Contact Details

Telephone                      01708 448543

E-mail                              solutions@russellwebster.com

Website/Blog                 www.russellwebster.com

Twitter                             @russwebt

Qualifications

M.A. in Social Work (Distinction)                       University of East Anglia

Certificate of Qualification in Social Work        University of East Anglia

Health Education Authority Certified Trainer

Background

Following eight years working with young offenders in this country and the USA for a number of voluntary organisations and the probation service, Russell developed his consultancy work with two national voluntary organisations, DrugScope and DIVERT.

Since 1996 Russell has worked full time as an independent consultant specialising in the fields of substance misuse and crime. He has also done considerable work in the areas of education, training and employment and young people’s services. Since 2010, Russell has developed expertise in the area of payment by results and the use of social media in the criminal justice system.

He is the author or co-author of over 30 national publications on issues relating to drugs, alcohol and offending. He is also a Health Education Authority certified trainer.

As an independent consultant and trainer, Russell seeks to keep at the forefront of policy and practice development while maintaining hands-on experience of work with the local voluntary sector.  He balances a portfolio that includes international research studies; national policy advice and needs assessment and evaluation work with community organisations.  Russell continues to specialise in multi-agency partnership work and has developed his own partnerships with several organisations including the Institute for Criminal Policy Research at Birkbeck College London, Red Kite Learning and No Offence.

Areas of Expertise include:

Drug and alcohol interventions in the criminal justice system (DIP, CARAT, Arrest Referral, DTTO/DRR, Conditional Cautioning)

• Substance misuse treatment (needs assessments, evaluations, treatment reconfiguration)
• Payment by results (consultancy advice to commissioners and providers, programme design)
• Social media in the criminal justice system (particularly for Probation Trusts)
• Drug markets and related crime
• Young people (substance misuse and social exclusion work)
• Integrated Offender Management (needs assessment and consultancy advice)
• Multi-agency guidance (agreeing contents, securing consensus and writing)

Examples of Work include:

•  Evaluating over 100 projects, mainly those working with offenders and/or substance misusers
• Undertaking dozens of needs assessments
• Consultancy work reconfiguring substance misuse treatment systems in four areas
• Specialist young people’s substance misuse work in over 20 areas
• Designing and delivering over 20 different training programmes
• Drug market studies in six areas
• Writing seven national guidance documents
• Organising and running conferences
• Team building days

 Clients include:

• Adfam
• Alcohol Concern
• 22 Drug Action Teams
• 20 Probation Services
• 25 Voluntary Sector providers
• 10 Primary Care Trusts
• 8 Community Safety Partnerships
• DrugScope
• European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction
• Government Office for London Drug Team
• London Drug Policy Forum
• Home Office Drug Strategy Directorate
• Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate
• Metropolitan Police Service
• National Treatment Agency
• Prison Service Drug Strategy Unit
• Youth Justice Board

January 2012.