Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University
Abstract
The Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) process begins with the police arresting and drug testing potential drug using offenders. If offenders test positive for Class A drugs they are served with a Required Assessment (RA) by the police. This is a compulsory legal sanction for the individual to attend up to two appointments (initial/follow-up RA) with a drugs worker. During these assessments the drugs worker will assess the individual’s drug use and offending behaviour and, if necessary, encourage them to engage with drug treatment services. This drug testing profile for Wirral presents drug testing data between April 2013 and March 2016, with an emphasis on the most recent financial year (2015/16). This profile contextualises Merseyside Police drug testing data by providing numbers and trends of drug using offenders identified through this route into the DIP system and a demographic overview of the client group. This profile also provides recommendations for local government, commissioners and service providers, in terms of the efficient use of resources and effective services locally and across Merseyside