The public health team for North Yorkshire is looking to establish a recovery-orientated substance misuse service to meet the needs of people across the county.
Themes
- Substance misuse - adult drugs/alcohol treatment
Locality
Across North Yorkshire
Aims
The public health team for North Yorkshire is looking to establish a recovery-orientated substance misuse service across the county, inline with the national strategy and direction of travel. The new system will aim to:
- Better meet the needs of people across the county;
- Have a clear and consistent access point to treatment;
- Have a clear focus on 'recovery' from the very start of a treatment journey; and
- Provide a cost effective solution by offering best value for money.
The project is reviewing the current model of provision with a view to procuring a new service that involves a complete overhaul (not a simple adaption) of the current model.
Details
The initial stage of the project was an engagement exercise designed to access views on how the current treatment system was working, and what a recovery-focused treatment system for North Yorkshire would look like.
The engagement exercise was conducted through the following activities which took place during October/November 2012:
- Stakeholder events;
- Service user/ex-service users events; and
- Other one-to-one discussions with service users unable to attend the engagement events.
Following the engagement exercise a report summarising the key findings was produced. From the report's key findings a number of "service principles" were produced, and based on the principles a number of proposed service delivery models were developed. The proposed models were considered by the North Yorkshire substance misuse partnership board and a preferred option was chosen.
A consultation on the proposed new model was held between 1 March and 24 May 2013. Draft service specifications and an accompanying outcomes framework were developed and published. People were invited to comment and provide feedback on these in a number of ways:
- Consultation launch event held at Harrogate Pavilions;
- Online surveys;
- Consultation workshops held with stakeholders;
- Consultation workshops held with service users/ex-service users;
- Emails sent directly to the public health team;
- Phone calls to the public health team or interim independent project co-ordinator; and
- A Twitter hashtag.
The project is currently undergoing a stage of consolidation and development following the completion of the consultation exercise. Following this it is anticipated that there will be a procurement process to identify suitable provider(s) to deliver the new system. It is anticipated that the new services will be in place by 1 May 2014.
How will this case study improve health and reduce health inequalities?
The new substance misuse treatment system is designed to increase the numbers of individuals successfully recovering from drug and alcohol dependence in North Yorkshire.
It will have a clear and personalised focus on recovery, building on the strengths and recovery capital (resources to aid recovery) of each individual.
The new system model will operate within a community asset development approach, which will support the development of recovery communities and improve access to local community networks and resources. This should provide a more personalised and accessible service to all who require it, as well as improving health and wellbeing outcomes of the wider community.
Contact details
Angela Hall, Health Improvement Manager
North Yorkshire County Council
Tel: 01609 533552
Email: angela.hall@northyorks.gov.uk
