Councillor Lucia das Neves, Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care, and Wellbeing, approved the acceptance of significant grant funding for drug and alcohol treatment and smoking cessation services. The meeting also saw the delegation of authority to the Director of Public Health to award contracts related to these grants.

Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant (DATRIG)

Councillor das Neves approved the acceptance of the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant (DATRIG) for the 2025/26 financial year, amounting to £3,241,594. This grant consolidates previous funding streams, including the Substance Misuse Supplemental Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG), the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant (RSDAG), and the Inpatient Detoxification Grant (IDG). The DATRIG aims to enhance the quality of treatment and recovery systems, with a focus on reducing attrition rates, improving treatment progress, supporting sustained recovery, and decreasing mortality.

To expedite the awarding of contracts and mitigate the risk of service gaps, authority was delegated to the Director of Public Health to award contracts valued between £500,000 and £2,000,000. This delegation is crucial due to the late notification of the grant, with existing contracts due to expire in March 2025. The report highlighted the ongoing need for substance misuse services in Haringey, noting significant unmet treatment needs for opiate and crack cocaine users, and dependent alcohol consumers. It also detailed how previous grant funding has been used to increase the number of residents accessing treatment, improve harm reduction strategies, and support outreach services for vulnerable populations, including those experiencing homelessness. The decision aligns with the Council Corporate Delivery Plan 2024-26, specifically Theme 4: Adults, Health and Welfare.

Additional Funding for Stop Smoking Service

The Cabinet Member also approved the acceptance of £338,387 in additional funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to enhance Haringey's smoking cessation services for 2025/26. This funding is part of the government's Smoke-free 2030 ambition.

Of this amount, £260,000 will be used to commission additional smoking cessation services, with the remaining £78,387 allocated for an in-house Smoking Cessation Project Officer and contributions to the London Stop Smoking digital app. To efficiently utilise this funding, the existing contract for the Integrated Lifestyle Change Programme, delivered by Haringey GP Group Limited (trading as Haringey GP Federation), will be varied. This programme already includes smoking cessation as a component. The variation will increase the contract's value by £260,000, bringing the total to £4,838,800.

The report emphasised that smoking is a leading preventable cause of ill health and that Haringey has a higher smoking prevalence than both London and England averages, particularly among adults in routine and manual occupations. The additional funding aims to provide a comprehensive borough-wide offer to support more smokers in quitting, thereby addressing health disparities. The decision to vary the existing contract, rather than undertaking a new tender process, was deemed more appropriate due to the short timeframe and the uncertainty of future funding beyond 2025/26. This approach also leverages the existing provider's established service and avoids duplication of resources. The enhanced service is expected to contribute to Haringey's Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2024-2029.