This section contains information about the legal aspects and responsibilies of drug policy and management in hostels (use, possession, supply, suspicion) as well as some practical information about harm minimisation, storing medication, sharps bins. For more information about working effectively for positive change with people who use substances, see the section in the needs of individuals.
NEWS A draft guidance document to developing and implementing regional drugs protocols for housing providers is available for wide consultation from the Drugs and Housing website. © Kevin Flemen 2007. It is also available via the KFx website.
Clean Break a toolkit designed to help assist commissioners, service providers and strategic leads for drug and housing services create more integrated housing and care pathways for drug users engaging in treatment services, developed by TRIBAL, in conjunction with Homeless Link and with support from London Housing Federation, the Housing Corporation, Newham Substance Misuse Partnership. Clean Break is available free on our new Toolkits website
For a comprehensive and up to date analysis of aspects of housing and drugs, see Kevin Flemen's dedicated website www.drugsandhousing.co.uk
As landlords of the property, managers of temporary accommodation need to be aware of their responsibilites under Section 8 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. Click here for more information in the section guidelines and good practice in Drugs and the Law
The Wintercomfort Trial was the infamous case in 1999 where two members of staff from a day centre were sentenced to prison for tolerating drug dealing at their premises.
The London pages of the Homeless Link main website include a section on questions and answers around drugs.
You may be interested in promoting harm minimisation in your project, as Brighton Housing Trust (BHT) have successfully pioneered. BHT provide a needle exchange in their hostel. After an initial chat with a drugs worker to ensure the person is aware of harm reduction methods and how to inject more safely, they are able to access the needle exchange 24 hours a day. All projects where residents may use drugs should provide access to sharps bins.
The UK Harm Reduction Alliance (UKHRA) have produced, in consultation with Exhange Supplies, and the National Needle Exchange Forum a Consensus Statement on Best Practice in Reducing Injecting Related Harm
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