This page lists projects and activities that are looking for assistance. Please contact the project involved if you are interested in helping. If your organisation would like to advertise a project here please email the website manager. If you would like to become a volunteer in the drugs field please see the section on volunteering below.
Projects, activities and opportunities
Cannabis classification thesis
Jenepher Parry Davies invites feedback on her thesis on cannabis classification, completed as part of a Master's degree in Law at Southampton Solent University in November 2008.The paper focuses on the classification of cannabis, fitness for purpose of the Misuse of Drugs Act and criminal justice and public health response to drugs-related offending in England and Wales . It is based on the hypothesis that a strong positive correlation is found between the status/classification of cannabis and the level of harm to both a problem drug user and the ‘hidden victims’ of their use. The dissertation also explores treatment modalities available to courts when sentencing an offender convicted of a drugs-related offence, identifies gaps in regulation and treatment provisions, draws conclusions and makes recommendations accordingly. The research was undertaken in light of the Advisory Council on the MIsuse of Drugs (ACMD) review of cannabis last year.
You can download a copy of the thesis here: (PDF 1.4MB)
You can get in touch with any comments on the work to by emailing Jenepher Parry Davies at: sineadnicdaithi@yahoo.co.uk.
DrugScope needs your help to bring good practice to light
The achievements of drug services and projects are rarely reported in the mainstream media and unfortunately bad press can have a negative impact both on those who may need to access services and those who work in the sector. But there is good practice going on across the country that makes a positive difference to users, families and local communities. Unfortunately, we don’t often get the opportunity to share what we are doing or learn from one another's successes.
DrugScope is working with the Home Office to highlight good practice.We are building up a collection of case studies that will provide an information-sharing resource for the sector. We're interested to know about the things that worked or are working - but we'd also like to hear about the learning experiences.
We are especially interested in projects working in the following areas:
- providing assistance to drug misusing parents and their children;
- family-based interventions (i.e. 'whole family' approaches, support for those affected by a family member's drug misuse; drug prevention work involving families);
- providing measures to support social reintegration (i.e. access to jobs, training, housing);
- supporting drug misusing offenders (for those currently in the criminal justice system or in the community);
- community engagement (i.e. communicating and engaging the local community around your work).
If you would like to submit any case studies, please email Harry Shapiro at harrys@drugscope.org.uk with brief details of the project you are putting forward and we will be in touch.
Call for evidence - project on women offenders
The Cabinet Office Social Exclusion Task Force and Ministry of Justice are undertaking a short study on women offenders. The overall aim of the project is to optimise the use of diversion – both prevention and alternatives to custody – in order to improve the life chances of women offenders and their families, whilst meeting the needs of communities through harm reduction and the effective delivery of justice. The project is split into two streams and will look at how to effectively identify and prevent women at risk from offending, and explore effective and appropriate alternatives to custody.
As part of the research and analysis phase, we are inviting your input in a Call for Evidence around key themes of the Women Offenders project. We are targeting this Call for Evidence at academics, practitioners and leadership of relevant third sector organisations; all of whom we know have a keen interest in improving the life chances of vulnerable women, their families and communities in which they live. Your input will feed directly into the analytical phase of the project, and will complement an intensive programme of desk-based research, field visits, and interviews. We intend findings from the project to be published in some form later this year.
We would be grateful if you could provide specific references or attach any reports where relevant. Please send your response to womenoffendersproject@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
If you have any questions, please call Atif Rafique, Policy Advisor, Social Exclusion Task Force on 0207-276-0628
The use of drugs in older adults and the implications for clinical management and service development - PhD study
Over the past 15 years there has been a progressive increase in the proportion of older adults using illicit drugs and entering drug treatment. However research in the area of old age and drug use has tended to concentrate on drug users who cease using drugs as they age (essentially ‘maturing out’ of drug use) with little work considering those that continue to take drugs as the age. With this in mind I have developed a study which aims to explore the lifestyles of drug users over 50 persevering in drug use; and describe the processes that explain how and why they continue using drugs as they age.
I would like interview anyone over the age of 50 who has used an illegal drug in the last year. Interviews would be at a place where the volunteers feel comfortable and should last no longer than two hours at the very most (the longest interview I’ve done so far is 90 minutes) and be tape recorded. Volunteers would be allowed to stop the interview whenever they wished or skip over any questions they didn’t want to answer. The interviews would be about the volunteer as a person, their current living circumstances and their drug use.
Anyone interested in helping can get in touch with me either at markbmason@brookes.ac.uk or on my mobile phone which is 07766 916354. I would be more than happy to provide any further information about the study, or talk any potential volunteers about issues or concerns they might have.
Problem drinking survey
The University of Melbourne is developing guidelines about helping people with drinking problems. They are currently recruiting consumers and carers to complete a number of online surveys. To find out more and participate please see their website: http://www.mhfa.com.au/surveymonkey/Problem_drinking_info_sheet.html
Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI)
Earlier this year the CSCI were asked by the Government to look at how the system for deciding who qualifies for support from local councils could be improved. To this end, CSCI is now carrying out a major review of the eligibility criteria that councils use to decide whether or not a person receives help from the council with social care services.
You can read more about this review on the CSCI website here:
http://www.csci.org.uk/about_us/news/review_of_eligibility_criteria.aspx
And you can take part in their online survey here:
http://www.csci.org.uk/SelectSurveyASP/TakeSurvey.asp?SurveyID=3KJm732Jl771K
Adfam survey into support for families affected by substance misuse
Adfam is conducting a new study into the number of relatives of substance misusers accessing support networks in their own right. In trying to find these figures, Adfam is contacting as many family support services as possible – no matter how large or small, and throughout the UK. The information desired is very simple – just the number of families and/or family members that each service has engaged over the past 12 months or during 2007 (or calls taken for a helpline). If you work in the family support sector and your service has not yet been contacted, please email o.french@adfam.org.uk to help the study, or for further information. Survey into drug and alcohol training under way
Social workers who qualified in 2006 or 2007 are being invited to take part in a survey on drug and alcohol training.
Dr Sarah Galvani at Warwick University is looking at whether existing training is adequate and believes social workers need better support to work with substance misusers.
To take part e-mail: subuse.survey@warwick.ac.uk.
For more information please see: http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2008/02/22/107373/recruits-asked-for-views-on-substance-misuse-training.html
DrugScope - Helpfinder young people’s services listing
The DrugScope Helpfinder database includes services that are open to young people. The services we have listed on Helpfinder either have an upper age limit (usually 19 but can be up to 25) or provide a specialist service for young people in addition to services for adults. They include counselling, education, outreach and treatment services as well as services specifically for children of drug users.
We hope to include the list of such services in the forthcoming Essential Guide to Working with Young People with Substance Misuse Problems . We are aware, however, that the list is not exhaustive and would really appreciate your help in identifying other services that we could include.
Please send any information to Jill Cobb at jillc@drugscope.org.uk
DrugScope - 'Working with Parents' newsletter
We are working towards sending out the next edition of Working with Parents newsletter in June.
Please let us have any articles, items of news or suggestions for articles/information you would like included in the next issue.
Short articles of 200-500 words are welcome, especially if accompanied with pictures. News of events, conferences or publications are also welcome.
Please send any articles, etc to
carolm@drugscope.org.uk Volunteering in the drugs field.
Voluntary work in a practice setting is a useful starting point for any career working with drug users and is a good way of gaining experience and testing your ability and motivation for the work. To get a voluntary position you can either contact individual drugs projects in your locality directly, or contact a national umbrella organisation such as the National Centre for Volunteering.
Telephone numbers for local treatment centers can be found in our Helpfinder Database. Helpfinder is DrugScope's database of drug treatment services and provides contact information and basic service provision details for drug treatment and care services in England. It can be used to search for organisations in your area.
Other useful organisations:
National Centre for Volunteering
Volunteering England works to support and increase in the quality, quantity, impact and accessibility of volunteering throughout England.
Do It
This site provides details of volunteering opportunities throughout the UK and is powered by a large on-line database of current vacancies. Do-It allows users to search by postcode, type of organisation and type of work. The site has a section on volunteering in the drugs field.
Timebank
This BBC supported campaign gives you the opportunity to share your time and skills with your community. The site allows you to register your details in order to receive a list of organisations in your area that need help, and which match your interests.
National Association of Voluntary Service Managers
NAVSM is the national association for Voluntary Service Managers in the fields of health and social care. It has a section on opportunities for volunteers.
Society Guardian – Volunteering section
Up to date news coverage on volunteering issues from the on-line version of The Guardian newspaper.
