Ealing Alcohol Referral Pilot Scheme

Many reports indicate that there is a clear link between anti social behaviour and the consumption of alcohol. In Ealing, for the period April 2006 to March 2007, a total of 249 cases per month could be readily identified as having been committed where alcohol was mentioned as playing a role at the time of arrest.

As part of the alcohol review document: "Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy", provision was made to set up and monitor a number of alcohol arrest referral pilot schemes by autumn 2007 with the aims of:

" Establish whether alcohol brief interventions reduce offending among those arrested for alcohol related offences.
" Investigate how referral schemes can be established to provide appropriate and effective interventions in a cost-efficient manner
" Increase the number of conditional cautions that have alcohol referral attendance as a condition

The pilot project started on 22 October 2007.Ealing have a target of 33 referrals per month which equates to 396 per annum. As can be seen from the information above, this target should be met. The intention is that of those 33 referrals, at least 8 will be via the conditional cautioning scheme.

There are to be three referral routes:

" Conditional cautioning. An offender who admits guilt is given a caution with the condition they attend two brief intervention appointments. Failure to do so can result in the case going to court.
" Conditional bail. Whilst waiting to appear at court a person is given a condition that they attend the brief intervention sessions. The court is informed as to whether or not someone complies.
" Voluntary referral. The person is given information on the scheme and decides whether they wish to attend.

The decision to refer an offender to the scheme will rest with the police if they consider

" the offender was under the influence of alcohol at the time of committing the offence; or
" alcohol was in some other way involved in the commission of the offence.

However, certain offences and people are excluded

" persons under 18 years of age at the time of arrest;
" persons arrested for drink-driving offences;
" clients who are known to be alcohol dependant;

Once someone has been identified as falling within the target group, a referral will be made to the communications and liaison officer who will arrange for an appointment letter to go to the offender giving them their first appointment with the brief intervention workers.

The first appointment should take place within 5 working days of the referral. This may not always allow the second to take place before someone appears in court. If that is the case, the court will be invited to consider imposing a bail condition of attendance at the second interview if they decide not to proceed with the case on the day.

The brief intervention will be provided by specialist alcohol workers who will complete the AUDIT (The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) assessment form at the first appointment. Should someone need longer term involvement of a more specialist nature then the worker will make the appropriate referral.

The workers will inform the communications and liaison officer as to whether the person has attended. The police will be updated if the referral was part of a conditional caution, whilst the court will be informed if it was via the conditional bail rote.

Monitoring

Careful and in depth monitoring by the Home Office is to take place during the pilot phase. This monitoring will provide Ealing with firm evidence as to the effectiveness of the scheme and whether to continue with it once the pilot phase is over.

The intention is to use the information gathered from research into the pilots to encourage local areas to re-prioritise resources in alcohol arrest referral schemes. The research will:
" measure the reduction in all types of offending six months after arrestees have received interventions;
" measure the reduction in alcohol-related offending six months after arrestees have received interventions;
" measure the reduction in the rate at which Penalty Notices for Disorder are issued six months after arrestees have received interventions;
" measure the reduction in alcohol consumption levels six months after arrestees have received interventions;
" evaluate the referral and intervention processes, including through Conditional Cautioning;
" record the breach rate of Conditional Cautions where alcohol referral is a condition;
" record the running costs of the pilots; identify best-practice

Conclusion

The Pilot scheme will start on 22 October 2007. The first review of progress will take place in March 2008 when an initial report will go to Ministers. A report on progress will also then be available to the DATG.