Supporting Treatment, Accommodation and Recovery in Suffolk

Suffolk County Council is looking to award a contract for Supporting Treatment, Accommodation and Recovery in Suffolk for clients engaged with substance misuse treatment services. Following a pilot project, the Supporting Treatment, Accommodation & Recovery in Suffolk (STARS) provision was commissioned as a contracted service in late 2012 in order to address the housing needs of those clients engaged with substance misuse treatment services.

Public Health are investing in the continuation of this service in order to build on the evidence already gathered in order to measure longer term outcomes and gauge the impact on service users engaged with STARS. Whilst the primary focus of this service is to address housing needs and provide intensive support where required, there is an expectation that the provider will also take into consideration the holistic needs of the client group.

Opportunities to build on social, physical, human and cultural capital, coordinated with substance misuse treatment providers will ensure the best possible outcome for the client in their recovery journey. The service covers two main elements, advocacy and support and intensive support.

The county wide service will offer advocacy and support in each of the three main localities (Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Lowestoft) to clients who are considered to have a housing need via the STARS advocacy and support service. It is vital therefore that staff in the service have an in-depth knowledge of the accommodation options available throughout the county and have experience of the barriers facing this client group.

The intensive support service will offer both high level support and suitable accommodation to those clients with a long history of substance misuse who are unable to find accommodation elsewhere due to complex needs. The service will offer tailored support to enable clients to achieve recovery from substance misuse and gain the skills required to eventually live independently.

Suffolk County Council has decided not to divide the contract into lots so as to enable flexibility of funding and service provision across the county according to service user need. The contract duration will be for 2 years with the option to extend for up to a further 12 months.