Strengthening drug and alcohol services

Alexia Fenwick, our Professional Development Lead, responds to the publication of the first-ever national strategic workforce plan for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery sector.

We were pleased to see the government’s new 10-year plan to strengthen the drug and alcohol workforce and improve services for the people using them.

Recognition of social workers

We were particularly pleased to see the vital role of social workers recognised and highlighted throughout the strategy.

The plan clarifies the distinct roles and areas of development for each of the professions that make up the regulated workforce. And many of its recommendations are welcomed.

Better integration to stop people falling through the gaps

However, it hasn’t really explored how each of those professions are connected and working together. Improving integration of the workforce is key to stopping people falling through the gaps between services.

Nearly 300,000 people are being supported by drug and alcohol services, and we know many of those people will find themselves blocked from mental health, housing or employment support because of substance use.

Nearly 300,000 people are being supported by drug and alcohol services, and we know many of those people will find themselves blocked from mental health, housing or employment support because of substance use.

Social workers have a unique part to play in bridging the gaps and supporting people to navigate very complex needs and challenges.

Training, supervision and support

This plan rightly prioritises specialist training for regulated professionals and the need for better supervision and support for all staff in frontline roles.

We see huge potential in this and successfully set up our own substance use training for social workers in mental health services earlier this year.

We also know that social workers can offer high-quality clinical supervision that will embed evidence-based social interventions and improve outcomes for people using services.

Meanwhile the plan’s acknowledgement that compassionate leadership is essential to promoting a supportive culture is also an important one.

The challenges of helping others requires us to protect our own well-being but that is something which is easy to overlook.  It’s a core part of our leadership model at Think Ahead and we’re pleased to see it included in this strategy.

Whatever your role, if you’re working in mental health and substance misuse you need the time to build supportive relationships with the people seeking help and effective relationships with colleagues across the sector.  Again, this is something that could certainly be worked on.

Looking ahead

We welcome the commitment to improving services. And we look forward to collaborating with Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England colleagues on this.