Purpose

This report seeks approval to award grant agreements to external
providers to deliver substance misuse interventions.
 
Lower than expected activity across locally commissioned
services, delivered by GPs and community pharmacies, has generated
an underspend in the drug and alcohol cost centre of
approximately £125,000 (2023-24). According to the
requirements of the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and
Recovery Grant, local authorities must demonstrate that substance
misuse budgets from the Public Health Grant are fully
spent on drug/alcohol related interventions.
 
Therefore, any underspend generated in this cost centre must be
reinvested in substance misuse services.
 
Officers propose to issue two grant agreements using this
underspend. One of £98,000 to Change, Grow, Live
(providers of Camden’s integrated drug and alcohol service)
to purchase synthetic opioid (specifically nitazenes)
testing strips. The other grant agreement will be for £25,000
to Janus Solutions. Janus are currently providing support, and
supervision for an independent drug and alcohol service user
group called Moving Forward. The £25,000 grant will be
used to make reward and recognition payments to Moving Forward
members, and to fund and administer a fund which
Moving Forward can use to develop promotional material, host events
and other interventions that will support and encourage production
and service user involvement.
 
 
 

Content

THAT the Director of Health and Wellbeing in consultation with
the Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care
approves:
 
The awards of two grants using drug and alcohol 2023-24 cost
centre underspend to:

•        
Change, Grow, Live, for £98,000 to purchase nitazene testing
strips

•        
Janus Solutions, for £25,000 to fund reward and recognition
payments and provide and administer a development fund for Moving
Forward.