Soft Market Testing - All-Age Integrated Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery System

Description

The Contracting Authority (Southwark Council) has commenced an exploratory process to update provider landscape knowledge, best practice and market sector considerations in relation to the future provision of an all-age community integrated drug and alcohol treatment and recovery system service contract, including a support offer for people of all ages affected by the substance use of another person. The council is seeking market engagement with providers of these services through completion of an online questionnaire following review of a supporting document. Responses required on 31/03/2025 by 17:00 hrs. Lot 1: Community drug and alcohol treatment and recovery provision for people of all ages is currently commissioned through an all-age integrated drug and alcohol treatment and recovery system service contract. The core contract service specification comprises the following key components: i. Community drug and alcohol treatment services for adults aged 18 years + (which includes a support offer for people of all ages affected by the substance use of another person who may or may not be in treatment) – recovery navigation inclusive of assessment, recovery planning and case management, structured psychosocial interventions, clinical interventions, aftercare and reintegration and harm reduction services including needle exchange and a blood borne virus and physical health service. ii. Community drug and alcohol treatment services for children and young people aged 10 – 17 years – Tier 2 delivery including , assessment, care planning and case management and structured interventions. iii. Commissioning responsibility for substance misuse services in community pharmacy (supervised consumption of medicines for the treatment of opioid dependency and needle and paraphernalia exchange services) iv. Needle and paraphernalia exchange coordination services (provision of support, supplies, and clinical waste collection service to participating community pharmacies) v. Commissioning responsibility for substance misuse prescribing services in primary care (general practice shared care scheme) vi. Core integrated working pathways with the Criminal Justice System, hospitals and health, outreach services, Tier 4 residential pathway and the independently commissioned Recovery Support Service for Substance Use (service user involvement and peer led delivery) The core Public Health Grant funded contract value for 2025-26 is £3.99m. Since 2021, service delivery has been enhanced and expanded through investment from central government grants including the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant and the Supplementary Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant. In 2024-25, additional investment in the service contract is up to £2.377m. This is funding the provision of a dedicated rough sleeping drug and alcohol outreach team, dedicated criminal justice system and hospitals teams and parents, children and young people’s delivery as well as increasing the number of service management and recovery worker posts and service delivery costs. The current contract is due to end in 2026 and this soft market testing process will help to shape the future provision of these services in the borough.