The report, State of the Sector 2013 (1), contains the findings from a survey of nearly 170 drug and alcohol services, from across England’s four Public Health England regions. It finds the drug and alcohol sector in a period of flux and facing a number of challenges:

Respondents highlighted significant problems in their ability to offer clients support to improve recovery capital, particularly employment, housing and mental and physical wellbeing;
The picture on engagement with Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) and Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) is mixed, with positive examples, but other services reporting a lack of engagement;
35 per cent of drug and alcohol services surveyed reported a decrease in funding, against 20 per cent reporting an increase and 33 per cent no change;
Just over half reported a large increase in caseloads in the last year, against 27 per cent reporting a decrease;
Almost half reported that they were employing fewer frontline staff and 6 out of 10 services reported an increase in the use of volunteers.

To read the document click State of the Sector 2013