Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director of Public Health

The Board were asked to consider an extension to the three community substance misuse contracts held by Public Health Dorset which were due to expire at the end of October 2020, with them being able to be extended by up to 2 further years. There was seen to be a critical need for continuity in how the interventions and treatments beneficial to drug and alcohol dependencies could be managed effectively and what Public Health Dorset was able to do in providing for this.

It was acknowledged that performance in the Dorset Council area was progressing well, with a mature local partnership and identified areas for improvement. Accordingly, it was now being recommended that the contract for the REACH service be extended for the full two years, available to the end of October 2022. Whilst provision across BCP, inherited from the previous councils, was inequitable, with different approaches, service designs and funding per head, and commissioned by both BCP Council and Public Health Dorset, it was now being recommended that a single commissioning strategy be developed for BCP as a whole, to ensure equity and efficiency, with one organisation responsible for all relevant services. Commissioners advise that at least 12 months should be allocated for a full process of review and recommissioning.

It was therefore recommended that the contracts for services in BCP held by AWP and EDAS be extended for one year, to the end of October 2021, with the expectation that a new service (or services)would be commissioned by either one of BCP Council or Public Health Dorset in the interim.

Whilst the rebalancing of responsibilities and resources in ensuring a safe, effective and equitable service across the Council area was a priority- and seen to be essential for the treatment initiative – in BCP this was unable to be done within the constraints of the current contractual arrangements, so re-commissioning was therefore required.

As such given the inequity in resource and service provision between different areas in BCP, it was a priority that a consistent approach be developed and implemented for both young people and adults and a re-commissioning of the contracts would provide for this. Although a 12 month period was designed to initiate proceedings to determine how satisfactory the arrangements were, there would then be the opportunity to extend for a further one year.

The Board understood the need for the arrangements to be harmonised across the three BCP towns to meet their particular needs and looked forward to making a meaningful contribution in deciding how his would be achieved.

With options limited, what progress was being made on where the service could be best delivered was explained and members were hopeful this could be satisfactorily resolved in the near future. Members made some suggestion from their own knowledge of options and officers agreed to investigate these, it being acknowledged that homelessness, mental health and substance dependencies were invariably conjoined and there interventions should be harmonised. It was agreed that the respective Health and Social Care portfolio holders of each Council should, jointly, consider this directly.

The Board considered that what was being proposed was appropriate and acceptable in the circumstances.

Resolved

1)That the contract for the REACH service be extended for the full two years

available, to the end of October 2022.

2)That the contracts for services in BCP held by AWP and EDAS be

extended for one year, to the end of October 2021, with the expectation

that a new service (or services) would be commissioned by either one of

BCP Council or Public Health Dorset in the interim.

Reason for Decision

To ensure adequate time for preparation for procurement of services as well as service continuity for service users.