Memorandum from Crime Reduction Initiatives
INTRODUCTION
Crime Reduction Initiatives (CRI) is a national
charity that provides a range of services to support individuals,
families and communities whose lives are adversely affected by
crime, substance misuse, homelessness, anti-social behaviour,
domestic violence, social deprivation and lack of opportunity.
We are commissioned by public sector bodies
to provide front-end, outreach and treatment services and our
core expertise lies in our ability to engage with difficult and
hard to reach groups. Typically our service users have entrenched
drug habits, mental health problems, chaotic lives and frequent
encounters with treatment agencies. We have the skills and vocational
drive to provide superior outcomes and effective services for
these people. However, since their behaviour and life styles evince
little public sympathy, commissioning is essential to fund our
work.
Our goal is to reduce offending. We do this
by engaging and keeping people in treatment services long enough
for them to benefit and to change. Our high quality services are
tailored to meet the individual needs and our staff are tenacious
in their efforts to combat the resistance of those with entrenched
drug use and offending behaviour.
COMPETITION AND
PARTNERSHIP
The majority of our contracts are secured in
competitive tenders against other third sector providers, but
we have also been successful in winning contracts from public
sector organisations such as the NHS. However, we see working
in partnership with other providers (state and third sector) as
an essential component of effective service delivery. For example,
referring service users to agencies providing housing, benefits,
education, employment and training, is a key part of our rehabilitative
approach.
However, in taking over contracts from former
public sector providers, we have been able to drive up performance
and produce substantial improvements in quality, innovation, cost-effectiveness
and accessibility.
Quality and innovation
CRI is able to respond swiftly and flexibly
to the changing requirements of commissioners and service users.
We do not have the cumbersome bureaucracy and systems of the public
sector and our managers have the autonomy to innovate and refocus
service delivery within tight timeframes in response to changing
needs.
Cost effectiveness
CRI has low central costs and achieves high
levels of engagement from service users, which is reflected in
our relatively low unit costs. We also undertake rigorous monitoring
and measurement of our performance against spending to ensure
value for money.
Accessibility
Our services are popular with service users
who frequently mistrust the state and perceive state services
as bureaucratic, slow and authoritarian. The third sector, having
largely grown out of the efforts of citizen's to improve their
environment, is rooted in community action and this active, vocational
culture helps the third sector win the confidence and co-operation
of those we work with.
DEMONSTRATING EFFECTIVENESS
The following are examples of services we provide
that were previously run by public sector organisations.
Haringey DIP
CRI was commissioned to deliver the Drug Interventions
Programme (DIP) in Haringey, North London towards the end of 2006.
The service includes a core DIP team, structured day programme,
specialist prescribing and aftercare service, that was formerly
provided by the NHS and Local Authority.
It can be difficult to assess comparative performance
on new contracts in part due to variations in the quality of the
data left by outgoing providers. However, despite the relatively
short period of time that has elapsed, since CRI took over the
contract, performance measured against Home Office KPI compact
data has clearly improved in respect of all targets.
For example, CRI is working with 45% more service
users than the outgoing provider and getting 50% more people into
treatment, care and aftercare. This improvement has been achieved
through: the introduction of a rigorous performance management
framework for managers, team leaders and workers; raised awareness
and close monitoring of targets; enhanced staff training; supervision
and appraisal and detailed data analysis.
BARNSLEY PRESCRIBING
SERVICE
CRI was commissioned by Barnsley Drug and Alcohol
Action Team to take over the delivery of a rapid prescribing service
for people going through the criminal justice system. The service
was formerly provided by the Substance Misuse Team at Barnsley
PCT. Since taking over the service CRI has reduced waiting times
for treatment from three-months to two days, and offers access
to prescribing within 72 hours of first assessment. This has been
achieved through a strong customer focus, streamlined processes
and lack of bureaucracy. For example, the service was formerly
led by a consultant but is now safely delivered by a GP and a
nurse, who can see more people sooner. The service has also been
located alongside the rest of the DIP team, which makes it easier
for service users to access treatment and to stay focused on their
goals.
LEEDS ENHANCED
ARREST REFERRAL
SERVICE
Since taking over this service from the former
NHS provider in April 2005, CRI has succeeded in substantially
improving performance. Statistics produced by the Safer Leeds
Partnership show that CRI has increased the caseload and exceeded
the target for getting people into treatment.
CARDIFF DRUG
REHABILITATION REQUIREMENT
(DRR)
The Cardiff DRR provides structured treatment
for drug using offenders on court orders. We provide a prescribing
service within the project using an automated methadone prescribing
system that has reduced costs from £7.80 per prescription
to 45 pence per dose. The service is safe and offers a better
level of care for service users who do not have to make daily
visits to local pharmacies for their methadone prescription. Offering
prescribing within the project also provides more opportunities
for staff to engage service users in other treatment options.
CONCLUSION
CRI strongly believes that it is in the interests
of the state and its citizens that contestability should occur.
We feel there is clear evidence that opening up the provision
of some public sector services to a wider range of providers has
clear benefits for both individual service users and the communities
in which they live.
February 2007
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