Drugs and Alcohol
Drugs and begging: A practice guide
This guidance has been developed in recognition of the strong link between begging and drug use. Many of those who beg and use drugs do not make full use of available support services. This guidance therefore supports the development of services that are successful in attracting, engaging and sustaining contact with drug users who beg.
Title: Drugs and begging: A practice guide
Author: Rose Davies, Sarah Waite (the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (Nacro)
Date published: November 2004
Number of pages: 55
Begging is a criminal offence and enforcement of the anti-begging laws is an essential part of an overall strategy to tackle the links between begging and drug use.
Who is this guidance for?
It is aimed at those who commission services for people with drug problems who beg and those working with them. It will be useful to Drug Action Teams (DATs), Criminal Justice Integrated Partnerships, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs), drug services, local authorities and the police.
How to achieve change
To try and tackle begging and its connection with drug use we need:
To understand the situation - why people beg and the effects it has on communities
Effective partnership working - reducing drug-related begging will be more effective if relevant organisations and personnel work together.
Dedicated staff roles - specialist staff from many different agencies may need to be given a dedicated brief to work on this issue.
Flexible services - all services that cater for drug users who beg most take on a flexible approach.
To reach out to the client group - agencies need to take services directly to the drug users who beg by either sending teams onto the streets or into facilities already well used by drug users.
Motivation to change - contact with outreach workers can be a catalyst for change, but motivation may also need the use or threat of enforcement.
Data and information - a database for tracking drug users whom beg, along with effective structures for workers to exchange information may need to be in place.
Treatment for those who use drugs and beg
Four-tier model of treatment - the National Treatment Agency's model combining local treatment services into an integrated care pathway is the most appropriate.
Entry to treatment - should be easy at every level according to the person's needs.
Case planning - treatment for drug users who beg should include multi-agency case planning and an action plan from the beginning.
Keeping a practical and manageable caseload - frontline workers must have a manageable workload. Commissioners need to monitor this carefully and, if possible, budget for annual increases in workforce numbers.
Planning and co-ordination - the strategic planning and commissioning of services should be led by Drug Action Teams (DAT) and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP).
Polydrug use - polydrug use amongst this group is common, particularly the combination of heroin and crack cocaine, and also Class A drugs combined with alcohol.
Dual diagnosis/complex needs - it is essential that mental health services and drug treatment services co-operate fully to meet the needs of those with a dual diagnosis.
Harm reduction - those involved in the services need to acknowledge that drug users who beg are likely to lead very chaotic lifestyles and the adoption of realistic and appropriate interventions is required.
Relapse prevention - services should link community-based accessible, community-based leisure and educational provision to complement other methods of relapse prevention.
Throughcare - the Drug Intervention Throughcare and Aftercare programme, should enhance communication between community agencies and prisons.
Monitoring and evaluation - all service contracts should specify monitoring and evaluation arrangements.
Prevention - planners and commissioners need to start putting in preventive measures to minimise entry into serious substance misuse and street culture.
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Last update: Wednesday, September 13, 2006