Authorise officers to commence the re-commissioning process for local drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing introduced a report by the Director of Public Health / Head of Policy and Performance which sought approval to commence a process to re-commission an Integrated Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery system for Wirral with the aims of:

·  Ensuring clients move through treatment services to recovery as quickly as possible to become a fully functioning member of the community

·  To ensure treatment services are clinically effective

Wirral had acquired a reputation for providing strong drug treatment services, accessible, realistic, non-punitive, and having a degree of flexibility that allowed drug users to move on with their lives.

The Coalition Government’s 2010 Drug Strategy placed an increased emphasis on the individual’s right to expect treatment to promote their journey towards recovery. This approach balanced community benefit with individual aspiration, supported by continued investment and clinical guidance.

RESOLVED: That

(1)  officers be authorised to commence the re-commissioning process to enable the development of an integrated drug and alcohol treatment service; and

(2)  Cabinet receive a report on the outcomes of the re-commissioning exercise for final decision on the awarding of the contract(s) for an integrated drug and alcohol treatment service.