Police Drug Diversion (360G-cabinetoffice-G2-GA-202210825194-22-23)

Our realist evaluation aims to inform policy and practice on whether and how to roll out PDD schemes across the country. Our approach is as follows:Impact evaluation: A retrospective cohort study comparing the rate of criminalreconviction and hospital admissions for drug-involved suspects in the interventionareas (Durham, Thames Valley, West Midlands) with those in comparable areaswhere PDD is not available (Humberside, Hampshire, Greater Manchester).Process evaluation: Qualitative and quantitative research in the intervention areasto assess implementation fidelity and uncover the mechanisms by which PDDdelivers its effects.Economic evaluation: Cost-consequence analysis to attach financial costs andsavings to the services used by people in intervention and comparison areas.Equality assessment: Qualitative and quantitative analysis to assess systematicdifference in effects according to ethnicity, gender and region.Realist synthesis Bespoke work to draw out the practical and policy lessons fromevaluation as a whole.