National recognition for Wigan drug and alcohol treatment approach

A Greater Manchester health partnership has been presented to ministers as an example of best practice in drug and alcohol treatment.

Wigan Council is leading a GM consortium to deliver extra inpatient detox treatment programmes after the city-region secured £650,000 to tackle substance misuse.

Wigan will receive £74,000 of the drug treatment local authority funding, with the rest split across the nine other GM areas.

The funding will also be invested into two regional detox facilities (Turning Point and Chapman Barker Unit) to increase capacity for placements and the number of people accessing treatment.

Deputy leader of the council, coun Keith Cunliffe, welcomed the news.

He said: “The funding secured and fact that the model is being shared as best practice is testament to the hard work that colleagues across the city-region have put into developing the consortium.

“This is also a fantastic example of how Wigan Borough is leading the way, with the best interest and wellbeing of residents at its heart.

“It’s only right that the consortium is seeing national level recognition for this work, which will ultimately help to transform lives.”

The announcement comes after the council secured a £431,000 share of £80m in government funding.

This is to reduce drug related crime and drug and alcohol deaths, combat illicit drug use and provide continuity of care to those in hospital and the criminal justice system after discharge.

The work, which will take place over one year (2021 – 2022), will be delivered in partnership with the local authority’s drug and alcohol misuse service provider, We Are With You.

Coun Cunliffe, who is also portfolio holder for adult social care, which includes public health, added: “It’s imperative that we invest in these life-changing services in order to support people to make healthier and more positive choices long-term.

“Though our services will receive a financial boost, they will also benefit from the insights gained from a Greater Manchester drug and alcohol deaths review panel, which aims to explore the reasons for drug and alcohol deaths in the city-region to inform and improve services.”

Specifically in Wigan borough, the £431,000 will be used to:

- Recruit outreach teams to identify people engaging in anti-social behaviour or rough sleeping and are engaged in the criminal justice system

- Increase the number of individuals engaged in drug treatment

- Provide better links between the criminal justice system, hospitals and community-based rehabilitation services to ensure those who need bespoke support can access treatment in the heart of their communities.

Siobhan Peters, With You’s director of services for the North West said: “We’re extremely proud of our work in Wigan and are delighted that our collaborative approach is being recognised as best practice at a national level.

"This funding will allow us to build on our work with Wigan Council and reach more residents with the type of engaging and personalised support that we know changes lives.”

For more information about the drug and alcohol treatment services in Wigan borough, visit: www.wearewithyou.org or contact 01942 487578.

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