Councillor Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, approved the extension of two contracts at this meeting. The Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Service (ODAS) contract will be extended for two years, and the Detoxification and Residential Rehabilitation Services for Adults with Problematic Substance Use – Dynamic Approved Provider List (DAPL) contract will also be extended for two years.

Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Service Contract Extension

The ODAS contract will be extended for two years until March 2028. The contract, which began in April 2023, provides safe accommodation support to victims of domestic abuse, fulfilling the statutory requirements of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021¹.

The ODAS provides:

• Emergency refuge and dispersed housing
• Outreach and helpline services
• Specialist support for children and young people
• Services for marginalised groups, including sex workers and those with insecure immigration status

The ODAS is jointly funded by Oxfordshire County Council and each district council in Oxfordshire. The council's contribution is £610,382 per annum, which will be funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Domestic Abuse grant.

The report noted that:

Extending the ODAS service underpins the current Oxfordshire domestic abuse safe accommodation strategy 2025-2028 recommendations. The overarching Oxfordshire domestic abuse strategy and health needs assessment are being reviewed and updated in 2025. This provides an opportunity to add amendments to the existing ODAS contract or create additional contracts if necessary to meet the needs of the population.

Detoxification and Residential Rehabilitation Services for Adults with Problematic Substance Use – Dynamic Approved Provider List (DAPL)

The contract extensions for the DAPL, which provides detoxification and residential rehabilitation services for adults with problematic substance use, were approved for a period of two years. The extension period will commence on 1 May 2026 and run until 30 April 2028.

The DAPL comprises 17 providers across the United Kingdom, offering different styles of detoxification/rehabilitation programmes in a range of geographical locations.

The report noted that:

Extending the contract ensures continuity of service for community alcohol and drug services, maintains high-quality service delivery, avoids disruption for people accessing residential treatment, and supports the Council's strategic aims of protecting vulnerable residents and improving health outcomes.

The contract value across all 17 providers is anticipated to be circa £1,013,000 per annum in total. Funding for placements comes from Public Heath (PH) and a small contribution from external grants, Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant (RSDATG), the Supplementary Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG), and Adult Social Care (ASC).