The Director of Public Health has decided to approve the variation of the contract with Wirral Citizens Advice Bureau Limited ‘for Information and Advice Services’ for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 to the value of £112,266 to provide enhanced information and advice support for people who may be experiencing drug and alcohol issues in line with the provisional delivery and spending plan for Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Improvement Grant (DATRIG) approved by the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee on 4th March 2025.

The Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTR) Grant Agreement with Wirral Citizens Advice Bureau Limited (WCAB) expired on 31 March 2025. Wirral is planning to vary the current contract with WCAB Limited for ‘Information and Advice Services’ to enable this crucial service to continue to provide enhanced support for people who may be experiencing drug and or alcohol issues.

The financial variation will be funded by the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Improvement and Recovery Grant (DATRIG) and the value of the contract variation will be £112,266 from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026.

WCAB Limited have provided specialist advice, casework and social prescribing to the Change, Grow Live (CGL) service users including those using Spider’s abstinence service. The service also supports people using other drug and alcohol treatment centres, such as Phoenix Futures and Kaleidoscope, and supports others attending Mutual Aid Recovery Support services such as Alcohol Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

Through this commission the service has provided a regular presence and appointments at the 2 CGL and the Spider Project sites. The service ensures emergencies are picked up and for otherwise ‘hard to engage’ clients to receive on the spot support. Clients will also be offered a social prescribing appointment, working with them to create a plan that can help them to overcome loneliness or social isolation and improve their health and wellbeing. In general, the service assists clients to overcome financial and practical difficulties that may be hampering their recovery.

This mainly involves welfare and debt advice but also supports clients with other issues such as dealing with bailiffs, relationship breakdown, issues with their housing/accommodation, and others similar matters. The advice and support provided will range from one off advice to more complex case work including support to challenge decisions, and tribunal attendance.

A range of investment options were considered when developing the provisional Wirral SSMTR/ DATRIG Delivery Plan for 2025/26. This provisional plan has been designed to ensure that Wirral is best able to deliver the aims of the national drugs strategy and align with the Wirral Drugs Strategy (2023-2027). The plan has been developed following a progress review of the in-year SSMTR programme, the previously delivered Project ADDER programme, (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery) local data, and engagement and consultation with a wide range of partners, including people with Lived Experience. Wirral’s provisional plan has been approved by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), and by the Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee on 4 March 2025.

Discussions have taken place with colleagues from Legal Services, Procurement, and the Addictions Team and it was agreed that a contract variation to Wirral Citizens Advice Bureau Limited for ‘Information and Advice Services’ was the best option, given the need to provide for continuity of this enhanced access to a crucial service, and because the national DATRIG Grant Funding is currently only confirmed for a further 12 months (although there is an some expectation that it will be continued beyond that).

The decision has been taken under Part 3 Section C - Overview and Scheme of Delegations of Authority to Officers as the decision is not reserved to a Committee or Sub-Committee and the Director is satisfied that paragraphs 2(a) to 2(c) apply.

Background Papers

Wirral Drugs Strategy 2023-2027: A four-year vision to reduce drug-related harm in Wirral

https://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=50102600

Public Health England: Alcohol and Drug Treatment and Recovery: Why invest?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/alcohol-and-drug-prevention-treatment-and-recovery-why-invest

 Independent Review of Drugs by Professor Dame Carol Black

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/independent-review-of-drugs-by-professor-dame-carol-black

From Harm to Hope: A 10-year Drugs Plan to Cut Crime and Save Lives

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/from-harm-to-hope-a-10-year-drugs-plan-to-cut-crime-and-save-lives

Wirral Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-27

https://www.wirralintelligenceservice.org/strategies-and-plans/wirral-health-wellbeing-strategy-2022-27/

Wirral Intelligence Service – Drug Misuse

https://www.wirralintelligenceservice.org/jsna/drug-misuse/