Services Database Needle Exchange Service (Bracknell)

2. Aims and intended service outcomes

2.1 To assist the Service Users to remain healthy until they are ready and willing to cease injecting and ultimately achieve a drug-free life with appropriate support

2.2 To protect health and reduce the rate of blood-borne infections and drug related deaths among Service Users:

· by reducing the rate of sharing and other high risk injecting behaviours;

· by providing sterile injecting equipment and other support;

· by promoting safer injecting practices; and

· by providing and reinforcing harm reduction messages including safe sex advice and advice on overdose prevention (e.g. risks of poly-drug use and alcohol use).

2.3 To improve the health of local communities by preventing the spread of blood-borne infections by ensuring the safe disposal of used injecting equipment.

2.4 To help Service Users access treatment by offering referral to specialist drug and alcohol treatment centres and health and social care professionals where appropriate.

2.5 To aim to maximise the access and retention of all injectors, especially the highly socially excluded.

2.6 To help Service Users access other health and social care and to act as a gateway to other services (e.g. key working, prescribing, hepatitis B immunisation, hepatitis and HIV screening, primary care services etc).