Presentation from Contracts Manager, Redcar and Darlington, and Service Manager, Darlington, We Are With You
Minutes:
The Contracts Manager, We Are With You, and the Executive Director, Contract Management and Business Development, We Are With You, gave a presentation on the Substance Misuse Service (STRIDE).
Members heard that the service provided pharmacological interventions, psychosocial interventions, harm reduction and needle exchange, health and wellbeing assessments, group programme and awareness sessions, signposting and onward referral, ambassador training programme, and an outreach team to support individuals who are finding it difficult to engage with the service. The programme included drop in sessions, awareness sessions and structured groups.
The Contracts Manager, With You, advised the Committee that STRIDE worked with a range of partners, including the Police, Social Services, Children’s Services, Safeguarding Teams, Housing Teams, the Darlington Carers Service, Mental Health Services (Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS), and domestic abuse services. Members also heard of the ambitions for the service.
Members were keen to establish when the service would be moving into the Tubwell Row site, and heard that the operational team were ready, however were awaiting final agreement from the Estates Team, although it was anticipated that it would be within this financial year.
It was suggested that alcoholism within the Middle Class was on the rise, however that there was a reluctance from those involved to recognise this, and Members were keen to discover what targeted work was being undertaken to address this. Members were also keen to establish what work was being undertaken with Balance and GP practices, and what was being done to liaise with habitual / binge drinkers.
Members were pleased to learn that peer-2-peer and outreach work was taking place, and were keen to learn more about how this worked in practice.
Disappointment was expressed that there was no mention of organisations such as the 700 Club, Number Forty and the Y.M.C.A., however Members were reassured that work was undertaken with the voluntary sector.
Members were keen to ascertain the number of service users per group, how feedback in relation to the service was obtained, and how many staff and partners carried Naloxone. A number of questions were posed during the meeting to which a written response was offered.
RESOLVED – That the content of the presentation be noted.