A dedicated alcohol and drug problem-solving court is changing lives in South Lanarkshire
Gillian Booth, Children and Justice Service Manager in South Lanarkshire, explains how support is helping prevent people from reoffending and will hopefully contribute to reducing substance use deaths
It’s a sad reflection that in Scotland we have the highest rate of drug-related deaths in Europe with alcohol-related deaths following a similar trajectory. South Lanarkshire Justice Social Work services are passionate about supporting the reduction of these deaths and taking a public health approach to substance use in line with the Scottish Government’s National Mission and Changing Lives 2022 strategies.
This led us to partner with Hamilton Sheriff Court and launch the Pan Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Problem-Solving Court in December 2023 – the first in Scotland to directly support dual substance use.
From 1 August (2024) the problem-solving court started running on a dedicated day every week to support people whose offending behaviour is linked to substance use issues.
It was a combination of circumstances that helped support the creation of this dedicated Structured Deferred Sentence court in conjunction with the Recovery Orientated Justice Service (ROJS) in South Lanarkshire.
A Structured Deferred Sentence (SDS) allows a court to defer sentencing after a conviction for a specified period and under certain conditions. It can provide structured intervention post-conviction but pre-sentence for people who have complex needs, which may be addressed through social work or other interventions. At the end of the period of intervention, the court retains the discretion to pass sentence in any manner that would have been appropriate at the time of conviction, but with the benefit of information from the supervising officer in relation to the period of deferral.
We were fortunate to have the support of our Sheriff Principal to develop a specialist dual alcohol and drug problem-solving court which led the way for me in 2022 to apply for funding from the Corra Foundation and our Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) for integrated nursing and peer mentor support within the ROJS team. This was an extremely competitive process, but with the right mixture of tenacity, commitment and a belief we could do it, we got there.
We reviewed the evidence we had from our ADP which revealed there were 204 suspected drug-related deaths across Lanarkshire in 2022. We also identified 224 cases where people who needed substance support services were given Community Payback Orders. But 50% of these breached their order. It was clear that people with significant substance use issues were not managing on highly structured CPOs and we needed an alternative approach to helping people out of formal justice systems.
The ROJS team is made up of a team leader, two qualified social workers, one specialised addictions nurse and two peer mentors from SACRO. As this multi-disciplinary team are all in the same location, this makes it possible for individuals to have an immediate assessment and means the team are better able to communicate with them and respond to their needs.
One example of the effectiveness of this approach has been through same day assessment for opioid replacement therapy, supporting the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards and providing choice and safe harm reduction at the point of need.
Current research suggests peer support and mentoring plays a vital role for people with substance use issues and should be at the heart of the development and delivery of services (Changing Lives July 2022). This approach is embedded into the South Lanarkshire ADP delivery plan 2021-2023 and ADP Justice workstream with a commitment to developing co-produced services with those who have lived and living experience. It is for this reason including third sector support was essential to enhance connections to recovery communities and wider support networks using experience to support people’s journeys. ROJS have also recognised the importance of wider family support and promote referrals to the local charity My Support Day who provide support to families who have been affected by someone’s substance use. This reduces isolation and takes a holistic view of the wider families’ needs during someone’s recovery.
The problem-solving court has been in place since December 2023 and has seen 18 South Lanarkshire residents participate in a deferred sentence. This has resulted in 80% of those placed on an SDS disposal continuing with the structured interventions set up through their time with Justice Social Work. Even at this stage there is evidence of sustainable outcomes – where support is having a lasting impact. People have been able to access residential rehabilitation, sexual health assessment and support and help with desistance from offending. The feedback from our Sheriffs operating the court has been extremely positive, highlighting the strong commitment people before them have towards their support plans and the staff who are there for them every step of the way.
It is testament to the compassionate, trauma-informed and rights-based approach staff within the ROJS team adopt, that early indications are that this approach works and has the potential to transform formal justice statutory services providing evidence for more SDS courts in the future.
Independent evaluation has been commissioned that will flesh out further the impact this work has and whether it can demonstrate change at a systematic level.
South Lanarkshire Justice Services were recently represented at the University of London’s expert roundtable seminar to discuss their experience of Structured Deferred Sentence courts and services that support these. We welcomed the opportunity to share our experiences and perspectives on what works, particularly thinking about consistency of staffing, values and culture, and ensuring adequate funding is in place for further development and the ability to test potential change.
- Here is an example of how the ROJS team are supporting one member of the community:
*Saul’s story
Saul’s journey exemplifies the power of intensive support which has helped him abstain from substance use and plan to return to education and help others.
The social work team motivated Saul and accompanied him to recovery community sessions at South Lanarkshire Beacons hub which significantly reduced his anxiety and helped him become more independent. As a result, Saul has become a prominent figure within the recovery community and plans to use his previous experience as a chef to volunteer and teach others cooking skills.
Through digital lifestyle funding, Saul received a tablet and Wi-Fi router from the recovery-oriented justice team, enabling him to access online courses. This provided him with valuable learning opportunities and also alleviated the financial burden of internet expenses. Saul is now preparing to return to education in August, demonstrating his commitment to personal growth.
Saul is also excited to participate in an upcoming music programme – where he plans to learn guitar as a positive outlet for stress relief and self-development. His aspiration to volunteer and share his culinary skills with others in the recovery community highlights his dedication to giving back and supporting others on their recovery journeys.
*Name has been changed