Islington Council's Executive has approved a new strategy for integrated community drug and alcohol services, aiming to enhance treatment and recovery support for residents.
The decision was made during a meeting on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, where the Executive reviewed and agreed upon the procurement strategy for these vital services. This new approach will externally commission a comprehensive treatment and recovery service, building on recent transformations in local services and retaining key elements such as family support, weekend services, and whole-family approaches. The strategy has been shaped by extensive consultation with service users and is proposed to operate over the next six years.
The strategy aims to continue the positive trend of increased engagement with drug and alcohol treatments. Since 2023, 40% more people have been accessing these services, with the number of individuals in treatment rising from 1,500 to 2,100. The goal is to maintain this A-grade service where we're able to bring all those who are ready to engage with any kind of treatment, whatever kind of addiction it is, whatever kind of substance it is, to be able to meet people where they're at and get them into active recovery whenever they need it most.
Councillor Dr. Sara Hyde, Executive Member for Health and Social Care, expressed her satisfaction with the progress, noting that the service is designed to meet people where they are and support them into active recovery.
The procurement strategy document can be found here. The meeting agenda is available here.