Decision

The Director of Public Health has approved the
extension of the contract for residential rehabilitation services
to Phoenix House, pursuant to Process C under the Health Care
Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations 2023. The 12-month
contract extension will commence on 1 April 2026 – 31 March
2027 with an annual value of £195,000.

Reasons for the decision

In Wirral, addictions prevention, harm
reduction and treatment, along with ongoing recovery support, is of
concern. These concerns are detailed in the Wirral Drugs Strategy
2023-2027 and the Public Health Annual Report 2024-2025. A key
ambition of the government’s national drug strategy is to
increase provision of residential rehabilitation.

The council receives ring-fenced supplementary substance misuse
treatment and recovery funding within the Core Public Health Grant
from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), to enable a
whole system approach of initiatives under guidance of the Director
of Public Health, the Wirral Combatting Addictions Partnership and
the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

Phoenix House (a National organisation with a Wirral located
project) has a contract for the delivery of residential
rehabilitation services which ends on 31st March 2026, with an
option for a 12-month extension. The modification is clearly
provided for in the original contract, in compliance with the
Health Care Services (Provider Selection Regime) Regulations
2023.

Phoenix House will provide residential rehabilitation placements
for Wirral residents with a drug and/or alcohol dependency. They
will be assessed and referred by the Community Drug and Alcohol
Treatment provider. The choice of Phoenix House for any individual
placement is agreed between the service user being placed and their
case worker. The length of stay is determined by presenting
treatment need. The rationale for establishing a block contract
with this provider is because they receive the majority of Wirral
placements. One reason for this is that they provide a
well-recognised and respected treatment offer, but another
significant factor is that this service is locally situated and
this allows for greater integration and continuity of care between
the period of time in the residential placement and the return to
the community. It also allows for greater support for the person in
the rehab setting from their families.

Phoenix House does offer a range of projects and service users will
be placed in what is assessed to be the most appropriate
rehabilitation unit to meet their identified needs. This includes
the Wirral residential service, with a second service in Derbyshire
that specialises in working with people with co-occurring substance
use and mental health needs, and a trauma responsive female-only
service. This contract therefore covers a wide range of presenting
needs.

Alternative options considered

Various options?for?the?supplementary
substance use treatment and recovery?component?funding?were
explored?through the Wirral Combatting? Addictions?
Partnership.

In addition to this contract, further funding for Residential Rehab
placements has been made available through Wirral’s
supplementary grant funding for drug and alcohol treatment and
recovery which is to provide for further placements via other
residential rehabilitation providers. This allows for placements to
take place in these other projects if their approach and
therapeutic offer is deemed to be more suitable to meet the
specific individual needs of the person being placed. Placements
will therefore not be made exclusively with Phoenix House. However,
the decision to extend the contract term with this provider ensures
access to the local facility which meets the needs of most Wirral
service users, and to their two specialist units that do provide
options that meet more individualised needs. The block contract
arrangement also provides for a favourable bed-night
rate.