Drug Treatment and Employment Referral Pathway: Voluntary Referrals

Please note: this web page is only a summary of the referral process and is placed here for information only. Full details and additional guidance and information have been made available to key agencies and their employees, and this has been combined with a series of formal training events focused on the practical implementation of this new referral pathway. Any member of staff from any of the agencies involved in need of the full details regarding the referral pathway should speak with their manager in the first instance, or contact the Principal Contacts listed at the bottom of this page.

1.      Introduction

The National Drugs Strategy ‘Drugs: protecting families and communities’ 2008 – 2018 outlines the Government’s aim to support drug users in re-establishing their lives.  Following on from this, local drug and alcohol partnerships have been directed to work with Jobcentre Plus to develop systems and processes that support addressing drug use as a barrier to work.

The aim of the legislation and consequent development of local systems is to deliver positive outcomes for drug users in receipt of benefits by supporting them through specialist treatment and into work.  The new integrated working processes between treatment providers and Jobcentre Plus should also support enhanced access to training and employment opportunities for people engaged in specialist drug treatment.

Guidance issued by the Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions outlines keys considerations and criteria.  Further information is available from the National Treatment Agency's (NTA) website.

The local operational processes and referral pathways in relation to the above legislation and guidance are summarised below.  The guidance and processes described currently relate only to voluntary referrals from Jobcentre Plus to drug treatment services.  Further guidance relating to mandatory referral as part of Jobseeker Directions or as part of the Work Focused Interview process will be released as it becomes available.

2.      Key elements

• Single Point of Contact for drug treatment referrals
• Information Sharing Agreement (ISA)
• Agreed referral process and pathway

2.1       Single Point of Contact (SPoC) – 01603 764754

The Norfolk Drug and Alcohol Partnership 24-hour help line will act as the SPoC.  Jobcentre Plus, A4E and Shaw Trust staff making referrals through the SPoC number should be clear that they are making a Jobcentre Plus referral.  This will support the SPoC staff taking the call being able to ensure that the referral is progressed using the correct procedure and ends up with the most appropriate service.

2.2       Information Sharing Agreement

The agreement by all parties to a formal Information Sharing Agreement will support communication between treatment services and the Jobcentre Plus.  Information sharing will be conducted in line with the Data Protection Act and other relevant legislation.  The purpose of sharing information is to support coordination of treatment and Education, Training and Employment (ETE) planning with the aim of leading to positive outcomes for Jobcentre Plus customers.

2.3       Referral process and pathway – from Jobcentre Plus to treatment system

The SPoC and Information Sharing Agreement will facilitate the referral process and ongoing communication to ensure integrated working between drug treatment services and Jobcentre Plus.  Additionally, having a clear referral process and pathway will support service accessibility. 

The SPoC contact number is 01603 764754.  This is a 24-hour helpline although it is anticipated that Jobcentre Plus referrals will be made mainly during office hours.  It will be important for Jobcentre Plus staff making a referral using the SPoC to be clear that the referral is from Jobcentre Plus as this number can also be used by other agencies to make referrals.

The SPoC worker taking the referral will need the name and contact details of the service user.  They will then provide an appointment time and venue to the Jobcentre Plus, A4E and Shaw Trust adviser. In most cases, this will be a drop in service readily accessible to the service user where a needs assessment can take place and the most appropriate treatment service provider identified. The worker conducting the assessment will identify which service provider the customer is being referred to, and will return a completed Treatment Provider Referral form with a standard covering letter outlining those details and the date of the first appointment. The Jobcentre Plus, A4E or Shaw Trust adviser will then make contact with the service provider to ensure ongoing holistic approach to customer’s needs. 

2.4       Referral process and pathway – from treatment provider to Jobcentre Plus

The Information Sharing Agreement will facilitate the referral process and ongoing communication to ensure integrated working between drug treatment services and Jobcentre Plus.  Additionally, having a clear referral process and pathway will support service accessibility. 

The contact person will be the Personal Adviser at the relevant jobcentre. It is anticipated that referrals to Jobcentre Plus will be made during standard office hours.

The Jobcentre Plus Adviser taking the referral will need the name and contact details of the service user.  They will then provide an appointment time and venue to meet with an adviser from Jobcentre Plus, A4E and/or The Shaw Trust. The Adviser will record which service provider the customer is being referred from so that ongoing contact can be maintained. The key worker at the treatment agency will ensure that the engagement with Jobcentre Plus, A4E and/or The Shaw Trust advisers is featured in the service user’s Care Plan. As previously mentioned, the referral pathways described relate to voluntary referrals only.

3.      Referral pathway                                            

3.1       Norfolk drug treatment system eligibility criteria in this instance are:

• Adult – 18 years of age or above
• Resident in Norfolk or with significant links to the Norfolk area
• Drug user: this may be illicit drug use or misuse of the prescription only or over-the-counter medication
• In receipt of benefits

3.2       Exclusion criteria

Other than meeting the eligibility criteria above there are no specific exclusion criteria for drug treatment services.  However, service users assessed as presenting a significant risk to staff members of other people may be excluded from services.

3.3       Aims and outcomes

• Support people addressing drug use as a barrier to accessing training and employment opportunities through engagement with drug treatment services
• Support drug users accessing drug treatment to access employment and training support through Jobcentre Plus

3.4       Monitoring and review

The referral pathway process and Information Sharing Agreement will be reviewed on an annual basis, or as and when guidance and legislation changes, by the Norfolk Drug and Alcohol Partnership, Jobcentre Plus, A4E, The Shaw Trust and treatment providers.

Activity and performance monitoring will be carried out using NTA information reports and the Jobcentre Plus Labour Market computer system (LMS) 

General Contacts Information

http://www.nordat.org.uk/pubs/help/serviceguide.pdf

For general information and details about areas of work undertaken within the Norfolk Drug and Alcohol Partnership, visit www.nordat.org.uk.

Tel: 01603 677577
Email: tony.oram@norfolk.gov.uk