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Drugs and Alcohol
Agencies providing services to homeless people will inevitably work with people who use drugs or alcohol. This section contains information about rehousing homeless people with drug or alcohol addiction and links to important resources, news and websites concerning substance use.
- See our briefing on Wet and dry services.
What's new?
- Findings from our Survey of Needs and Provision related to drugs and alcohol , including the proportion of clients with substance misuse problems in projects surveyed, and the availability of substance misuse services (by referral or in-house) by type of project.
- Clean break: integrated housing and care pathways for homeless drug users - Findings from our action research project, practical solutions and a useful online toolkit for commissioners, service providers and leads on drugs and housing services.
- Dual diagnosis: mental health and substance misuse Turning Point has been commissioned by the Department of Health to look at how practioners plan, organise and deliver services, to help improve care pathways and to better support individuals with mental health and substance use needs (dual diagnosis).
The Drugscope website has a press section which provides useful links to news about drugs in the media.
Drugs
Rehousing
In November 2005, the government wrote to local authorities, health authorities and drug action teams (see below) about Linking up Drug Services and Housing Related Support.
Substances and substance use
The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 is the original legislation which has been updated on a number of occassions. The Drugs Act 2005 changed the classification of magic mushrooms and ketamine.
Find out how to recognise substances, about the effects of different drugs and * what to do if someone takes an overdose? Find out the legal position if you provide services to people who use drugs, including the WinterComfort trial.
Alcohol
Alcohol misuse causes fewer legal difficulties than drug use, although there are specific offences relating to being drunk and street drinking is often outlawed in specific locations. For homelessness agencies, a key issue is whether to allow people who have consumed alcohol to use their facilities.
Drug and alcohol services
Drug Treatment Services
The National Treatment Agency co-ordinates drug treatment services across England, including the work of English Drug (and Alcohol) Action Teams. The NTA website has details of how the NTA is structured and includes details of the local drug action teams. The NTA also produces publications and co-ordinate services and treatment models.
See Drugscope's treatment pages, including its explanation of types of treatment.
Wet hostels
Wet hostels are hostels where residents are allowed to drink alcohol.
Providence Row Charity has produced guidance on effective keyworking in wet hostels.
Wet day centres
Wet day centres provide support and meaningful activity for people who are reluctant or unable to give up drinking, including street drinkers and homeless people.
The Booth Centre in Manchester has a wet garden whose aim is to tackle the social exclusion, boredom and low self esteem that street drinkers experience, by involving them in the practical work of creating and maintaining a pleasant garden.
In 2003, the Kings Fund published a report and manual on Wet Day Centres, along with a summary. It includes the Booth Centre's wet garden.
Resources
- Homeless Pages on alcohol and drugs
- Turning things around Read a March 2006 SocietyGuardian Article about the Transition project in Edinburgh.
- For practical resources regarding legal issues pertaining to drugs and your premises visit the KFX website. It has a series of useful publications available for free download including a comprehensive sample drugs policy which you can tailor to fit your agency's need, managing drug use on premises, sharps bins etc.
- The drugs and housing website provides a useful resource for housing and drugs workers.
- The Drugscope website has a selection of resources available including a news section which monitors the media and important wesites e.g NTA.
- Release is the original legal advice service concerning drugs, they offer a telephone helpline and publications about drugs.
- Harm minimisation resources can be found via the exchange supplies website.
- Lifeline produce very accessible publications about drugs and provide services in the North West, North East, Yorks and Humberside and Tower Hamlets in London. Lifeline publications has produced a series of "Off your head guides", aimed at people who use drugs and have experienced mental illness.
- In 2004 the Home Office produced a good practice guide on Drugs Use and Begging, aimed at those who commission services for people with drug problems who beg and those working with them.
See our London Drugs and Alcohol pages and our listing of other pages on drugs and alcohol on the Homeless Link website