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Cumbria’s community drug and alcohol treatment service rated ‘Good’ across the board by Care Quality Commission

Jack Keery

An image of the Recovery Steps Cumbria team

Humankind, in partnership with The Well Communities, is proud to announce that Recovery Steps Cumbria has received a rating of “Good” in all areas from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

The community-based service in Cumbria offers a range of support including clinical, health and wellbeing, access to employability coaches and connections to housing.

This is the first CQC review of Recovery Steps Cumbria since it began operating in October 2021 and underlines the early progress made by our team and partners. To date, the service has supported 2,952 people across Cumbria.

In particular, the CQC praised our workforce for treating the people they support “with compassion and kindness”, noting that they “understood the individual needs of clients” while ensuring they “actively involved clients in decisions and care planning”.

The Recovery Steps Cumbria team were further commended for their ability to assess and manage risk, and their adherence to good practice and safeguarding procedures. The care plans they developed were described as holistic, recovery-oriented, and informed by comprehensive assessments.

The CQC also recognised the multidisciplinary approach of teams across our Cumbria hubs, which gave access to the full range of necessary specialists. This care was “easy to access”, with staff planning and managing discharge well and developing alternative pathways for people whose needs it could not meet.

Finally, the CQC recognised that Recovery Steps Cumbria was well led, with governance processes that ensured that its procedures ran smoothly.

Paul Johnson, Commissioning Manager for Children, Adults and Public Health at Cumbria County Council said:

“We are delighted to see the commissioned Cumbria Addictions Service consistently received ‘Good’ across the board in its recent CQC inspection, after just a year of being in operation. Particularly so as it had to get the new service up and running during the pandemic.

“We look forward to working together with our provider over the coming months and years to make this an ‘Outstanding’ service.”

Rachel Savchenko, Operations Director for the North West at Humankind, said:

“It is testament to our people at all levels that we have received a ‘Good’ rating across the board in Recovery Steps Cumbria’s first CQC review.

“We are excited to continue serving our community by providing the support and resources necessary for individuals to achieve lasting recovery.”

Becky White, Area Manager at Recovery Steps Cumbria, said:

“We are pleased to receive this recognition from the CQC and are fully dedicated to continuing to provide such safe, compassionate, and effective care to the people of Cumbria.

“I would like to thank our fantastic teams for all their hard work and commitment since the launch of Recovery Steps Cumbria. We know that we are progressing every day and hope to build on this rating further.”

News

Rising number of drug related deaths represents a genuine public health emergency

Jack Keery

Humankind believes that it is a tragedy that 4,859 people died in 2021 as a result of drugs. The drug related death data published by the Office of National Statistics today indicates that for the ninth year in a row the number of people that dying from drugs has increased, and that the North of England and Yorkshire continue to experience the highest rates of death.

These figures mean that 2021 was the deadliest year since current recording began in 1993 and that the UK continues to have one of the worst drug death rates in Europe.

Sadly, it will take many years for the number of deaths to change significantly but we believe that it can be done if drug deaths are treated as a health crisis rather than a criminal matter. For too long, treatment and support for people who use drugs has been side-lined and there needs to be a joined-up national approach to public health planning that ensures people can receive the care they need from all healthcare providers.

The £780 million drug strategy that was announced by the Government in December is a significant step forward and the first year’s funding is already making a difference but it is vital that there continues to be stable and sustained investment into treatment services. Demand for support continues to rise though and funding commitments for future years must reflect this and allow treatment providers, such as Humankind, to invest in the work that will make the biggest difference.

Humankind is committed to providing a high standard of care to help people in their treatment and we are proud that two of our services have been rated Outstanding by CQC in recent months. We are working with people with lived experience to design better services and are striving to achieve an outstanding level of support across all of our centres.

It is not just about recovery though, steps must also be taken to reduce the harm faced by people who use drugs. Many of the deaths that are occurring are people who have used drugs for a long time and have underlying health issues as a result. Through measures such as increased provision of naloxone, easier access to safe needles and syringes, and testing and treatment for diseases such as hepatitis C, Humankind is focused on ensuring that people who use drugs face fewer risks.

We express our deepest condolences to the friends, families and communities of the 4,859 people who lost their lives as a result of drugs last year. It is our hope, that with concerted action and consistent investment, 2021 will be the final year that we see a rise in the number of people dying as a result of drugs.

News

Forward Leeds rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission

Jack Keery

Forward Leeds staff at the city’s hub on Kirkgate in the city centre

Forward Leeds, the Humankind-led alcohol and drug service in Leeds, is “highly innovative” and a place where, “staff always go the extra mile to support clients” according to a recent assessment.

The comments were made following a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England. The CQC say Forward Leeds is “Outstanding”, overall and is “Outstanding” in the categories of being Effective, Caring and Well-Led. Fewer than two per cent of services inspected receive the top overall rating of Outstanding.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for public health and active lifestyles, said: “Drug and alcohol use poses a significant challenge to individuals and communities across the city. Forward Leeds play a vital role in addressing those challenges, helping individuals achieve and sustain recovery from drug and alcohol use.

“It is really pleasing therefore to see the positive improvements in the service, recognised in this outstanding rating, and I hope that this gives anybody struggling with drug or alcohol issues the confidence to seek support.”

Victoria Eaton, director of public health at Leeds City Council, said: “Forward Leeds receiving an outstanding rating is fantastic news and it is great recognition for everyone involved in delivering drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services across the city.

“It is really pleasing to see the service, commissioned by Leeds Public Health, improve in the latest Care Quality Commission Inspection and become one of the few drug and alcohol services to be rated as outstanding in the country.”

Forward Leeds Director, Lee Wilson said: “This is fantastic news for our service and the city. If the report highlights one thing above anything else, it’s that we are a caring service whose staff always do the best for the people they support. The report shows the level of commitment our teams have to deliver the best possible service and outcomes for people using our service as well as their families and loved ones.”

The report states that the service: “truly considered the needs of different groups of people using its service” and that: “staff treated clients with compassion and kindness and respect”.

The CQC inspectors continue: “Feedback from people who used the service was overwhelmingly positive” and “clients told us that staff had really helped them to move forward with their lives”.

Former user of the service Mathew Sharp said: “It is fantastic to see Forward Leeds recognised as an outstanding service. It was remarkable to have their support and help through my recovery. They are always there for you. The staff are amazing, they work with you, they understand what you’re going through and will help you understand yourself”.

This commendation follows the CQC assessing the County Durham Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service as “Outstanding”  in April and the Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service (STARS) as “Good” in May.

To find out more about Forward Leeds, please visit their website: www.forwardleeds.co.uk

To read the full report, please visit the CQC website: www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-5026921980

News

Humankind welcomes long overdue investment into drug treatment services

Jack Keery

A blue wall with the words "Humankind- for fair chances" written on it, and an opened door

As one of the largest drug and alcohol charities in England, we welcome the 10-year drug strategy published yesterday which is a significant milestone for the sector and has the potential to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people across the country. 

The Government noted in their announcement that the £780 million in funding that they have committed will rebuild the sector and that is what we need to do – rebuild. A decade of disinvestment and sporadic funding has decimated drug and alcohol services at a time when demand has increased and the number of people dying has risen by almost 80 per cent. This new strategy will help us get back on our feet but there is a lot of catching up to be done, especially in light of the pandemic which was not factored into the Dame Carol Black Review and has caused disproportionate harm to people who use drugs. 

Humankind is committed to rebuilding services and going further by developing and improving services to expand the evidence base trial new ways of working. In short, we recognise the need to rebuild and improve services and use this new investment to reach more people. 

We greatly welcome the Government’s intention to fast-track funding to the areas of greatest need, including seaside towns and cities in the North of England, where people are far more likely to die as a result of drugs. For too long postcodes and poverty levels have impacted the treatment that someone can receive, and targeted investment will help address this. 

Despite the much-heralded crime and enforcement elements of yesterday’s announcement, this strategy indicates that the Government has begun to recognise that drug use is also a health issue. Drug use is often the result of a toxic combination of poverty, social exclusion, trauma and instability – and incarceration alone is likely to exacerbate rather than cure any of those causes. We strongly support the approach of diverting people from the criminal justice system and into the evidence-based clinical and psychosocial services that have been proven to offer people the best chance of recovery. 

A third of people who use opiates are experiencing housing problems and two-thirds of people who use drugs report having a mental health issue. We are pleased that the Government will be investing in a range of supports that will connect people to a network of expert providers to help people sustain their recovery and is the way we have worked for more than 30 years, providing housing, training and work opportunities, and support for people leaving the prison system, in addition to treatment services. As a leading provider of the Individual and Placement Support employment scheme it is great news that these will be expanded to every local authority. 

While this strategy contains few bold new ideas, it does provide the funding, support and commissioning standards that the sector has been requesting for many years. And, most importantly of all, this strategy will save lives, help people to build resilient futures and ensure the most marginalised members of society get the support they need.  

It is now up to all those working in the sector to use the extra investment to shape and develop service delivery so that we have more impact on more people by expanding the evidence base and the range of services we offer. 

We thank Dame Carol Black for putting forward the recommendations that brought about this strategy, and we are grateful to all our partners in the sector that will join us in implementing it and helping move the sector forward. 

Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind

News

Recovery Story: Greg at The Greens (Sheffield Recovery Focused Accommodation)

Jack Keery

Greg, a resident at The Greens, in their garden

Greg is a resident at The Greens, Humankind’s recovery focused accommodation in Sheffield. Before Greg accessed support at The Greens, his alcohol dependency had made him extremely ill. In his own words, he was “close to death”.

Now, Greg is enjoying life and recently even took part in a ‘Way of the Roses’ sponsored bike ride to raise money for us as a charity, to help others access the same support he received. He wanted to tell his story for Alcohol Awareness Week, in the hope that it might inspire others to make a change to their drinking habits.

“I have come a long way with the help of The Greens… My life is changed so much now.”

If you need support for your drug or alcohol use in Sheffield, contact our free and confidential support service.

Recovery Story: Sophie at STARS (Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service)

Jack Keery

Sophie at Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service talking about her recovery journey

For Alcohol Awareness Week, we caught up with Sophie, an inspirational young woman who has been supported by Humankind STARS (Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service) for her alcohol dependency.

Her recovery story is one of perseverance, after first accessing support around five years ago. Sophie opens up about how alcohol affected her life, health, and relationships, and how her parents and keyworker at STARS have helped her secure a brighter future.

I don’t think I could do how well I’ve done without my keyworker at STARS. She’s really, really made a difference. It’s so important knowing I can call any time of the day and just let things out… it helps me get through.

If you need help with your drug or alcohol use in Staffordshire, contact our free and confidential support service.