Barking and Dagenham Council Approves £2.7 Million Investment for Enhanced Youth and Adult Substance Use Services
Barking and Dagenham Council has approved a significant £2.7 million investment to enhance youth and adult substance use services, ensuring the continuation and expansion of vital support for vulnerable residents. This funding aims to address the wide-ranging social and health issues linked to substance misuse, including domestic violence, mental health problems, and homelessness.
The funding, primarily sourced from the Department of Health and Social Care's Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Recovery and Improvement Grant (DATRIG), will be directly awarded to existing providers Change Grow Live (CGL) for adult services and VIA for young people's services. This direct award approach is being implemented to ensure continuity of care and to leverage the established infrastructure and expertise of these organisations.
Support for Adults Through CGL's St Luke's Service
For adult services, CGL's St Luke's service will receive £1,783,581 over three years. This funding will bolster interventions, including the introduction of a dedicated Housing Support Worker role. This role will provide targeted support to individuals experiencing housing and substance use difficulties through joint outreach activities with a Barking and Dagenham Housing Outreach Worker. The outreach programme will involve visits to local hostels, shower facilities, the Salvation Army, and other identified rough-sleeping locations to offer harm-reduction advice, improve engagement, and assist individuals in accessing appropriate community services. This initiative is designed to help clients navigate complex systems such as welfare and housing, supporting them through addiction and in their recovery journey.
Enhanced Interventions for Young People via VIA's Subwize Service
VIA's Subwize service for young people will benefit from £935,475 over the same three-year period. This investment will facilitate the continuation and expansion of enhanced interventions. These include the addition of a Complex Criminal Justice Practitioner, an Outreach Practitioner, a Literacy and Numeracy Practitioner, and a Team Leader. The additional funding will also support further investment in prevention and harm reduction strategies, particularly in light of the increase in drug-related deaths from synthetic opioids. Furthermore, it will enable the expansion of culturally informed substance use interventions and outreach to diverse communities, acknowledging potentially under-represented groups in treatment. The funding will also contribute to securing an alternative treatment hub in Barking town centre, supporting Pan-London initiatives such as the Gay Men's Health Collective and the London Recovery Network, further developing the Lived Experience Recovery Organisation (LERO), and expanding Buprenorphine prescribing.
Addressing Wider Social and Health Issues
Councillor Maureen Worby, Cabinet Member for Housing, Adult Social Care & Health, underscored the critical importance of these services. She stated that substance misuse contributes to a wide range of social and health issues, including offending behaviours, domestic violence, suicide and deliberate self-harm, child abuse and neglect, mental health problems, and homelessness. She emphasised the council's commitment to ensuring these services are effective in supporting vulnerable individuals and communities.
Councillors Jane Jones and Rubina Siddiqui voiced their support for the funding, highlighting the proven effectiveness of VIA's engagement with young people and CGL's success in guiding clients through addiction and recovery.
Efficiency of Direct Award
The direct award of funding is considered a practical and efficient approach, circumventing the complexities and potential delays associated with a full tender process. This is particularly relevant as the funding confirmation occurred after the initial contracts for these services had been finalised. This method ensures that the enhanced services can be implemented without interruption, building upon existing successful partnerships and infrastructure. The additional funding will allow VIA's Subwize service to sustain its workforce capacity and enhanced treatment provision, supporting a greater number of adults to access and engage in treatment and recovery services. Similarly, for CGL's St Luke's service, the funding ensures the continuation of enhanced interventions and the establishment of the new Housing Support Worker post.
For more details on the council's agenda and reports, please refer to the Agenda frontsheet and Public reports pack for the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 13 October 2026.