Agenda item

Report ACH22-024

The Committee considered a report seeking Executive approval to draw down the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities (OHID) Grant and agree the subsequent variation to the Adults Substance Misuse contract.

The Substance Misuse Service for Adults was an integrated provision for drugs and alcohol services with the aim of moving individuals from the position of problematic drugs and/or alcohol misuse to a position of stability, improved health and positive engagement with employment and/or education in the community.

On 21^st May 2018, Executive approved the award of the contract to Change Grow Live for the provision of Adult Substance Misuse Services for a period of three years commencing on 1^st December 2018 to 30^th November 2021 with the option to extend for a further period of two years. On 26^th May 2021, Executive approved the extension of the contract for two years from 1^st December 2021 to 30^th November 2023 utilising the extension option built into the contract. The whole life value (inclusive of the extension option) was £6,745k.

In April 2021, the Council received a non-recurring Local Authority Grant of £207k to support improvements to reduce drug related offending and deaths in 2021/22. Agreement to draw down this funding and vary the Adults Substance Misuse contract was approved by Executive on 26^th May 2021. In April 2022, the OHID made available a further grant, with a total of £264k being allocated for the financial year 2022/23. It was proposed to utilise this grant via Public Health programme co-ordination (£39k) and a further variation to the existing Adults Substance Misuse contract (£225k). The Director of Public Health advised that this item was for an urgent decision and therefore, if the recommendations were approved by the Executive, the call-in period would be waived.

A Member noted Table 2 in paragraph 3.8 of the report which illustrated the percentage of ‘adults with substance misuse treatment need who successfully engage in community-based structured treatment following release from prison’, and enquired why the figure for Bromley (23%) was lower than the national figure (37%). The Director of Public Health said that generally, a lower proportion of patients accessed this service, however it was noted that the action plan included an item to improve this figure. As there was not a prison located in the borough it was likely that the local provider found it difficult to engage effectively with clients.

A Member highlighted the link between cannabis misuse and mental health issues and asked if this would be included in the service. The Director of Public Health confirmed that the service would include all substances.

RESOLVED that the Executive be recommended to approve:

i)  The draw down of the total grant amount of £264k to be used as set out in Paragraphs 3.1 to 3.8 of the report;

ii)  The variation of an additional £225k to the Adults Substance Misuse Contract for the financial year 2022/23 in order to continue with improvements in the quality and capacity of drug and alcohol treatment as set out in the grant conditions; and,

iii)  The use of the Urgency Procedure under the Policy Development and Scrutiny Procedure Rules of the Constitution for the reasons set out in paragraph 3.5.