Funding has been secured to support those struggling with drug and alcohol abuse in Trafford for at least the next three years.
The cash, from central government, follows a recent review of national support for those affected that found care is below the required standard.
The aim of the funding is both to support those struggling and reduce associated crime.
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A Trafford council health and wellbeing board committee report said: “In response to Dame Carol Black’s review of drugs, which makes it clear that the drug treatment and recovery system in England is not able to operate to the standard needed to address current challenges, the Government published its 10 Year Drugs Strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’ in December of last year.
“It aims to reduce crime and both the supply and demand for drugs by enhancing drug and alcohol treatment.”
The borough received £201,000 in 2021-22, and is set to get a further three years of funding which bosses are expecting to of a similar level. The exact amounts for future years have not yet been released.
Health bosses hope that the funding will extend beyond this initial three year period but with the spending review cycle limited to three years, this remains uncertain. The funding is ring-fenced to be used specifically on maintaining and improving on drug and alcohol support services in the borough going forward.
The report added: “There is a national target to increase the number of treatment places by 54,500 – a 20pc increase. In Trafford we need to agree with our provider/s a three-year trajectory that contributes towards this national ambition. We also need to set out how the grant funding will reduce drug and alcohol deaths locally, both in and out of treatment.”
The number of individual support placements around the country is also expected to go up as part of the wider scheme, which Trafford will be expected to contribute to.
Trafford’s public health team expect to be asked to submit information to central government on how they plan to spend the money at some point next month.
As part of the grant funding, the borough’s teams are expected to set up a local drugs and alcohol partnership, with input from groups including the police and crime commissioner, the local health and social care system, probation and NHS health and justice representatives.
Trafford’s public health team consider this need to be best met within the existing Safer Trafford Partnership, which already meets regularly to discuss these kinds of issues.
