Quality standard
Quality statement 4: Information and advice for adults
Quality statement 4: Information and advice for adults
Quality statement
Adults assessed as vulnerable to drug misuse are given information about local services and where to find further advice and support.
Rationale
It is important that adults who have been assessed as vulnerable to drug misuse are provided with clear information and advice on the harms of drugs use and where to get help. This can help to reduce the likelihood of the misuse of drugs, such as preventing drug dependency.
Quality measures
The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.
Structure
Evidence of local arrangements to provide written information about local services and where to find further advice and support.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations, for example from list of local services.
Process
Proportion of adults assessed as vulnerable to drug misuse who are given information about local services and where to find further advice and support.
Numerator – the number in the denominator who are given information about local services and where to find further advice and support.
Denominator – the number of adults assessed as vulnerable to drug misuse.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations, for example, audit of patient, specialist services monitoring reports and service user records.
Outcome
a) Proportion of people aged 16 to 59 years who use drugs frequently.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations. The Home Office produces annual Drug misuse statistics which examines the extent and trends in illicit drug use among a sample of residents in households in England and Wales.
b) Proportion of people aged 16 to 24 years who use drugs frequently.
Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by health and social care professionals and provider organisations. The Home Office annual Drug misuse statistics examine the extent and trends in illicit drug use among a sample of residents in households in England and Wales.
What the quality statement means for different audiences
Service providers (such as primary and secondary care services, social services, sexual and reproductive health services, specialist drug and alcohol services, mental health services, housing and benefits, and criminal justice services) have systems in place for adults assessed as vulnerable to drug misuse to be given information about local services and where to find further advice and support.
Health and social care practitioners, and criminal justice system professionals (such as GPs, community nurses, health visitors, hospital workers, social workers, mental health professionals, specialist drug services professionals, police and probation officers) give information about local services and where to find further advice and support to adults who are assessed as vulnerable to drug misuse.
Commissioners (NHS England, local authorities, clinical commissioning groups) ensure that they commission services where adults assessed as vulnerable to drug misuse are given information about local services and where to find further advice and support.
Adults who are assessed as vulnerable to drug misuse are given information about local services and where to find further advice and support. This should be both verbal and written. It should be provided in a non-judgemental way and tailored to the person's preferences, needs and level of understanding about their health.
Source guidance
Drug misuse prevention: targeted interventions. NICE guideline NG64 (2017), recommendation 1.4.1
Definitions of terms used in this quality statement
Information on local services and where to find further advice and support
Information and advice given should be both verbal and in writing.
For general information about drugs, a reputable source should be given for where people can access further information, such as the NHS website. Information about local services should also be provided so that support can be accessed as needed. [Adapted from NICE's guideline on drug misuse prevention, recommendations 1.4.1 and 1.4.2, and expert opinion]
Equality and diversity considerations
Information about drug misuse should be accessible to people with additional needs such as physical, sensory or learning disabilities, and to people (including families and carers) who do not speak or read English or who have reduced literacy skills. People should have access to an interpreter or advocate if needed.