Substance Misuse workshop 2008 Update from the past year Past, Present and Future Facilitated by Louise Gotch Hertfordshire County Council

How well do the services provided through Supporting People for people with drug problems meet the diverse needs of the population? Under represented in SP funding streams Need to focus more on partnership working with PCT to meet needs more effectively There should be a flexible approach to commissioning services to meet the needs of this client group given the complex nature of their behaviour etc More work with districts in order they understand the issues surrounding this client group to enable them to be more flexible with tenancies etc Issue with domestic violence refuge not getting floating support from drug or alcohol teams. This essential as this support would help the mothers cope with their abuse and their children to avoid them being taken in to care There needs to be a link with homeless substance misuse to link in with other providers if sleeping rough etc. Needs to be stabilisation accommodation, wet / dry places for people to go as a starting point towards their recovery. A day centre, wet hostel etc Substance mis-users are often excluded from hostels and night shelters and this needs to be addressed. Hertfordshire County Council

Are services for drug users being delivered in the right areas of the county? –There is need in every area –There are providers providing a great deal of support for this client group who are not SP funded –Keep in communication with regional drugs unit to obtain statistics etc –Resources should be person centred and follow the individual –Alcohol and drugs are often interlinked and projects need to be developed to be able to deal with both addictions –RSL should focus on present information and not past history as this often sways their decision which is not giving the client a chance to move on in their recovery process. –Very few providers put drugs or alcohol down on the client record forms as primary, but most have a substantial amount within their projects. How does or will this affect SP funding given the strict criteria. –Funding – SP budget should link in with commissioning partners –Provide funding outside the box –Youth offending team need to link in with the programme –Look at care and support pathways to get a better picture of what is required –Partnership work is hard but essential in making sure the right services are commissioned Hertfordshire County Council

How can Supporting People develop support to services providing support to people who use drugs as a secondary need? Support packages should be in place to meet individual needs Specialist – support / access to drug misuse as they need to understand the needs and how it affects their housing, allowing them to keep their housing while support is in place. Team of flexible floating support workers across districts / projects There should not be an assumption that SP will fund all services there should be more emphasis on joint funding with PCT ACS etc. Preventative work needs to be done as well, particularly with young people Flexibility of funding Concerns of client group mix, not always good to have drinkers etc with non Instant access to support services Hertfordshire County Council

Should Supporting People develop more services for substance misuse as opposed to separate drug and alcohol services? Support to accommodate Very little funding for alcohol Accessible services L.A housing criteria not always applied. SP should work with LA’s to address this issue to encourage them to allow more flexibility to allow people to stay in their homes as long as they accept a support package etc. Hertfordshire County Council

Do services for people with alcohol problems need to be better distributed throughout the county? More services required More wet provision needed to be distributed Wet centres / day centres / accommodation Hertfordshire County Council

Hertfordshire County Council Is there is a need for specialist floating support for service users with more chaotic and complex substance misuse problems who may also be rough sleepers.? Work to establish and work with unmet need such as sofa surfers, rough sleepers Work to prevent people losing tenancies through drug / alcohol issues, anti – social behaviour etc

Hertfordshire County Council Who should deliver that support, - specialist or generic workers? Women’s refuges need workers to work with women to prevent children going in to care and minimise risk due to drinking and drug use Stronger links between projects to share expertise, workers etc. Support should be determined on a district by district basis with flexibility for cross boundary working when there is a particular problem in a certain area

What have we done / What Are our Plans ? New floating support In St. Albans Service user group to feed into commissioning process Review and consultation on type and models of support required Timescale = 18 months Hertfordshire County Council