Provision of a Camden Adult Substance Misuse, Treatment and Recovery Service

<p>The London Borough of Camden invites suitable expression of interest from suppliers for the delivery of an integrated Camden Adult Substance Misuse, Treatment and Recovery Service for adults aged 18 and over who are at risk of or are currently experiencing negative impacts as a result of their alcohol and/or drug use.</p>
<p>Current status / background<br>The services have been delivered as four separate contracts since 2015. The intention is to commission a single integrated service from April 2023 which will also include the development of a designated substance misuse family service. The proposed model has a number of key benefits; it creates a single point of entry for both service users and professionals wanting to refer, it streamlines operational delivery of the service, not only making it more effective in delivering outcomes but also has the opportunity to reduce overhead and management costs. It offers more opportunities for co-locating with other delivery partners e.g. mental health and primary care and offering flexibility for service users, which is key for engaging people experiencing multiple disadvantage. The development of the new designated family service will be key in not only directly supporting families affected by substance misuse but by helping to reduce intergenerational substance misuse. The family service will also offer support to other professionals working with families affected by substance misuse.</p>
<p>Based on the feedback from stakeholders the new model will increase the number of peer led and peer supported groups and activities. Service users in particular value the support from peers who have shared similar experience. Acting as peer supporter provides an excellent opportunity for residents to develop skills, confidence, and recognised qualifications. The new model will also include greater flexibility about where and when services are delivered. Feedback from stakeholders is that although some service users like attending a designated drug/alcohol service, some wanted access to support more locally in their community.</p>
<p>The new model will also include provider responsibility for:<br>• Contracting directly with pharmacies for needle exchange provision, supplies and hazardous waste collection (potentially from Year 2 of the contract).<br>• Contracting directly with pharmacies for supervised administration of opiate substitute treatment (potentially from Year 2 of the contract).<br>• Managing the budget and processes for inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation.<br>• A wide range of additional interventions in Years 1 to 3 should there be a successful application by commissioners to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities via the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant allocated to local authorities as a result of investment outlined in December 2021’s National Drug Strategy.</p>