Shropshire Star

£6.8 million contract up for grabs to tackle scourge of drugs in Shropshire

Increasing numbers of drug deaths and a rise in the use of psychoactive substances like spice will be issues for the firm taking on Shropshire’s £6.8 million drug treatment service contract.

Published

Shropshire Council has asked organisations to bid for the contract to run its drug and alcohol treatment and recovery service for three years.

The multi-million pound contract will run from April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2022.

In a document inviting companies to bid for the contract, the council states it wants the organisation to reduce the number of people dying from drug use, and to reduce the amount of crime.

It states: “The contract will include all aspects of community provision to support recovery and harm reduction, including the provision of pharmacological and psychosocial interventions (including community assisted withdrawal) to support adults and young people recover from problematic drug and alcohol use.”

The organisation will be expected to provide a number of interventions to reduce the spread of blood-borne viruses and reduce drug-related death.

The tender talks about how the needs of the service have altered in recent years.

Opiate

It states: “The service will need to be responsive to changing needs, including reducing the rise in drug-related deaths, an ageing opiate population, increasing numbers in treatment six years plus, novel psychoactive substances, dependence on prescribed and over-the-counter drugs.”

Other considerations are the aims for people to fully get over their drug addiction, and its effect on their life.

The document states: “In line with the National Drug Strategy (NDS) of 2017 the service will also need to be ambitious for full recovery, improving both treatment quality and outcomes for different user groups, ensuring people get the right intervention to support their level of need.

“The service will need to work in partnership with a range of other agencies from both the statutory and voluntary sector, facilitating a joined-up approach to the services that are essential to supporting every individual to live without dependence.

“For young people, the service will need to be able to be flexible in its approach, working closely with children and family services, local schools and colleges.”