What is the Havering Drug & Alcohol Action
Team?
The Havering Drug & Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) is responsible for the effective local delivery of the National Drugs Strategy throughout Havering:
• The DAAT team has a responsibility to report to a DAAT partnership board.
• The partnership board of the Havering Drug & Alcohol Action Team consists of senior officers representing all the local agencies concerned with drug misuse and its consequences.
• These agencies include the Council, Police, Probation, PCT services and voluntary groups.
• The Director of Sustainable Communities, Mark Gaynor, chairs this partnership board.
Strategic Objectives
The Havering Drug & Alcohol Action Team has four priority areas that reflect the requirements of the Government's 10-year strategy for tackling drugs:
• Young People: To help young people resist drug misuse in order to fulfil their potential in society.
• Communities: To protect our communities from drug related anti-social and criminal behaviour.
• Treatment: The provision of treatment services to enable people with drug problems to overcome them and live healthy and crime free lives.
• Availability: To stifle availability of illegal drugs on our streets via the disruption of drugs marketing and supply chains.
Our objectives are:
1. Assisting Young People Resist Drug Misuse in Order to Achieve Their Full Potential in Society:
Home Office statistics indicate that almost half of young people will take drugs. Therefore, the Havering Drug & Alcohol Action Team will work closely with all partners to ensure that:
• All children aged 5 to 16 receive effective drug education as part of their school curriculum.
• Information and advice is provided to parents and teachers and youth services to enable those young people most at risk to be identified.
• Young people most at risk of developing serious drug problems receive appropriate help and advice.
2. Helping to protect our communities from drug related anti-social and criminal behaviour:
Communities are increasingly concerned about the amount of crime committed to feed drug habits and the resultant anti-social behaviour.
Therefore, the Havering Drug & Alcohol Action Team works closely with all partners to ensure that:
• Specific treatment programmes are developed and provided for those committing drug related crimes
• Adequate resources are targeted and provided to detect drug related crimes.
• Consistent criminal action is taken against drug dealers, suppliers and their markets.
• Local initiatives and projects are supported to deal with local drug problems.
3. Helping people with drug problems overcome them and live healthy and crime-free lives
Current estimates indicate that we have up to 200,000 seriously addicted drug misusers in this country.
The Havering Drug & Alcohol Action Team works closely with all partners to ensure that:
• Drug misusers have access to required services.
• Drug misusers receive accurate information, advice and help to avoid infections and other related health problems.
• Drug misusers receive help towards improving lifestyles, linked to employment, housing, leisure and education services.
To ensure the above aims are met Havering DAAT works to an annual “Adult Treatment Plan” combining strategic objectives with local requirements in Havering.
4. Helping to stifle the availability of illegal drugs on our streets via the disruption of drugs marketing and supply chains
Supplies of drugs are increasingly readily available on the streets.
Therefore, Havering Drug & Alcohol Action Team works closely with all partners to ensure:
• Support to the police to enable them to disrupt local drug markets and dealer chains
• Support and empower local communities to help in the fight against drugs.
• Fund specific anti-drugs programmes in problem areas/estates.
Summary
Tackling drugs is not a static problem. Therefore, the strategic objectives of Havering DAAT are kept under review to ensure they meet the up to date requirements of the Government and all local partners.
This constant review requires the following activities:
• Ongoing promotion and support for the development of projects relating to the National Drug Strategy.
• Promoting the sharing of information and models of good practice to enhance delivery within agencies and at a local level.
• Ensure continual adherence to the DAT National Standards, set
by the Government.
• Ensure adequate internal and external systems exist to enable data and information to be provided consistent with stakeholders’ requirements, both local and national. .
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