Major boost for treatment services tackling substance misuse across Barnet

Government funding worth more than £3.5m will pay for an “expansion of established drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery services” in the borough, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Barnet Council with (inset left, credit LDRS) a beer and (inset right, credit Myrian Zilles via Unsplash) some drugs

An extra £3.5million in funding for substance misuse, prevention, treatment and recovery services has been signed off by Barnet Council.

The decision was reached at the local authority’s cabinet meeting last week (Monday 12th).

Payment for the services, worth £3,542,384, will be made through ring-fenced funding awarded by the government’s Department of Health and Social Care, via the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

The money, which will help fund Barnet Substance Misuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services, is set to cover the current financial year (2026/27) through to the end of the 2028/29 period.

In a report, the council said the move “will enable the continuation and expansion of established drug and alcohol prevention, treatment and recovery services, including interventions for rough sleepers, women, young people, people in the criminal justice system and those requiring enhanced treatment and recovery support”.

At the same time, it says that “some activities and roles are being added to existing provision which will enhance the current treatment offer”.

This comes as part of a “continuation and expansion of existing provision with additional provision enhancements”.

The money will be used to enhance the local authority’s existing contract with Change Grow Live, a health and social care charity predominantly funded by councils to deliver support services.

The organisation, which employs “many” members of staff who have previously used its services, says it is focused “on making sure that everything we do is helping the people who use our services, and the wider public too”.

In December last year it was reported that 30 adults had died while in drug treatment in Barnet between April 2022 and March 2025 – a small decrease from the 32 who died between 2021 and 2024.

A total of 8,925 people died while in contact with treatment services across England between April 2022 and March 2025, including 4,273 in the year to March alone.

OHID, which published the data, said that while each year some people die while they are in an alcohol and drug treatment programme, these deaths might not be directly alcohol or drug related.

Speaking last year, Dr Will Haydock, chief executive of charity Collective Voice, which works to improve England’s drug and alcohol treatment and recovery system, said: “Crucially, people are dying from causes other than directly substance use.

“Substance use issues don’t occur in isolation from other aspects of people’s lives, and are often linked to wider disadvantage related to housing, employment and social connection – which we know affect people’s wider health.

“We also know that people who use drugs are under-served by general healthcare, so it’s not just about substance use treatment.”

He said access to healthcare and support must be improved, along with interventions such as support to stop smoking and better cancer screenings.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said the Labour government is “committed to cutting the number of drug related deaths through treatment, advice and support – focusing on deprived areas suffering most”.

If you or someone you know in Barnet is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, visit Change Grow Live’s website for further guidance:
Visit changegrowlive.org

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