Key reading:
Planning for drug and alcohol treatment services: a brief guide to general planning considerations
DrugScope, 2012
This is a short, general introduction to some relevant aspects of planning, intended for those involved in local partnerships and as service providers in the setting up of residential or non-residential (‘drop-in’) drug and alcohol treatment services.
Download: Full report (PDF)
Localism Act 2011
Jackie Lees, 2011
This document looks at current (2011) arrangements regarding social housing and what the government wants to change. It considers what the Localism Act does and what itsimplications are.
Download: Full report (382KB PDF)
Housing for recovery
Marcus Roberts, Druglink 25(5), Sept/Oct 2011
Findings from a survey on access to housing on behalf of the Recovery Partnership
Web: Handout (PDF)
Tackling homelessness and exclusion: understanding complex lives
Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2011
This Round-up highlights the prevalence of mental health issues, traumatic childhood experiences and suicide attempts amongst people accessing low-level homelessness support services. It brings together evidence from a two-year programme of work on 'multiple exclusion' homelessness (MEH) in partnership with Homeless Link, Economic and Social Research Council, Tenant Services Authority and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Web: Summary report (PDF)
A guide to improving practice in housing for drug users
UK. Home Office, 2009.
This 16-page booklet offers insight into the planning, development and delivery of housing and related support services for drug users and introduces new routes to joined-up working that will help improve practice.
Web: http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/dip/improving-practice-in-housing?view=Binary
Download: Full report (PDF 387KB)
Housing drug users
Drug Interventions Programme, COI, 2008.
This factsheet explains how the Drug Interventions Programme is working with a range of partners on a joined-up housing strategy to provide vulnerable drug users with the support they need to sustain tenancies and stay in treatment, recognising that they are more likely to relapse and re-offend if they become homeless
Web: http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/dip/dip-housing-december-08?view=Binary
Download: Factsheet (PDF 143KB)
Drugs and supported housing
UK. Home Office, 2007.
This document assesses how supported housing help people with drug problems?How does supported housing help people with drug problems.
Download: http://www.drugs.gov.uk/publication-search/communities/supportedhousing?view=Binary (WORD)
Causes of homelessness in ethnic minority communities
UK. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Homelessness and Housing Support Directorate. ODPM, 2005.
This study found that problematic drug use was a factor for homelessness in some ethnic minority populations in the UK.
Download: Full report (PDF 119KB)
Drugs use and begging - a practice guide
Rose Davies and Sarah Waite. Home Office, 2005.
Many of those who beg and use drugs do not make full use of available support services. This guidance has been written to support the development of services that are successful in attracting, engaging and sustaining contact with drug users who beg as part of this wider strategy.
Download: Full report (PDF 1MB)
Drug services for homeless people: a good practice guide
Randall G., Britton J. DrugScope., Home Office, NTA, Department of Health.
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2002.
The handbook will help the DATs understand the nature of homelessness and drug misuse as they develop drug services at a local level. The new guidance highlights how existing mainstream services can be adapted to ensure homeless people can access them and explores the potential to develop specialist services for them. These services range from housing support and family mediation through to harm minimisation, detoxification and rehabilitation. Research has found that homelessness and drug misuse are often closely linked with around 75% of single homeless people misusing drugs. As the DATs develop their commissioning plans for the coming year, and local authorities develop homelessness strategies, it will be essential that there is local co-ordination between them to ensure
Web: http://www.drugs.gov.uk/publication-search/dip/drug-services-homeless-people.pd?version=1
Download: Full report (PDF 417KB)
Preventing tomorrow's rough sleepers: a good practice handbook
Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, 2001.
Gives practical and realistic ways that local authorities and other key partners can prevent homelessness. This handbook does not give all the solutions to preventing homelessness but it does give some ideas for action and shows the effectiveness of joined-up working in a local area. It also follows the intentions of the Government’s Housing Policy Statement ‘The Way Forward for Housing’ 2 published in December 2000, which proposes to give local authorities new responsibilities with regard to the prevention of homelessness, as part of their wider housing strategies.
Download: Full report (PDF 346KB)
Homelessness and drugs: access to treatment
DrugScope. 2001.
Homelessness and Drugs: Access to drug treatment, is the second publication from DrugScope’s Homelessness and Drugs Unit. This document aims to provide homelessness agencies with guidance on ways to reduce drug related harm in their clients, enhancing close working relationships between drug services and homelessness agencies.
Download: Full report (PDF 121 KB) Rough sleeping, substance use and service provision in London
Jane Fountain and Samantha Howes, National Addiction Centre, 2001.
This study addresses four topics: 1) the link between substance use and homelessness, 2) the uptake of services for both homeless people and substance users, 3) the service needs of problematic substance users who are also homeless, and 4) the issues surrounding service provision for substance-using homeless people. The study comprises two parts: a) interviews with homeless people using a structured questionnaire and covering basic demographics, income and expenditure, experiences of homelessness and substance use, and met and unmet service needs and b) in-depth themed interviews with service providers to gain an insight into what practitioners see as the key issues in the area of providing services to homeless drug users. Results are given in considerable detail with quotes from respondents. The report reflects on the effects of the Wintercomfort case on agencies' policies on drug use.
Download: Executive Summary (PDF 151KB)
