£10m grant to help tackle drug and alcohol addiction
Councillors are set to approve the allocation of a £10m government grant designed to improve treatment, cut crime and prevent drug and alcohol-related deaths in Lancashire.
The Department of Health and Social Care has allocated Lancashire one of the largest amounts in England to continue with its 10-year plan to combat illegal drug use.
The authority has been allocated a total of £10,633,722.
At the next Cabinet meeting, at 2pm on Thursday 5 June, councillors will be asked to approve the Drug and Alcohol Treatment Recovery and Improvement Grant 2025/26.
This funding is a consolidation of several previous grants which supported drug and alcohol treatment and recovery, rough sleeping, housing and inpatient detox.
If approved, grants will be awarded to a number of county council commissioned providers and the money will also help fund inpatient detox placements.
The grant would help in various ways including:
- Working with partners to support those with physical and mental health issues
- Enhancing recovery support, which includes out of hours and additional weekend support
- Enhancing provision within schools and providing education and training to key professionals
- Utilising peer support to increase the uptake of services
- Improving support for those in the criminal justice system
County Councillor Daniel Matchett, cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, said:
"As a mental health nurse working in Lancashire I have witnessed first-hand the impact of alcohol and substance abuse and the devastation it causes to individuals and their families.
"I welcome this significant amount of funding which will continue the great work already being done here to support those battling addiction.
"Our work with partners is absolutely vital in ensuring those affected get help quickly and are able to achieve the best possible outcome.
"There is a real focus on improving the quality of treatment and making sure more people can access this, which will help prevent drug and alcohol-related deaths in the county."