Frontline Staff Praised Over Efforts To Reduce Alcohol and Drug Harm

Frontline staff are being praised for their efforts to reduce harm caused by drug and alcohol use across Dundee communities.

Recent national statistics confirm that the city is in the top three in Scotland for progress to implement Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) standards to provide care for people affected by drug and alcohol use.

A new report from the Dundee Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) states: “Dundee’s results demonstrate year-on-year improvement and consistency in standards of care across the city. This reflects the innovation, hard work, dedication and development of good practice by frontline staff.”

The report on progress by the ADP on the first year of delivery of its strategic framework will be considered by both Dundee city councillors and members of the Dundee Health and Social Care Integration Joint Board (IJB). They will hear that people in the city now have fast access to treatment, a choice of medication prescribed to them alongside wraparound supports and are also supported to remain in treatment for as long as required.

ADP independent chair Pamela Dudek said: “The importance of continuing the work to reduce the harms caused by alcohol and drug use across Dundee remains critical, the people who work in our services have worked hard to achieve the change and improvements we are seeing through the MAT standards.       

"We must ensure that our dedicated staff across the multi-agency arena are supported well to do the right thing, supporting easy access and timely responses for those trying to turn around their lives.”

The report explains that people who have experienced a non-fatal overdose are quickly identified and supported to access treatment.

Individuals can opt out to be supported by the new shared-care arrangements with Primary Care and everyone can access the support of independent advocators at any stage of their recovery journey

Achievements highlighted in 2023-24 include:

• First MAT assessment on the same day as date of engagement with services
• 75% of those people experiencing a high-risk event were contacted within 24 hours.
• 97.3% of the individual caseloads in Dundee were retained in treatment for six months or more.
• During 2023-24 18 people from Dundee accessed residential rehab establishments. This has included more women accessing residential rehabilitation than ever before, and almost all people embarking on residential support completing their full treatment.
• Increased participation of GP Practices in Shared Care and increased uptake by individuals, supported by input from Third Sector keyworkers, Dundee Drug and Alcohol Recovery Services (DDARS) staff, Community Pharmacy and Dundee Independent Advocacy Service (DIAS).

Council City Governance Convener Councillor John Alexander said: “There has been an incredible amount of hard work undertaken by public agencies and the third sector to deliver service improvements for people across Dundee. “Our aim is clear as a city partnership – to cut the deaths and suffering caused by drugs and alcohol in our city.

“I would like to thank all the staff who are putting so much effort to deal with this extremely challenging situation. “There is no simple answer available in single place for this decades-old problem. But I am convinced that we can bring the city into the future together, showing kindness, compassion and hope to everyone.”

Other key developments in Dundee identified in the report include the spread of trauma informed practices, as well improvements in providing safe and supportive services for women through the establishment of the Dundee Women’s Hub. 

Development of Dundee’s Recovery Network and implementation of a Whole Family Approach are also making an impact, while a Non-Opioid Pathway is being developed and implemented by third sector organisations.

The impact of the opening of the Hope Point community wellbeing centre is mentioned alongside a new Multi-Agency Consultation Hub, which has been set up to facilitate joint decision-making and support individuals affected by substance use and mental health.

Work by Hillcrest Futures to establish a drug checking service is also highlighted in the report.

While Constitution House remains a site for service delivery, the report explains that DDARS is now operating at 10 other locations around Dundee including Hillbank, Wishart Centre, the Women’s Hub and Lochee.

Vice Chair of the Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership IJB Councillor Ken Lynn said: “Reducing harm from drug and alcohol use is a hugely important piece of partnership work that goes on in the city and it’s great to see the levels of improvement in the past year. “This is down to innovation, hard work and dedication of frontline staff to ensure that individuals in Dundee have fast access to treatment and a greater say in the support they need.

"Opening Hope Point last year is a great example of the innovation and creativity of staff in the city to ensure 24/7 access to support. In the first year alone over 1000 people were helped and a total of 4146 supports have been carried out via drop-in, phone and text.

“I want to thank staff who have worked to improve the services for those impacted by drug and alcohol use and look forward to work being carried out in the year ahead, with a particular focus on responding to ongoing and historical trauma and actions to prevent drug deaths.”

The report also points forward to year two of the strategic framework and identifies priorities which include gendered and whole-family approaches across all action commitments, as well as a focus on responding to ongoing and historical trauma.

Kathryn Baker, chief executive of Tayside Council on Alcohol, said: “As someone who represents the third sector on the ADP, I recognise the importance of working together, across our organisational and professional boundaries, to take forward the ambitions contained within the MAT standards. More follows... “I have seen first-hand how hard our frontline staff have worked to achieve these changes, often within quite challenging circumstances. I also know just how much they care about the people and families impacted by substance use across this city, and it is this passion that keeps us all going on our journey to make things better.”

The report will be considered by the City Governance Commitee of Dundee City Council on Monday August 19, and by the Integration Joint Board of the Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership on Wednesday August 21

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