Case studies

A stand-alone Recovery Hub has been established as part of Sutton’s substance misuse service. It is situated away from the main treatment clinic giving clients a sense of progress and achievement when they get there, while providing them with the on-going support they need to stay alcohol-free.

Staff from Gateshead’s substance misuse service have a presence at the borough’s main hospital four days a week. This gives them a chance to identify and engage patients who have alcohol-related problems.

New ways of engaging young people are being explored in Lancashire thanks to a government-funded project. Non-alcohol specialist staff are getting extra training and early intervention work is taking place with teenagers and families.

Leeds has integrated its substance misuse services – and this is helping boost innovation. Support is being moved into GP centres, there is an enhanced family service and a new team to work with those with earlystage alcohol problems.

Oxfordshire’s substance misuse has seen an improvement in performance for clients with alcohol problems after re-organising the way clinics are delivered. The service introduced segmentation – grouping together clinics with similar clients.

Alcohol services have been changed in east Kent thanks to a co-design process involving staff, service users, local people and stakeholders. It has led to more consistency in services, boosted innovation and improved performance.

Sandwell MBC has partnered with Alcohol Change UK to run a project aimed at the most change-resistant drinkers. It targets those who are alcohol dependent, a burden on public service and not engaging with treatment, by surrounding them with support.

Six core service partners are working together in Solihull to deliver treatment and support to people with alcohol problems. The Solihull Integrated Substance Misuse Service (SIAS) is led by the local mental health foundation trust in partnership with a range of voluntary sector providers and the council’s social care team.

Region: South West Theme: Regeneration, Housing (in OPE), Land Release Fund (LRF)

NHS Newcastle Gateshead clinical commissioning group (CCG), was selected to be part of NHS England New Care Models Care Home Vanguard Programme. One of the initiatives to be introduced was the ‘transfer of care bag’, which sought to improve communication between hospital and care home teams when residents moved between both settings. This example of a local initiative forms part of our managing transfers of care resource.