Dame Carol Black visits Leicester service to see impact of drug strategy funding

The government’s independent adviser on drugs, Professor Dame Carol Black, visited Leicester on Tuesday to learn more about the innovative ways the city’s substance use service supports people who use drugs and alcohol across its diverse communities.

Dame Carol played a significant role in securing a substantial rise in funding for the sector. In 2021, her independent review on drugs led to the government announcing the 10-year strategy, ‘From Harm to Hope’, initially committing nearly £900 million in dedicated, phased funding between 2022-2025.

Dame Carol saw some of the positive impact the funding has had at Leicester Substance Use Service. Run by leading social enterprise Turning Point, and commissioned by Leicester City Council Public Health, the service offers a range of treatment options for residents who are affected by drugs or alcohol.

Among the areas that the service has shown exceptional foresight and growth in is support for families with complex needs, people with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs, and people from ethnic minority communities.

The Families with Complex Needs team focuses on families, safeguarding and improving outcomes for children affected by parental substance use. The team deliver targeted, family-focused interventions that lead to sustainable change within families, particularly those facing the highest levels of vulnerability.

In her drugs review, Dame Carol stressed that substance use cannot be addressed by treatment alone or by one agency acting in isolation; it requires coordinated action across support services.

Turning Point’s Leicester service has developed several cross-sector partnerships, including the multi award winning project with Leicester City Council Public Health Team and Leicestershire Police to train over 800 police officers on how to use the lifesaving opiate reversal medication naloxone. The antidote was administered 14 times in the first 12 months of the training – equating to 14 lives potentially saved.

For those presenting with co-occurring substance use and mental health needs, the service worked with Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Integrated Care Board to create a multi-disciplinary Substance Use and Mental Health (SUMH) team that is aligned to locality teams across the city and county which has led to improved access and more coordinated care for individuals with complex and high-risk presentations.

Leicester is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the UK. Recent Census data showed that 59.1% of Leicester’s residents identify from ethnic minority groups, with over 41% born outside the UK. The city hosts over 240 faith groups and speaks more than 70 languages.

In reflection of this diversity, the service created the Diverse Communities Team which now includes specialist leads for Polish, Black and Afro-Caribbean, Gujarati, and Punjabi communities. The service has also secured additional funding for the partner organisation, Spinney Hill Recovery, to enhance this provision.

One example of someone who has benefited from the increased services available at Turning Point is Ravi (not his real name), who began treatment for alcohol dependence and cannabis use in February.  The Diverse Communities Team allocated Ravi to a Gujarati speaking key worker.

‘Being able to communicate in my language has been integral to my treatment and recovery journey,’ said Ravi.

‘It has enabled me to express myself more openly, feel understood, and build a strong therapeutic relationship with my key worker who is culturally attuned to my background, values, and beliefs— key factors that have influenced my substance use.’

With specialised support and tailored harm reduction advice, Ravi has made excellent progress within a short timeframe, achieving abstinence within two months despite initially wanting to pursue a detox pathway.

Dame Carol Black, government’s independent adviser on drugs, said: ‘It was a great pleasure to visit Turning Point’s Drug and Alcohol Service in Leicester. I saw great effort being made to deliver a person-centred service which recognised the need for appropriate and timely psychological services and mental health support.

‘It was inspiring to see that many employees were individuals who had personal experience of addiction.’

Rob Howard, Director of Public Health, Leicester City Council, said: ‘It is fantastic to see Turning Point being recognised for the work they do in tackling the harm caused by alcohol and drug use in Leicester. We have commissioned Turning Point for many years, and we are incredibly proud of our ongoing partnership which continues to help reduce health inequalities, and provide vital, lifesaving interventions across our communities’

Andrea Knowles, senior operations manager Leicester Substance Use Service, said: ‘We were proud to have been selected to be visited by Dame Carol Black. I feel it reflects the exceptional service that we provide to the residents of Leicester.

‘Our dedicated team ensures that every person that comes to us is given a tailored support programme that meets their individual needs.

‘Through our diverse staff that includes clinicians, recovery workers, peer mentors, and therapists, and also our close relationships with other health services in the city, we strive to make sure that the people we support are given every opportunity to make positive changes to their lives.’

Julie Bass, Turning Point chief executive, said: ‘Dame Carol Black is a pioneering figure in health and social care. To have her visit our Leicester service was a real honour.

‘The inspiring work that takes place in Leicester, and across all Turning Point services around the country, is a direct result of Dame Carol’s tireless work to secure more funding for the sector.

‘We look forward to continuing to build on the recommendations she set out in her independent review on drugs and hopefully invite her to visit more Turning Point services in the future.’