Facing the future, DrugScope annual conference 2010

Wednesday 3rd November

Facing the future: tackling drugs in the new decade – preliminary programme

Wednesday 3rd November 2010

We have entered a changed economic and political landscape. Cuts in public spending are underway with the expectation that services will need to do ‘more for less’. The ‘localism’ agenda will likely see a shift in decision making from central government to local communities. The rise in the use of legal highs has led to calls for a review of the Misuse of Drugs Act and for faster responses to new and emerging drugs.

How will wider economic and political changes impact on drug policy and the focus on recovery in drug and alcohol treatment? Will we see more attention paid to tackling alcohol misuse? Will drug and alcohol crime and health policies draw closer together? What are the risks and potential opportunities for the drug and alcohol sector?

Latest agenda

Registration and coffee

Welcome and introductions from the Chair - Harry Shapiro, Director of Communications, DrugScope

Plenary 1

1. Are we serious about recovery? Martin Barnes, CEO DrugScope
2. Redefining the problem drug user Marcus Roberts, Director of Policy & Membership, DrugScope
3. Redesigning services for the future Annette Dale-Perera, Strategic Director, Addictions and Offender Care, Central and North West London NHS
4. New Coalitions; Making local partnerships and national policy deliver for communities, presented jointly by David MacKintosh, Policy Adviser, London Drug and Alcohol Policy Forum and Sara McGrail, Independent Consultant

Q/A

Ministerial keynote address given by Anne Milton MP, Minister for Public Health, followed by a Q/A

Coffee

Panel discussion.

The first 25 weeks: what does the new political landscape mean for us?
An opportunity for a discussion about some of the wider policy issues such as (but not restricted to) the role of the evidence base in informing drug policy and future directions for drug control. Chair: Jon Silverman, Professor of Journalism at the University of Bedfordshire and former BBC Home Affairs Correspondent. Other panellists include Karen Biggs (Phoenix Futures); Charlie Lloyd (York University), Christian Guy (Centre for Social Justice)

Lunch

Making Change Happen workshops.

There will be presentations from services who are seeking to work in creative and innovative ways in the following areas:
1. Housing support led by Anne Steele, Swanswell Alcohol, Drug and Support Services
2. Employment support led by Laraine Start, Blenheim/CDP
3. Working with Young People led by Fran Holgate, Compass
4. Workforce development led by Tracey McFall, STRADA

Tea

Plenary 2

1. Prison drug treatment – challenges for delivery Nick Hardwick, Chief Inspector of Prisons
2. Can treatment really break the link between drugs and crime? David Royce, CEO CRi
3. Families: have we come full circle? - Viv Evans, CEO Adfam
4. Drug education and prevention – an oxymoron? Andrew Brown, Drug Education Forum