Community Payback Order: Treatment: Alcohol

Interventions suitable for

Criminal Justice Social Work clients who have been formally assessed by a criminal justice social worker as having a dependence on alcohol that has contributed to their offending behaviour.

Programme Title and Provider

Alcohol treatment requirement

Details of all Specific national or local scheme/intervention(s) available

An alcohol treatment requirement may be considered where the individual’s dependence on alcohol contributes to the offending behaviour. Addressing an individual’s alcohol dependence can therefore help address offending behaviour as well as wider personal and social needs. At present we are recruiting two specified workers who will be based in the Integrated-Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Team (I-DART) who will provide an assessment at the Court report stage and thereafter work on the specific drug or alcohol issues with the person if they are given such a requirement.

The Specified Person will lead the engagement with regards to substance misuse issues, and any social issues which interconnect. CJSW involvement will vary, working in the background when substance misuse is the sole issue, but undertaking specified offence focused work where required.

Possible Outcomes

The aim of the alcohol treatment requirement should be recovery from alcohol dependency. Where a Community Payback Order including an alcohol treatment requirement is imposed, a case management plan will require to be compiled by the responsible officer which should indicate what treatment and interventions the individual will receive to address their alcohol dependency. It should also ensure that individuals are well supported to participate in treatment and follow up on goals they have set as a result of it.

Process for Assessment and/or inclusion in scheme/intervention

The author of the CJSWR will liaise with the specified worker who will assess whether the individual appears to have an alcohol problem related to their offending behaviour and if treatment is already in place. If treatment is already in place, it may not be necessary for this requirement however there will be issues of compliance and motivation to change which will be taken into consideration to determine the most effective course of action and recommendation to the court.

The legislation states that the court must be satisfied that: the offender is dependent on alcohol; the dependency requires, and may be susceptible to, treatment; arrangements have, or can be made, for the proposed treatment to take place including where treatment is to be residential, and details of such arrangements.