The Government has been urged to improve the status and
training of staff who work with drug abusers in a bid to tackle recruitment and
retention problems.
A report by social care charity Turning Point highlights the
need for better rewards, personal development and career progression for staff.
The charity also said the public standing of the profession needs to be
improved.
The charity estimates a shortfall of at least 3,000 staff
with specialist knowledge in the management of drug abuse. They are greatest
among those working with young people, women, families, people with mental
health problems and ethnic minorities.
Turning Point said that tackling drug abuse should be
central to a broader social agenda, and the report highlights the need for more
training for social workers, housing officers and mental health workers.
The charity said there needed to be a "shared level of
knowledge across all professions and mainstream agencies that come into contact
with drug misusers".
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