programme providers or both? Should the drug co-ordinator role moving forward be enhanced and improved (e.g broaden to social inclusion manger)?

8. Treatment Support - Employment provision What works – e.g. volunteering, work experience, self-employment, education & training, mentoring & peer support, intermediate labour markets, life skills & confidence building, activity that forms structured routine ? Large generic employment vs specialist providers Work Programme (embedded in drug services, or vice versa) or more local integrated approach? What is right payment mechanism? If we pay only by results, what should these be (e.g. 12 month sustained employment), and how much should we pay? Should this provide employment part of integrated care plan Should there be regular case conferences with treatment providers? Provision of route ways to particular professions? Which – treatment/social sector, construction?

9. Support Treatment & Recovery Activity How could the benefit system do this better or differently (e.g. recovery allowance)? In particular, how do we best support: treatment; volunteering; education and skills training; mentoring and peer support work experience How can JCP staff and employment providers contribute and best integrate with other services (e.g. more case conferencing, embedding within drug services)?

10. How Do we support sustained employment Set up and support recovery communities for those in employment? Payment for sustained employment prominent feature of provider contracts? Provide mentors for first year of employment? Develop employer engagement strategy – public sector to lead by example

11. Does the Treatment Sector need to change to Support this Agenda?