substance use – Humankind

Tag: substance use

Humankind’s London Regional Roadshow celebration

Jasmine Rocks

90% of our London workforce recently came together to celebrate their work at Humankind’s London Regional Roadshow.

The first of the 2024 series of our Being Human Regional Roadshows took place in London on Tuesday 16 January and was attended by 90% of the organisation’s workforce from across the capital.

The day featured a series of speakers, including our CEO, Paul Townsley, who looked ahead to the future of the organisation as well as our Executive Medical Director, Dr. Roya Vaziri, who spoke about some of the great work happening across Humankind nationally.

There was also a focus on regional excellence and pride as the Director of London and South, Lyndsey Morris, celebrated the region’s progress and other people shared their proudest moments from the previous year.

The purpose of the event was to bring together professionals from the region to share ideas, celebrate the successes and look forward to the future.

Tom Colley from the Pier Road Project spoke about his experiences working with the innovative Ketamine Project in Bexley. There were other presentations from Liz Legge and Anita Leslie about the work of Lewisham Primary Care Recovery Service (PCRS) and Alison Beeton-Hilder who talked about some of the work which is taking place in our Better Lives Family Service in Islington.

As part of the celebrations, Lee Wilson, Regional Director, and Dr. Roya Vaziri gave out individual awards to colleagues who received the most recognition over the last year. Collective awards for team performances in the region were also handed out.

The day featured a number of interactive sessions for people to meet their colleagues and share learning from across Humankind’s services.

Director for London and South, Lyndsey Morris, said:

“It was great to see our staff from across the region come together to receive recognition and celebrate the great work that we do. Having some of the services showcase what they do reminds us of our impact on the people accessing our services and how we can best support them to have the best possible chance in life.”

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Paul Townsley responds to drug-related deaths in 2022

Jack Keery

The Office for National Statistics today released new figures on the number of people who died from drug related causes in England and Wales during 2022.

In England and Wales during 2022, 4,907 people died as a result of drugs.

Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind, said:

“Along with everyone at Humankind, my thoughts and deepest sympathies are with anyone who has lost a loved one. Their deaths will devastate families and communities up and down the country. Those 4,907 sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, friends and partners have gone far too soon.

“Reducing this tragic loss of life is a long-term, generational challenge. Funding from the Government’s drug strategy has enabled us to start rebuilding our treatment and recovery system after a decade of disinvestment but there’s a huge amount more to do.

“We know it is people facing multiple disadvantage who are most likely to die. As charities we have the flexibility to wrap around those challenges and provide the housing, employment and mental health support which buttresses recovery and reduces harm. Our upcoming merger with Richmond Fellowship will enable us to do that here at Humankind.

“But as a society, we can only reduce deaths and the health inequalities that drive them through targeted, sustained and ring-fenced investment for the full ten years of the drug strategy and in the places those disparities are felt the most. These include the North East, the North West and Yorkshire – all of which Humankind is proud to serve.

“As a field we must continue to collaborate on established and emerging challenges, such as the worrying rise of synthetic opioids or support for people with both mental health and drug/alcohol support needs.”

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Reconnected to Health awarded Best Use of Workplace Technology at Nursing Times Awards

Jasmine Rocks

We are delighted to share that Humankind’s Reconnected to Health Team have recently won the Best Use of Workplace Technology award at the Nursing Times Awards.

The Nursing Times Workforce Awards is an event that recognises and rewards the outstanding work that is being done by staff and employers to support the nursing and midwifery workforce.

Co-located with the Nursing Times Workforce Summit, the event inspires and rewards organisations for excellence in supporting the future of the health and care workforce.

Humankind and our partners Spectrum were shortlisted with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and Lifeworks for the Best Use of Workplace Technology category.

Their partnership was recognised for working to roll out Breaking Free Online, a confidential treatment and recovery programme developed to support people through their recovery from drugs or alcohol.

Robyn Taylor, a service manager at HMP Durham, attended the Nursing Times Awards on 21 November and received the award on behalf of the team.

Jas Holburn, Area Manager for North East Prisons at Humankind, said:

“We are very proud to be part of this partnership, and this award reflects the power of collaboration between HMPPS, Spectrum, Breaking Free Online and Humankind to offer innovative digital solutions to people in our care in North East prisons.”

 

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Humankind and Richmond Fellowship to merge to better support people facing multiple disadvantage

Jack Keery

An image containing the Humankind logo on the left and the Richmond Fellowship logo on the right

Richmond Fellowship and Humankind have announced that they are merging to form a single charity to better support even more people facing multiple disadvantage. 

This exciting development builds on the rich heritage of two charities that share values, ambitions and decades of experience supporting people with substance use, mental health, housing and associated needs.  

Derek Caren, CEO of Richmond Fellowship, said:

“Our organisations have a lot in common. We share a heartfelt belief that everyone should have a fair chance to live a life they value, and since our inception in 1959, Richmond Fellowship has worked hard to make recovery a reality for all.  

“Joining forces with Humankind will allow us to break down some of the barriers that stop people getting the support they need and allow us to offer innovative, integrated services to more people across England.” 

Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind, said:

“From the very start of my career it’s been clear that drug and alcohol, housing and mental health support need to be brought closer together and work better for the communities we support. That’s why I am so excited about this new chapter for both organisations.  

“This merger creates a unique opportunity to develop new, broader service models, invest more in our people, and use our shared experience and insights to influence policy and practice across the sector.”  

Further information on next steps of the merger will be shared in the new year.

 

  • Derek Caren, CEO of Richmond Fellowship, is retiring in early 2024 and Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind, will become CEO of the new organisation and oversee the merger.
  • Carolyn Regan, current Chair of Recovery Focus will become the Chair of the new organisation, whilst Caroline Gitsham, current Chair of Humankind will become the Vice Chair.
  • Aquarius (currently a subsidiary of Richmond Fellowship) will become a subsidiary of the new organisation.
For all media enquiries contact:

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Northumberland Recovery Partnership joins Humankind

Jasmine Rocks

We are delighted to welcome the Northumberland Recovery Partnership (NRP) service into Humankind from 1 October 2023. Northumberland Recovery Partnership is a dedicated service for anyone in Northumberland aged 18+ who is experiencing problems with drugs and/or alcohol.

The service offers a range of support provided by medical staff, nurses, and dedicated Recovery Navigators. This includes community-based recovery programmes, help to stay physically healthy, and support with people’s next steps into employment, housing and better health. Twenty three staff and 4 volunteers are transferring to Humankind.

The lead provider for the Northumberland Recovery Partnership continues to be the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) which, from October onwards will be working in partnership with Humankind.

Christine Hutchinson, Director of Community Substance Misuse Services with Humankind said “We are really looking forward to working with CNTW to deliver high quality services to the people of Northumberland”

The service will continue to provide the same range of effective, evidence-based support and wherever possible, people will continue to be supported by the same staff. The main change is to the non-residential rehabilitation service, currently the Oaktrees program / building. Going forward, this will be delivered using Humankind’s Recovery Academy, a bespoke recovery programme tailored to offer a range of recovery options. This will build on the existing recovery services, ensuring recovery is open and accessible to all from the start of peoples’ recovery journey.

Find out more about the Northumberland Recovery Partnership

 

 

Dorset Council residents continue to be supported for drug and alcohol use

Jasmine Rocks

REACH Weymouth team stood outside their hub.

REACH, which is part of our new South West region, has been successful in winning the contract to provide Dorset Council’s alcohol and drug support service for another eight years.  

REACH has been delivering excellent care and support for the people of Dorset since 2017. This announcement means that they can continue to embed themselves in local communities and provide a bespoke drug and alcohol service to people when and where they most need it. The recommissioning announcement is a validation of the high regard with which the service is held and all the hard work, professionalism and expertise of staff and volunteers.  

This is the best outcome for the people who need support for their drug and alcohol use in Dorset. Recommissioning REACH gives people who use our services much needed stability of treatment and continuity of care.  

Cllr Jane Somper, Dorset Council Adult Social Care and Health Portfolio Holder said: “We are delighted to be able to award REACH the contract to deliver drugs and alcohol support services in the Dorset Council area. 

“We have had a great partnership so far and we look forward to continuing to deliver services together to help those residents who need support with substance misuse. 

“It is also great news that those residents in our treatment services already will see no difference in their current recovery journeys with having REACH continue their fantastic work in the county. 

The new contract starts on 1 November 2023, and remains a fully integrated service for young people, adults and families. The service for young people under the age of 25 is run in partnership with Essential Drug and Alcohol Service (EDAS) and clinical delivery is led by Avon and Wiltshire Partnership Trust (AWP).

There is a specialist family team within REACH that works with the whole family. In addition, the service works in harmony with Dorset Social Care and NHS England through the Safeguarding Families Together team and the Mental Health Treatment Requirement service. 

Ted Haughey, Executive Director of Operations at Humankind, said: “This is great news for Dorset. REACH is a service that is genuinely embedded in and part of its local community. In March, Humankind launched an ambitious five year strategy, Being Human, which contains the three key themes of people, partnerships and place. REACH embodies our commitment to the provision of bespoke services woven into Dorset’s community fabric and shaped around the needs of local people. There is rightly a genuine hope, optimism and excitement about REACH’s future.”  

Humankind is a national charity which supports over 90,000 people every year. Our services stretch from Dorchester to Durham, supporting people’s complex health and social needs. As part of a larger organisation, REACH now benefits from connection, innovation and learning from Newton Aycliffe to Newton Abbot.  

REACH has developed a close partnership with Dorset Council over the past six years and prior to that ten years becoming embedded in the local community through innovative projects such as the first peer mentor programme in the South in 2009. This project became an accredited programme in 2011, as well as becoming the second service in England to offer postal naloxone through the web based NSPDirect service.

REACH was also the first service to offer postal Dry Blood Spot Testing (DBST) in partnership with the NHSAlliance and Hep C U Later Campaign which was just one small part of REACH’s exceptional covid response plans.  

“REACH has an ambitious vision of continuous improvement for the communities of Dorset in the coming years” said Beth Davies who leads the REACH service in Dorset. “We will maintain excellence in all our contractual and Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) targets. REACH’s end of year performance report reflects a picture of exceptional outcomes. We have met and exceeded all our contractual targets within the Humankind quality and performance framework, reaching the highest level of performance across all key indicators. We will be building upon these solid foundations, developing accessibility to services and innovative partnerships.”

To contact REACH please call 0800 043 4656 or visit www.edp.org.uk/reach.

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Dame Carol Black welcomes new approach to mental health and substance use treatment

Jack Keery

Dame Carol Black poses for a picture with the Staffordshire ICoN team

A new initiative to support people with both mental health and drug and alcohol issues has been welcomed by Dame Carol Black, who led a landmark national review on drugs.

Dame Carol visited Staffordshire to find out more about our new ICoN (Integrated Co-occurring Needs) initiative, which brings together local authority, NHS, voluntary and community sectors in a single approach.

She also commented on her hope that other areas would find out more about the Staffordshire initiative to see if elements could be replicated to help better meet local priorities.

Dame Carol Black said: “In my review presented to Government, I said it was essential that we looked at mental health when it comes to problems with substance use, so I think it is excellent that Staffordshire has linked this support together.

“I hope that other areas will now find out more about ICoN and think about how they could borrow it, follow it or perhaps adjust it to best meet the needs of their local communities and the people who need their support.”

Funded by Staffordshire County Council and the NHS, ICoN has been formed as a partnership between Humankind and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) to support people in the county.

Julia Jessel, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Care, said: “Mental health issues and drug or alcohol use often come hand in hand and there needs to be more focus on addressing the root cause of problems.

“We were delighted to get to share our new partnership with Dame Carol and look forward to the approach making so much more of an impact on the lives of Staffordshire residents.”

ICoN has a dedicated team of professionals including, psychologists, mental health practitioners, and substance use coordinators. This team will use phases of intervention to offer the right support, to the right people, at the right time.

The ICoN pathway will support people for at least six months, coordinating any transitions into local services whilst offering a follow-up review to provide an opportunity to reflect on progress and any challenges.

The service is viewed as a model of best practice, directly responding to issues with current drug and alcohol treatment provision outlined by Dame Carol’s landmark independent review of drugs and the Government’s subsequent 10-year drugs plan.

Emma Cormack, Service Manager from Humankind, said: “We know from experience that the vast majority of people with substance use issues are also living with mental health challenges so our team will help make sure people don’t fall through gaps between services and can in fact make positive life changes with the correct integrated support and specialist interventions.”

Dr Nina Vass, Consultant Clinical Psychologist with MPFT said: “With a shared commitment to trauma-informed care, this new approach has brought together mental health and substance use treatment to help meet the needs of people more effectively and efficiently.”

Watch the video below to hear from the ICoN team and experts within the service on their trailblazing approach, as well as leading expert Dame Carol Black.

The video was produced by John Paul Chapman of Chase Recovery and The Detox Factor.

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‘Outstanding’ Forward Leeds has its contract renewed

Mark Hindwell

Staff at Forward Leeds pose for a photo outside of their Armley Park Court office

Following a Leeds City Council procurement process, Forward Leeds has been successful in winning the contract to provide the city’s alcohol and drug support service for at least another five years.

The service, with sites in Armley, Seacroft and the city centre, will begin its new contract on 1 April 2023. The initial contract will run until 31 March 2028 with Leeds Council having an option to extend after that date for up to five years potentially taking it up to April 2033.

Forward Leeds, who recently won Leeds City Council’s Partner of the Year, is a consortium between three charities: Humankind, St Anne’s Community Services and BARCA-Leeds along with the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT).

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles, said: “As a Care Quality Commission outstanding rated service, it is really pleasing that Forward Leeds have been awarded this contract for the next few years. The service plays a vital role in addressing the challenges posed by drug and alcohol use to individuals and communities in Leeds, ensuring that anyone in the city struggling with drug and alcohol issues is able to get support.

“For some years now, Forward Leeds has consistently been one of the highest performing drug and alcohol treatment services in the country, and it is one of only a few services in the country that is rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)”.

Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health at Leeds City Council, said: “It is fantastic news that Forward Leeds will continue to provide the Leeds City Council Public Health commissioned drug and alcohol service, which offers support for anyone affected by drug and alcohol use. The service has gone from strength to strength, to become one of just a few drug and alcohol services to be rated as outstanding, by the Care Quality Commission, in the country.”

Operations Director of Forward Leeds Helen Cook said: “To be awarded the contract for at least another five years is fantastic. It reflects the quality and the hard work of the staff across our partnership and the commitment that they show in working with people who come to us for support.

“We have had to prove that we are able to continue to offer the high-quality service we have been doing and that we can develop and evolve our service to meet the ever-changing needs of the city.”

Humankind Regional Director Lee Wilson said: “Having our contract renewed is a testament to the dedication of our staff and volunteers who provide the highest quality of care and support to everyone who comes to us needing help.

“The service has had to meet significant quality thresholds in the bidding process along with due diligence checks on safeguarding, health and safety, finance, and insurance. These were all completed successfully with no issues identified. Our social value response was even given the top score possible by the council.”

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Calderdale Recovery Steps rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission

Jack Keery

The Calderdale Recovery Steps team pose for a picture at a Hep C elimination event

Calderdale Recovery Steps, the West Yorkshire borough’s community alcohol and drug service, has been rated ‘Outstanding’ in recognition of the caring and proactive support it provides. 

The rating was provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England. It found that Calderdale Recovery Steps, which is led by Humankind and delivered in partnership with The Basement Recovery Project, is an “Outstanding” service, particularly in the categories of being Caring and Responsive. 

According to the report, the service is a place that finds “innovative ways of delivering more joined up care to clients, particularly those with complex needs”, where the “passionate, highly motivated” staff are “consistent in supporting clients to live healthier lives”. 

Cllr Sarah Courtney, Cabinet Member for Towns, Engagement and Public Health at Calderdale Council, said: “We are delighted, but unsurprised, at this very well-deserved result. 

“Both Humankind and The Basement Recovery project have worked incredibly hard, in partnership with our whole system, to ensure that our services respond to the needs of people and places in Calderdale. Everyone involved in the service should feel very proud of this result and the recognition of the outstanding practice that’s making a real difference in our community.”  

Emily Todd, Regional Director at Humankind, said: “I am extremely proud of this CQC Outstanding result in Calderdale, which reflects the dedication and hard work of our staff teams.  

“Our services in Calderdale deliver a wide range of support to people and always take an innovative approach to working with the most vulnerable in our society with recovery and harm reduction at its core. 

“The relationships we have built with The Basement Recovery Project, our commissioners and other key partners allow us to effectively challenge health inequalities and save lives.” 

The CQC stated that: “leaders at all levels of the service were compassionate, inclusive and effective.” 

The CQC inspectors continue: “Clients from the adult and young persons’ service, told us staff respected and valued them as individuals and thought staff exceeded their expectations in supporting their emotional and practical needs. Staff treated people with compassion, kindness and empowered them to be active partners in their own care.” 

Calderdale Recovery Steps joins other Humankind-led services in being rated outstanding by the CQC during 2022, including Forward Leeds and County Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service.  

The full report is available to read online from the CQC website: https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-10085964179

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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.

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