Profile for treatment provision

EATA aims to raise awareness of the needs and concerns of the treatment sector with policy makers and other opinion leaders. Through our extensive networks within the treatment sector we are able to respond quickly and effectively to consultations, feedback to our members and address emerging issues. We maintain close relationships with government departments and other bodies that impact on the sector, and regularly represents its views to policymakers and senior officials

EATA consultation - problems with DWP payments
EATA has recently learned that DWP delays in processing benefit claims (housing, unemployment, etc) for clients in residential care can leave the provider out of pocket and unable to claim the costs back. This problem may be occurring when individuals complete treatment or when they leave treatment early as claims are rarely resolved by this time.
We would like to find out if this is a problem for our members. To help us build a clearer picture, we would appreciate you filling in this short questionnaire. We plan to pass on a summary of your experiences and concerns to DWP and other relevant agencies. Download our questionnaire here. 
Expiry:   15 August 2008

Towards a strategy to support volunteering in health and social care: consultation
A volunteering strategy for health and social care will help articulate the key actions needed to address the perceived obstacles to making a refreshed vision for volunteering in these sectors a reality. Read more about this consultation.
Expiry:   30 September 2008

Draft guidance for Young People's Specialist Substance Misuse Treatment
Email your comments on draft guidance for young people's specialist substance misuse treatment which has just been published by the NTA. To read a copy of the draft guidance, follow this link.
Expiry:   29 August 2008

Completed policy activities

The future regulation of health and adult social care in England: A consultation on the framework for the registration of health and adult social care providers
Members had their say on the implications for residential services being proposed by the Department of Health. Read on for EATA's response to the consultation. We will communicate to members the outcomes of this exercise later this year. 

National Treatment Agency (NTA) guidance on clinical governance in drug treatment
Members who provide and commission treatment helped to influence the shape of the final guidance document. A final version of the document will be published later this year but you can still read the draft document by following this link.

Review of Communications Strategy - NOMS Prison Drug Strategy Team (DST)
EATA worked with DST to help review the media and key messages currently being used, identify gaps in provision and produce a series of new resources. The Communications Strategy Project was driven by the views of consultation groups comprising key policy makers, operational staff and prisoners.

Healthcare Commission/NTA joint service review 2006/7 (commissioning & harm reduction) and 2007/8 (diversity & tier 4)
At the request of EATA, the NTA Standards and Inspection Team are releasing the following brief for EATA members on the current position in relation to the above reviews. Read more... 

EATA consultation response to the Home Office on the National Drug Strategy 2008-2017
The government has now published its 10-year Drug Strategy: Drugs protecting families and communities. EATA was actively involved in its development, particularly through consultation and communications with members to make sure that their concerns were heard. We were one of 25 national stakeholders that contributed to the consultation, which also received feedback from 59 treatment providers and 104 DATs and CRDPs.

Care Standards
Following a strong campaign from the field, co-ordinated by EATA, the government has backed down on all the main problematic elements of its care standards proposals for England. Read more...