Service Delivery

What is a DARG?
A DARG is a Drug and Alcohol Reference Group. They are responsible for the overview of local service delivery on behalf of the Drug and Alcohol Action Teams. There is a DARG in each of the district council areas the DAAT operates in, with the exception of Cambridge City and South Cambs, which have one DARG between them.

Terms of Reference for DARGs

• To ensure liaison and co-operation between agencies and professions, users and carers, including at times acting as the focus for joint working.
• Provide 'grass roots' information to the DAAT about local drug issues, advising on trends, 'hot-spots' and needs.
• Provide a local forum to exchange information about good practice and new initiatives.
• Where appropriate co-ordinate local reponses to drug and alcohol issues.
• To contribute to the strategic planning of the DAAT by making proposals to the DAAT on the prevention and treatment of drug and alcohol problems.

The DARG is critical to the relationship between local and countywide strategy, and between the four themes of the strategy (young people, treatment, communities and policing).

Role of DARG members

• The DARG Chair is a member of the DAAT and attends quarterly DAAT meetings in order to advise on local trends. This role will be additionally supported by the DAAT Information Officer's production of locality updates, which are intended to advise the DAAT partner agencies and others of developments across the four themes.
• Chairs or nominated representatives of sub or other locality groups are to advise the DARG of the work of their group.
• DARGs should also review the current membership list. In the coming year, it is hoped that membership will be extended to ensure that any parties wishing for their agency to be represented at the DARG can get involved.

DAAT and CDRP Integration
These two bodies are expected to work together, and a decision to take a partnership approach to substance misuse necessitates that they do.

The DAAT works closely with the Community Safety Strategic Group and the Cambridge DARGs and the 5 CDRPs work below these. The chairs of the DARGs are members of the CDRPs and the DAAT. This ensures the sharing of knowledge and opinion and makes partnership work possible.