Full-term Evaluation of North Lanarkshire Justice Social Work involvement in the Pan-Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Problem Solving Court

Overview
Notwithstanding natural ebbs and flow, over the last decade drug deaths in Scotland have continued to rise year on year. Scotland has now consistently had the highest drug death rate in Europe (Scottish Government, 2022). In 2021, then Scottish Government First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, announced a new national mission to reduce drug deaths and harms. Contributing to the national mission an Alcohol and Drug Problem Solving Court (ADPSC) was established in Hamilton Sheriff Court (HSC). While situated in South Lanarkshire, both North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire Justice Services would make equal refers (n=4) of suitable persons per calendar month for consideration of Structure Deferred Sentences (SDS), according to their respective local authorities.

Although the ADPSC operates a Pan-Lanarkshire service, SL JSW was awarded funding from the Scottish Government Drugs Mission Fund administered via the Corra Foundation. Resultingly, SL JSW opted for a collaborative approach to treatment and recovery, involving sustained partnership with HSC, NHS Scotland, and third sector organisations. NL JSW funding for the project is more limited: allocated directly from the NL Alcohol and Drug Partnership (APD) fund and the Scottish Government S27 grant fund. Resultingly, NL JSW operate on more limited financial budget. Referral and recovery involvement is solely overseen by NL JSW centralised Throughcare and Recovery Team (TRT). Within the TRT there are several sub-units. One sub-unit, the SDS Team, are the specialised team for the ADPSC service users. The SDS Team consists of 1 senior social worker and 2 support workers. This evaluation report presents findings from NL JSW involvement in the two-year pilot ADPSC operating from December 2023- December 2025.

Aims and Objectives
Objectives can be broken into Evaluation Objectives and NL JSW Service Objectives. Evaluation Objectives are specific to the aims of the evaluation. These are as follows:

- Evaluate Structured Deferred Sentence (SDS) completion rates.
- Evaluate pathways for service users to access treatment, support and intervention.

NL JSW Service Objectives align to wider drug harm reduction in accordance with Scottish government public health and justice strategy to assess test for change for early intervention and prevention. Objectives are as follows:

- To reduce drug and alcohol related deaths North Lanarkshire.
- Reduce the volume of Community Payback Order (CPO) breaches, non-completion, and the use of short-term custodial sentencing
- Prevent those in conflict with the law proceeding further into the justice system.
- Provide long term SDS options for those with problematic drug and alcohol use.

Criteria for Service users to access the ADPSC are as follows:

- Hold residency within NL.
- Aged between 25-55 years of age.
- Have a drug and/or alcohol use dependency or regular use that contributes to offending.
- Motivated to engage with a SDS for between 6-9 months and undertake an appropriate treatment plan which may or may not be medically assisted.

Working in tandem with service users, the SDS Team develop individualised treatment and rehabilitation plans. Individually tailored programs are supported by a dedicated court process through court imposed SDS. It should also be noted, generally individuals currently in breach of a CPO would not be suitable for SDS. On an exceptional basis, an individual in breach of a CPO could be recommended as suitable for inclusion where it is assessed that they are motivated to engage and there are unmet needs which require intensive support to overcome engagement barriers. The exceptional basis upon which such a recommendation is made requires to be fully addressed in the suitability assessment report provided to the court.

Research Design
The evaluation of the report adopted a mixed methods approach. This included using both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather, analyse and report findings. Qualitative methods used to carry out the evaluation included a total of 12 interviews (6 of the 12 staff were interviewed twice), 9 service user feedback forms , 4 sets of written feedback from a single court observation, 2 observational feedback form a single conference, and documentary analysis. Documentary analysis included 4 quarterly Court Process Report, 1 Impact Report, 1 Distance Travelled Export, screening documents, Justice Service User Feedback, Review of Identification of Potential SDS Cases, and Outcome Star Chart.

Findings and Recommendations
Findings from the evaluation report were analysed in line with Evaluation Objectives and NL JSW Service Objectives and are presented as such. Data analysis for the report was undertaken in May, June, and November 2025. Data analysis indicates that in total 48 service users from NL have been placed on SDS via the ADPSC over the duration of the pilot (December 2023 – December 2025). 21 service users were enrolled on SDS at time of data analysis. 19 has successful graduated from SDS. Eight service users had their SDS revoked. However, one of the eight revoked was due to death. Updated data on admonishment rates were not made available for the full-term evaluation. However, at the time of the mid-term evaluation seven service users had been admonished. Both qualitative and statistical data reported indicate a high completion rate, with SDS having has a positive impact in service users lives generally. In accordance with Evaluation Objectives, it was found:

- Structured Deferred Sentence (SDS) had an 83% completion rate.
- JSWR SDS referral rates are in line with expectations.
- 100% of service users had received some degree of support, intervention or where relevant access to pathways into treatment.

Analysis of NL JSW Service Objectives are in accordance with Scottish government public health and criminal justice strategy to assess test for change. Findings indicate:

- Drug deaths in NL decreased 17% between 2023-2024. While the direct impact the ADPSC had on this decrease is difficult to determine without more in depth data it can be assumed given service user cohort are often amongst the most entrenched substance users.
- SDS has some impact in reducing the volume of Community Payback Order (CPO) breaches, non-completion, and the use of short-term custodial sentencing.
- Those on SDS are prevented from further preceding into the justice system.
- Results indicate SDS should be made a long-term disposal option for those in conflict with law who have problematic drug and alcohol use.

NL JSW Service Objectives are multi-factored and can be complex, thus are discussed more broadly within the ‘discussion’ heading within the report. Data indicates the ADPSC to be making a positive contribution to the wider criminal justice system and to the lived experience of service users on SDS, several recommendations are listed below:

• That the ADPSC pilot be extended beyond the 2-year period.
• That the ADPSC be extended to ASC if possible. This would require additional staffing and resourcing.
• That restrictions to the current SDS disposal age criteria be removed. According to analysis qualitative data, increasing age criteria would not have an overly disproportionate impact upon referral rates.
• A single spreadsheet for the gathering of in-depth quantitative information with clearly defined domains with a set of pre-defined responses be used for future service users placed on SDS. This would allow measurable and comparable data to be developed. It would likewise allow data analysis to move beyond descriptive information.
• Establishing a nursing component to the service would potentially benefit service users in the treatment of alcohol and drug recovery.
• Court report writers should be able to screen and approve potential SDS service users directly without additional screening processes. This may encourage additional uptake in referral rates.
• Given qualitative analysis indicates that mental health issues are not always being adequately addressed – note this is not unique to NL JSW by any means but rather is endemic across 7 national public services – being able to provide a mental health component to the service could prove both innovative and beneficial to service users.