Purpose

To request approval
of the allocation of targeted grant funding (the Drug and Alcohol
Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant (DATRIG) from the Office
for Health Improvement and Disparities, previously known as the
Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant
(SSMTRG)) to support improvements in the quality and capacity of
drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services in the county
during the financial year 2025/26; and also for approval to
allocate contingency funding to be used in the event of
supplemental drug and alcohol treatment funding (such as the
DATRIG) not being forthcoming from the Government at the end of the
current funding term on 31st March 2026.
 

Decision

In coming to this decision I have given due
and full regard to the requirements of the public sector equality
duty contained in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (“the
Act”) by reference to the law itself and also the relevant
Equality Impact Assessment, which was prepared in accordance with
the requirements of the Act.  
 
Having fully considered all the available
information, I have decided to reject the alternative options and
take the recommended decision to: 
 

Approve a modification to the
council’s existing contract for the supply of drug and
alcohol treatment services with the supplier known as v-i-a Care
Ltd for the purpose of providing the following additional resources
and services in addition to those already provided under the
contract: 

an additional 16 posts that will
provide a range of further evidence-based drug and alcohol
interventions during financial year 2025/26;  

the provision of a Buvidal Pilot
(see paragraph 6b below) for up to 60 service users during
financial year 2025/26; and

continuation of funding that will
enable the mental health nurse post to become further embedded into
the adult drug and alcohol service in order to enhance support that
is provided to service users with co-existing mental health and
substance misuse conditions,  

provision of a range of additional
interventions described below in paragraph 6 of the main report, in
accordance with contract change options that were provided for in
the contract when it was awarded originally.  

 

Approve the allocation of
£40,000 from the DATRIG (described in the (background section
of this report) by way of internal transfer for the purposes of
funding the cost of the council’s Youth Support Service to
employ additional staff during financial year 2025/26 in order to
expand access to young people’s substance misuse services by
increasing capacity in the service 

Approve the allocation of
£562,604, taken from Public Health reserves, as contingency
funding to fund the provision of evidence-based interventions and
additional posts by v-i-a Care Ltd and GCC Youth Support Team, as
detailed in the above recommendations during the period 1st April
2026 to 30th September 2026 in the event that there is a delay in
notification of future DATRIG funding or the funding is no longer
forthcoming, and  

Delegate authority to the Director
of Public Health, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for
Public Health and Communities to modify the adult community drug
and alcohol contract held by v-i-a Care Ltd for the period 1st
April 2026 to 30th September 2026 in order to reduce or cease
services to keep the contract within available resources in the
event of a break in, or end to, Government grant
funding. 

 
For the reasons set out in the
report.