Mental Health and Substance Misuse
Reference: 24-25320
Date response sent: 26/11/2024
Details of enquiry
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information regarding the services your organisation provides for individuals with co-existing mental health and substance use difficulties:
- Overview of Services:
a. A comprehensive list of all services and programmes currently offered specifically for people with co-existing mental health and substance use needs.
b. Details on whether these services are integrated (addressing both issues simultaneously) or if they operate separately.
2. Access and Eligibility:
a. The eligibility criteria for accessing these services.
b. Information on referral processes, including whether self-referrals are accepted.
c. Average waiting times from referral to initial assessment and from assessment to commencement of treatment.
3. Service Capacity and Utilisation:
a. The total number of individuals who have accessed these services in the past three years, broken down by year.
b. The maximum capacity of each service or programme.
4. Staffing and Expertise:
a. The number of staff dedicated to these services, including their professional qualifications.
b. Details of any specialised training provided to staff for working with co-existing conditions.
5. Funding and Resources:
a. The annual budget allocated to these services for the past three financial years.
b. Information on any funding changes during this period and the reasons for such changes.
6. Performance and Outcomes:
a. Copies of any evaluations, audits, or performance reports related to these services from the past three years.
b. Key performance indicators used to measure the effectiveness of the services.
7. Partnerships and Collaborations:
a. Information on any partnerships with other organisations (e.g., NHS trusts, charities, community groups) in delivering these services.
b. Details of joint initiatives or programmes aimed at supporting this client group.
8. Future Developments:
a. Any planned changes, expansions, or reductions to these services in the next 12 months.
b. Strategies in place to improve service delivery for individuals with co-existing mental health and substance use needs.
Response sent
- Overview of Services:
a. A comprehensive list of all services and programmes currently offered specifically for people with co-existing mental health and substance use needs.
This relates to our FDAC service (Family drug and alcohol court). FDAC service users are not required to have co-existing mental health as well as substance use needs.
b. Details on whether these services are integrated (addressing both issues simultaneously) or if they operate separately.
This data is publicly available on our website and may be reached via the following link: Family drug and alcohol court (FDAC) – Tavistock and Portman
Some of our patients may present with co-occurring substance misuse and mental health needs and information on this is available also on our website, where we have listed details of all the services we provide: Services – Tavistock and Portman
- Access and Eligibility:
a. The eligibility criteria for accessing these services.
This information is already publicly available via the links as provided above
b. Information on referral processes, including whether self-referrals are accepted.
This information is already publicly available via the links as provided above
c. Average waiting times from referral to initial assessment and from assessment to commencement of treatment.
Our wait time from referral to offer of an assessment averages about 3 weeks- though there can be delays that are out of our control from the referrer
- Service Capacity and Utilisation:
a. The total number of individuals who have accessed these services in the past three years, broken down by year.
2022/23 68 families
2023/24 43 families
2024/25 (year to date) 19 families
b. The maximum capacity of each service or programme.
We do not work in this way. We have never agreed maximum numbers of referrals and/or maximum number of open cases with our commissioners.
The Trust may look at this in the future, but for now we are focussed on embedding new service structures and agreeing job plans for the coming year.
- Staffing and Expertise:
a. The number of staff dedicated to these services, including their professional qualifications.
FDAC has 11.5 WTE including senior social workers, social workers, and substance misuse practitioners.
Professional qualifications of the team are as follows:
2x HCPC accredited practitioner psychologist (Health & Care Professions Council)
4x social worker – registered with Social work England
4x substance misuse practitioners- with a range of CPD training.
b. Details of any specialised training provided to staff for working with co-existing conditions
See our response to Q4a, above.
- Funding and Resources:
a. The annual budget allocated to these services for the past three financial years.
| Financial Year | Budget expenditure |
| 2024/25 | £842,113 |
| 2023/24 | £1,180,565 |
| 2022/23 | £1,020,426 |
b. Information on any funding changes during this period and the reasons for such changes.
None during 2023/24 and 2024/25
- Performance and Outcomes:
a. Copies of any evaluations, audits, or performance reports related to these services from the past three years.
CBOG Reports
b. Key performance indicators used to measure the effectiveness of the services.
The FDAC Service does not have Key Performance indicators to measure effectiveness of the service. Its effectiveness is measured by its quarterly reports, as follows:
| Outputs | Method of evidencing |
| Work with approximately 21-48 families per year including pre-birth referrals.
This translates to an average of 96 parents and 112 children being assessed by the service at any one time. |
Statistics gathered for the quarterly monitoring meetings.
These will include Ethnicity, age, relationship status, intake volumes, current case lengths and assessment turnaround times. Outcomes are measured on child reunification, and care orders made, parental substance cessation, duration of proceedings, number of contested cases. |
| Aim to recruit parent mentors and provide a sustainable parent mentoring programme. | Reports to Partnership Members.
Regular recruitment drives. Regular meetings with senior members of the judiciary Data provided to Centre of Justice Innovation (FDAC national unit) Appointment of parent mentor co-ordinator and reports on current Parent Mentor activity. |
- Partnerships and Collaborations:
a. Information on any partnerships with other organisations (e.g., NHS trusts, charities, community groups) in delivering these services.
None
b. Details of joint initiatives or programmes aimed at supporting this client group.
None
- Future Developments:
a. Any planned changes, expansions, or reductions to these services in the next 12 months.
We do not hold this data
b. Strategies in place to improve service delivery for individuals with co-existing mental health and substance use needs.
We do not hold this data