Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment (RSDAT) - Community Detox

For 2026-27 Gloucestershire County Council are introducing dedicated specialist housing provision as an integral part of the treatment and support pathway, starting on the 1st October 2026. This new service will be based within the existing drug and alcohol service (Via Care Ltd.) with additional wraparound support in the community being provided through this opportunity, with the intention that this will be developed into housed, supported community alcohol detox for rough sleepers and those who may be at risk of homelessness for 2027-29. The providers are both established providers who have worked together in the past.

The provider of the wraparound support which complements the substance use treatment service will provide end-to end support within accommodation for people who are sleeping rough, or at risk of sleeping rough. This will include:

• Provision of two bed spaces located in Gloucester city in dedicated residential accommodation with on-site 24-hour support from practitioners experienced in supporting people with severe substance use and other complex needs.
• Contributing to a specialist outreach team whose purpose is to meet individuals where they are, reduce immediate harms, and create low-threshold pathways into the wider treatment and recovery system.
• Alongside the clinical and recovery services provided by Via Care Ltd, the provider will deliver intensive wraparound support, focusing on stabilisation, practical harm reduction, motivational engagement, and navigation of wider systems. This will include support with benefits, GP registration, access to mental health pathways, housing teams, and safeguarding processes.
• Offer practical support including ID documentation, facilitating transport and appointment accompaniment.
• Deliver trauma-informed, persistent engagement to reduce disengagement during referral stages.
• Support the creation of dedicated supported pathways into inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation as well as ambulatory detox and wraparound homelessness services. The provider should be highly familiar with supporting people at every stage of recovery from dependency, from emergency shelter through to independent living, recognising that not all recovery journeys are linear and predictable.
• Joint working with housing partners, criminal justice agencies, community mental health teams and voluntary sector organisations will ensure seamless transitions and shared risk management.
• Use assertive follow-up and coordinated aftercare to maintain engagement after discharge.

This notice is an intention to award a contract to Emerging Futures under the most suitable provider process with a contract value of £215,00 over the contract term which runs from 1st October 2026 to 31st March 2029.