Agenda item

Emma Stubbs, Senior Commissioning Manager and Charlotte Ashton, Consultant in Public Health were present and made a presentation to the Committee, a copy of which is interleaved.

Peter Kane, Divisional Director, Substance Misuse Division, Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust and Will Digan, Service User representative, Islington Clients of Drug and Alcohol Services were also present.

During consideration of the report the following main points were made –

·         Substance misuse services have been part of a programme of transformation and redesign since 2014 and savings of £2.3 m have been delivered since 2014/15. Public Health Commissioners, as part of the Council’s medium term financial plan are committed to finding a further £1.3 m in savings

·         By the start of the new contract in 2018/19 the cost of the services will be £4,900,000 per annum and this represents a 23% reduction on the 2017/18 contract values for the adult services in scope

·         Services have historically been commissioned via a range of different funding streams and as a result different parts of the service pathway have been designed and commissioned separately and pathways and referral routes into services have been complex and confusing. Service users have faced multiple assessment, handover and case working arrangements

·         Due to the need to the current challenges facing local authorities there is a need to ensure that services are operating as effectively as possible, which has been demonstrated through the procurement process

·         The procurement process involved extensive consultation with service users, families, health and social care services and residents and there were good levels of interest from providers with 7 bids submitted. Members of the local drug and alcohol service user forum (ICDAS) were involved in as much of the procurement process as they wished to participate in, including writing the vision for the new service model

·         The Committee noted the service user views on what worked well and what could be improved upon

·         The contract was awarded to Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with Blenheim CDP and Westminster Drug Project, and the new service will be in place by April 2018. Camden and Islington, Westminster Drug Project and Blenheim are a ready made partnership that will put co- production at the heart of services in Islington

·         There will be a community focus where local voluntary services will be brought into the substance misuse treatment pathway, and treatment services will be taken out to the community settings and to people’s homes

·         Community workers will be trained in substance misuse first aid and how to have substance misuse conversations and make every contact count

·         There will be a focus on developing a lasting recovery community

·         There would be 3 community hubs around the borough

·         Members were of the view that it would be useful to get a 12 month report on the progress of the new service

·         Patients would be allocated a key worker, however the new service would be raising peer profile and involving the voluntary sector and Westiminster Drug Project and Blenheim offer appropriate training

·         In terms of success this would mean the service being accessed by more hard to reach groups and people going through the system successfully and where appropriate, getting them into employment

·         Reference was made to the fact that it is hoped to obtain qualitative information from service users using the new service and that if the new service is successful it could release pressure on A&E services

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted and a further report on progress of the new service be submitted in 12 months time