Cambridgeshire Drug Intervention Programme

             ‘Out of crime and into treatment’

It is a widely recognised fact within the criminal justice system that heroin and crack users are responsible for more than half of all acquisitive crimes, such as burglary and car theft.

In 2004 the Cambridgeshire Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) was established. The specific intention of the DIP is to engage with Class A adult drug users within the criminal justice system and to direct them into drug treatment whilst reducing offending behaviour.

The DIP consists of professional workers from various partner agencies including Police, Probation, Drug treatment providers, County Council and 3rd sector housing agencies. The DIP offers an integrated approach to managing clients by assigning specific key workers to assess their substance misuse, offending behaviour and general welfare needs including accommodation, education and employment.

The team engages with clients on either a voluntary basis, i.e. through self-referral, Police, Prison or via other treatment agencies and with those having received a court issued Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) and who are managed through the Probation Services.

The aim of DIP is to significantly reduce or stop the drug related offending of the client and to engage them with mainstream service providers with a longer term ambition to break the cycle of drugs and offending.

For referral advice, please contact:

Huntingdon & Fenland:                               01480 425732

Cambridge City, South & East Cambs:        01223 823580

Out of hours helpline:                                08007 313520

A satisfaction survey of DIP clients is carried out on a regular basis.

A summary of some findings can be found here.