I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 to 61, inclusive, together.
Considerable progress has been made in increasing the number of participants on the community employment (CE) drug rehabilitation scheme. Table 1 shows that in December 2014, there were 936 referred clients on drug rehabilitation places (644 male and 292 female) and 220 support workers (103 male and 117 female). In total, in December 2014 therefore, there were 1,156 places taken up on CE drug rehabilitation schemes.
This compares to December 2012 when there were 655 referred clients on drug rehabilitation places (407 male and 248 female) and 169 support workers (59 male and 110 female). In total in December 2012 therefore, there were 824 places taken up on drug rehabilitation schemes. Overall, there has been an increase of approximately 14% in the number of females (clients and participants) from December 2012 to Dec 2014.
Support worker places are additional to the 1,000 ring-fenced drug rehabilitation places as these participants assist in the delivery of the CE Scheme while at the same time having their own job seeking needs addressed. These participants must comply with normal CE eligibility conditions and are assigned tasks associated with the work of the projects.
At December 2014, there are 936 referred clients on drug rehabilitation places which is close to full capacity (1,000 places). The Deputy will appreciate that during any given year, participants may exit for many reasons, including illness/relapse, gaining employment, maternity leave, retirement, emigration, transfer to another scheme, exit to a training programme or completion of CE. There is, therefore, a cycle of places becoming vacant and being filled on an on-going basis on CE schemes.
Table 2 and Table 3 show a gender and age breakdown for referred clients in December 2012 and December 2014. In December 2014, there was an increase in the number of referred clients in all age bands compared to December 2012.
There has been no change in the entry requirements for CE drug rehabilitation schemes. These places are available only to service users who are in drugs rehabilitation and referred to a place by an addiction service practitioner. Referral practitioners are Key Workers or Case Managers, Counsellors, GPs, Treatment Centre practitioners, and Health Service practitioners.
A Drugs Stakeholder group chaired by the Department was set up in May 2013 to inform and advise on the delivery of the drugs rehabilitation response within CE. Membership includes representatives of the community and voluntary sectors, Drugs Task Forces and statutory organisations. Two workshops have been held for CE Scheme Supervisors and Departmental staff to support and advance the CE drugs response. The workshops were organised and delivered by the Department's CE Policy Unit and representatives of the Stakeholders Group and were held in the Department's offices. This ensured that costs were kept to an absolute minimum. There were approximately 30 CE scheme supervisors in attendance.
Table 1: Referred Clients and Support Workers: December 2012 and December 2014
|
Referred Clients
|
Support Workers
|
Total
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
Male
|
Female
|
Total
|
Dec. 2014
|
644
|
292
|
936
|
103
|
117
|
220
|
747
|
409
|
1,156
|
Dec. 2012
|
407
|
248
|
655
|
59
|
110
|
169
|
466
|
358
|
824
|
Source: CSM IT Extracts
Table 2: December 2012 - Ring-fenced Drug Rehabilitation Places by age and gender (Referred Clients)
Age Band
|
Gender
|
Total
|
%
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
|
|
Under 20
|
17
|
10
|
27
|
4.1
|
20-24
|
49
|
27
|
76
|
11.6
|
25-34
|
125
|
105
|
230
|
35.1
|
35-44
|
163
|
69
|
232
|
35.4
|
45-54
|
36
|
21
|
57
|
8.7
|
55 and over
|
17
|
16
|
33
|
5.0
|
Total
|
407
|
248
|
655
|
100.0
|
December 2012: CSM IT Extracts (Referred clients)
Table 3: December 2014 - Ring-fenced Drug Rehabilitation Places by age and gender (Referred Clients)
Age Band
|
Gender
|
Total
|
%
|
|
Male
|
Female
|
|
|
Under 20
|
32
|
18
|
50
|
5.3
|
20-24
|
142
|
65
|
207
|
22.1
|
25-34
|
178
|
88
|
266
|
28.4
|
35-44
|
191
|
73
|
264
|
28.2
|
45-54
|
70
|
28
|
98
|
10.5
|
55 and over
|
31
|
20
|
51
|
5.5
|
Total
|
644
|
292
|
936
|
100.0
|
December 2014: CSM IT Extracts (Referred clients)