Scottish Drugs Forum
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WE GO into 2006 on something of an optimistic note, given the excellent news at the end of of last year that New Futures Fund Initiative-type projects are to be given a further extension of funding to cover 2006-8.
This extension is something for which SDF has long argued, particularly given the delay in the publication of the Executive’s Employability Framework. We have maintained that existing New Futures Projects must be retained until a clear strategic direction has emerged from the Executive, at the very least.
The Executive’s announcement means that £3.1m will be transferred from Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning in 2006/07 and 2007/08 to certain Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) to allow New Futures type work to continue. The Executive says this is the equivalent of the amount currently spent on the projects.
It is hoped that this means the argument about the need for a range of early employability services has been won and there will be a long-term commitment to sustaining and developing these services.
As always, however, the devil is in the detail. The move to transfer responsibility from Scottish Enterprise for decisions about individual projects to Community Planning Partnerships - though the status quo will remain in Highlands and Islands - introduces a new element of uncertainty, for one thing.
CPPs are not yet up and running across Scotland, though most have a lead officer contact - so the Minister’s expectation that all projects should be contacted by their local CPP by 6 January 2006 was somewhat optimistic.
Certainly, making a strategic decision about whether particular projects should continue to be funded when the CPPs are in an embryonic phase seems unsatisfactory both for the CPPs and the projects concerned. However, we can only hope that CPPs move quickly to make decisions on project funding.
In the long term it would appear that Community Planning Partnerships will play an increasingly
important role in employability and the wider drug treatment and care agenda. Joining up all the disparate parts of the response is vital and whether Community Planning is the vehicle to achieve this, only time will tell.
However, it is clear we have reached an important point in the planning of our responses to drug problems with the Peter Bates funding review, the proposed review of Drug and Alcohol Action Teams and the creation of Criminal Justice Authorities, Community Health Partnerships, Community Safety Partnerships and Community Planning Partnerships.
Clarity of leadership and accountability arrangements will be crucial to developing and implementing effective responses – and the earlier, the better.