A new residential rehabilitation facility to support families
affected by drug use is to be developed in North Ayrshire.
Funding for the National Specialist Residential Family Service
which will be run by the charity and housing association
Phoenix Futures and based in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, has
been agreed in principle. The facility will provide
rehabilitation services for twenty families at any one time and
will be based on an existing facility run by the organisation
in Sheffield.
Once given final approval, funding for the development will be
made available from the £100 million announced as part of the
national mission to improve and increase the provision of
residential rehabilitation.
Meanwhile following the publication of the latest drug-related
death statistics, an urgent review has been ordered on the use
of so-called street benzos after latest statistics showed the
drugs were implicated in 73% of drug-related deaths in 2020.
Benzodiazepines are usually prescribed for the treatment of
anxiety and insomnia however increasingly, illicit supplies of
street benzos are being used with opiates such as methadone and
heroin contributing to poly-drug use in Scotland.
The rapid evidence review will look at who is using the drugs
and why in order that measures to reduce demand can be
introduced. It follows work by the Drug Deaths Taskforce to
develop guidelines on the consistent prescribing of
benzodiazepines across the country so that people can be
offered support for their drug use and any underlying mental
health problems.
Other actions include:
- commissioning research on the role and risks of methadone
in drug related deaths
- awareness campaign on the increasing availability of
naloxone and its benefits
- awareness campaign on stigma and its negative effect on
people seeking treatment
- consider whether alcohol and drugs services should be
included in new National Care Service as part of the
consultation
- setting of a target for the number of people in treatment
for 2022
Minister for Drugs Policy said:
“Once again, Scotland drug-related death statistics are a
national disgrace and my heart goes out to all the families who
have lost a loved one.
“We announced a national mission on this crisis in January and
we have been taking a range of actions to tackle this national
tragedy backed by an investment of £250 million over the next
five years.
“Of that, £20 million each year is being spent on increasing
capacity and improving access to residential rehabilitation and
to that end, we have approved in principle an application for a
development in North Ayrshire which will create a new national
specialist service for families. It is vital that we make it
easier for parents to access treatment by removing any barriers
such as a lack of childcare and this project, run by Phoenix
Futures will do exactly that.
“Though men are more likely to use and experience harms from
drugs, there has been a disproportionate increase in drug
related deaths among women and there is a strong link between
women having children removed from their care and risk of drug
related death.
“Poly-drug use – the use of more than one drug at a time - is
an increasing concern with benzos implicated in almost three
quarters of deaths last year and I have asked for an urgent
review of benzo use so we can fully address the rise in
popularity of this type of drug and reduce the demand.
“To tackle the number of drug deaths in this country we must
increase the number of people in treatment and we will shortly
be announcing a target so we can measure the impact of the
introduction of the Medication-Assisted Treatment standards.
These include the roll-out of same-day support services for
anyone asking for help.
“We know there is much work to do and that the investment we
are making must reach those directly affected by drug use and I
am absolutely determined to make every penny count.”
Phoenix Futures Director of Operations CJ Williams said:
“The Scottish Government’s Residential Rehabilitation Rapid
Capacity Programme (Recovery Fund) announcement that it has
agreed in principle to fund a National Specialist Residential
Family Service in Scotland has been well received by all at
Phoenix Futures Scotland.
“There is a clear and defined need for a service that supports
families to stay together in a safe residential setting.
Phoenix Futures have decades of experience of providing
services for families to draw from in establishing and
operating this new project.
“The Specialist Family Service will create fairer access to
residential rehab for the whole family, and is a welcomed start
to the commitment of investment from The Scottish Government as
part of its mission to reduce drug related deaths and harms.
“We look forward to working with all involved to open
Scotland’s National Specialist Residential Family service.”
