The Research Department is a self-financing department that undertakes commissions for a range of agencies. This last year has again presented a number of challenges for the department with commissions being secured outside of its core drug based activity.

The department has variously been involved in the development of responses to the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy (2004). This has involved mapping and reviewing current services and developing service redesign actions plans that have been incorporated into localised alcohol strategies. Strategies that the department has also produced which include responses associated with the harms caused by alcohol at the levels of: providing health information; heath interventions; reducing crime, disorder and anti social behaviour and working with alcohol retailers.

A further departure have been the work the department has been commissioned to undertake in relation to developing sexual health services for a specific locality. This has been an exciting and challenging project where we have been able exploit our existing experience of service development and acquire new areas of expertise. A priority for this work has been the identification of the sexual health needs of young people and developing effective responses that are joined, in particular linking with substance use, to provide for more holistic based packages of intervention and care. The successful delivery of this commission has resulted in us being re-commissioned to progress several of the recommendations we proposed.

The continuing development of the Drug Intervention Programme, which aims to address drug related offending with a multi agency approach, has seen the department providing support to several Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAATs). Where previously we have assisted in the development of locally applicable models, work over the last year has involved reviewing progress and redesigning the original models to incorporate additional staff and requirements, particularly in relation Restriction on Bail. This requires those arrestees who provide a positive drug test to attend for drug treatment. Criminal justice based drug interventions are attracting considerable resources and it is important that any developments we propose provide the best possible service for clients within a coercive system.

Members of the team have continued to be seconded to a variety of posts, principally in relation to service commissioning. We will be looking to continue providing support in this area particularly given the additional funding that is being made available to DAATs and the potential to develop services that this brings.

Over the next year we are looking to develop stronger links internally to both learn from and share our experience throughout the expanding company. We have identified ways in which to do this and will be striving to action them.

Paul Keeling