‘Understanding your organisation’ by measuring and monitoring specific hazards in your workforce is a key action of the Railway Mental Health Charter. TfL has been supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their employees through DAATS for over 30 years. 

Jasmine Bayliss, Human Factors Specialist at RSSB, sat down with Elizabeth Darlison, Senior DAATS and Therapies Manager at TfL, to find out more.

Why was DAATS set up?

On 8 January 1991, a packed commuter train failed to stop and collided with the buffers at Cannon Street mainline rail station in London. Two people were killed and 542 were injured. Three days after the accident, the driver tested positive for cannabis. 

The following year, major changes to the law were introduced. Random drug and alcohol testing in the workplace was now required for all safety-critical employees. That same year, DAATS became part of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) operating under the Drug and Alcohol Policy. The first employee came forward for support on 1 February 1993.

What is the purpose of DAATS and how does it work?

DAATS was set up to help employees who are experiencing problems with alcohol or drugs, and since 2024 gambling, with the aim of a safe and timely return to the workplace. The service is for any employee that comes forward believing that they have, or are developing, a drink, drug, or gambling problem. If an employee comes forward (either through self, manager, or doctor’s referral) and admits an alcohol, drug, or gambling problem, they can receive the full support and care of DAATS. If an employee does not come forward and they provide a positive drugs or alcohol test during random testing, a disciplinary policy procedure will follow. 

Our team also provides advice to managers and other parts of the business. For example, we may get phone calls from managers telling us they are worried about an employee, asking how they can navigate difficult conversations with them. Having a manager who can enable them to feel safe and comfortable makes it much easier for a struggling employee to open up. When they do, the manager can make a referral. The conversation they have with the manager is often the beginning of a life change.

What happens when an employee comes to DAATS?

When an employee first arrives at DAATS, they have an initial 90-minute assessment with our practitioners. This helps us to understand why they have been referred and to ensure that they are in the right place.

We will then work therapeutically with the employee over the next three weeks or so to assess what that person needs to ensure a safe return to work. It is important to understand the nature of the addiction and how it has become a way of coping for the individual. Primarily, the addictive behaviours prevent us from connecting to others. Working therapeutically with others within a facilitated group helps to re-connect and identify with others, showing that they are not alone.

After the initial three-week assessment, some of those who have come to DAATS are offered residential treatment. DAATS offers many different pathways towards a safe return to the workplace. One-to-one specialised therapeutic support is often an alternative to residential treatment.

We continue to support employees after they have received residential treatment by facilitating weekly group-treatment sessions for six months. This is a space for employees to speak about anything they are struggling with, anything they need, and connect with other employees who are on the same journey.

Employees are welcome to come back to DAATS at any time after their treatment if they find themselves struggling and we will offer further support. We provide an ‘open door’ policy, one-to-one therapy, regular reviews, reunions, and specialised events for those who have received any kind of treatment from us.

What happens when an employee attends a residential treatment centre?

The employee will stay at the residential treatment centre for 12 weeks. There they will receive round-the-clock support and care, working with specialised therapists to help them overcome their addiction. The residential treatment centre acts as a safe place, away from any triggers, for the person to heal. In this environment, they can understand the root cause of their addiction.

How do you decide which treatment centres to work with?

Every four years, TfL tender a procurement process to secure the requirements of the business needs.

We work very closely with the treatment centres before the employee’s arrival, making sure everything is ready and that suitable treatment can be provided from the start. We carefully manage the needs of the employee to ensure that they go to the treatment centre that will be best suited to accommodate their individual needs.

Do employees have to pay for any of their treatment at DAATS?

If an employee attends a treatment centre, they are asked to contribute £750 toward the cost of the treatment. This contribution supports accountability and personal empowerment.

Is everything between DAATS and the employee confidential?

Yes. Only DAATS and the employee’s line manager will know that they are receiving treatment. Confidentiality is a priority.

What are the conditions of receiving treatment?

After an employee has received treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, they must remain abstinent for the remainder of their continued employment with TfL. This is not consistent with the pathway for gambling due to the different physical and psychological impacts of the addiction.

Those who have received treatment will also be subject to additional drug and alcohol testing in the workplace to monitor safety as part of the due diligence that is held by TfL and DAATS.

How do you spread awareness of DAATS to employees?

The most effective way we spread awareness is through the employees who have been through DAATS. They are often the biggest advocates for our services. They are usually excited to share how their life has changed. Sharing their experiences informally with other employees has a powerful impact on others. They are proud of the tremendous amount of work they have done to completely turn their life around—they want to tell everyone—it’s amazing. It really helps other employees who may need our services feel more able to come forward and ask for help.

Proactively raising awareness is something we are working on. We have been visiting depots to raise awareness about DAATS and myth busting some of the misconceptions around our services. We regularly join employee away days to help spread the message of what DAATS offers as a service. We promote via comms but have found that speaking face to face is usually best.

How do you measure the success of DAATS?

We measure impact qualitatively and quantitively. We annually review all DAATS employees for a seven-year period, to help track our outcomes. This includes noticing career progression, if they stay with TfL, and offering our continued support.

We also monitor historical records of a DAATS employees to measure the return in investment for the business. For example, the average cost of the treatment ‘pathway’ is a fraction of what it would cost to replace an experienced train operator. So, overall, it is a great investment for the employee and TfL to make.

What impact has DAATS had at TfL?

In 30 years, over 3,000 employees have accessed the DAATS service. With an outstanding success rate, employees who have used our services have been able to return to work safely. World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics state that a third of those suffering with drug or alcohol addiction return to using and a third pass away, only a third remain in recovery.

Since 2004 many employees who have successfully completed residential treatment and returned to their role have become DAATS ambassadors. They regularly return to share their experience with the employees that have come forward more recently.

Our unique service allows us to retain our talented and experienced employees.

Why is DAATS so important?

DAATS is life changing. In most cases it saves lives. And it’s not just the individuals whose lives completely change. The ripples of change continue through to the network, colleagues, and customers. We are proud and humbled by the bravery of those who come forward and use our services.

Nobody can explain the service better than our employees who have been through it.

‘I can hardly believe that today I am three years sober. Life is pretty good. I'm a union H&S rep now—perfect attendance, apart from getting COVID last Xmas. I spend my free time at the gym and am back into the same size jeans I wore when I was 20 years old. It's nice to be happy and healthy.’

‘In a strange way, it feels like the whole substance abuse thing happened to someone else. Yet, I am always conscious of it and never complacent. It's surprisingly easy though, and despite no progress with seeing my children I'm still trying to be the zen master.’

‘Today I am celebrating by spending the day driving a car at the race track, and of course will be sending you special gratitude for all that you have done to make this happen for me.’

‘Another big milestone. I was two-years sober last Saturday 5th June. As ever and always, my eternal gratitude and thanks for all you have done for me.’

What is next for DAATS?

We will continue to provide our current services going forward. We are continuing to develop our gambling service with collaboration from our gambling support providers.

What advice would you give to other organisations in the industry looking at setting up a similar service to DAATS?

It is important that they are really careful about planning, understanding the limitations of the services, and setting up robust policies and boundaries. They need to make sure they completely understand what they will be providing and how it will be structured. They need to go through all of the ‘what if’ scenarios and know what they would do in all situations before introducing the service. They will need to make sure they have people with the right expertise running the service—therapists who have extensive qualifications related to trauma and addiction, with qualifications to facilitate groups.

It is also essential that team members maintain a high level of continued professional development in order to stay abreast of new training and treatment modalities.

We are happy to speak with anyone who is considering introducing a similar service if they wish to do so.