The aim of the Throughcare Addiction Service is to provide continuity of care for those leaving custody who wish to go on to receive addiction services in the community in Scotland.
The objective is that the Throughcare Addiction Service achieves a seamless transition from substance misuse work undertaken during the custodial period through the immediate post-release period onto the provision of continuing substance misuse work in the community.
The intention is to sustain motivation gained during the custodial term to tackle substance misuse by having in place, pre-release, a community integration plan (CIP) which establishes a clear and agreed pathway forward to continue the work in the community.
This incorporates a multi-disciplinary commitment to meet the on-going needs of the offender and it is formulated with their active involvement.
The Throughcare Addiction Service works with the offender in the 6 week period prior to release from custody through the 6 week period post-release. During this period, the Throughcare Addiction Service Worker will attempt to develop an effective working relationship with the offender. The period following release from custody can be a period of major vulnerability to the offender in terms of re-settlement and the lowering of tolerance to the substance of misuse.
It has also been recognised that in the past it was also a period of significant fall out of service provision. The Throughcare Addiction Service worker will attempt to help the offender address their addiction (and associated) difficulties and link them into appropriate services.
The Throughcare Addiction Service commenced when the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) transitional care contract ended on 31 July 2005. However it is acknowledged that this new service may take some time to be fully operational. Local Authorities should have contingency plans in place in the interim.
The Throughcare Addiction Service forms part of the revised guidance ( March 2005) for voluntary aftercare services, which is often referred to as "Phase 2". The priority groups for Phase 2 are:
- High Risk offenders (sex offenders and re-current violence)
- Throughcare Addictions Service offenders.
The successful resettlement of an offender within the community is possibly one of the best ways of helping reduce reoffending. The enhanced arrangements aim to address addiction issues both pre-release and post-release, to prevent the often chaotic lifestyles that lead to increases in reoffending.
Multi Agency Meetings held on the Throughcare Addiction Service
A multi agency group comprised of officials from the Scottish Prison Service, Phoenix Futures, Association of Directors of Social Work and the Scottish Government meets regularly to discuss the progress of the Throughcare Addiction Service.
The following minutes of meetings are available to view by clicking on the links below.
A meeting of the Multi Agency Group on TAS was held on 24 April 2008.
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