We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of our Board of Trustees, Graham Boal KC, who died peacefully surrounded by his close family on 30 December.

Graham was an extremely passionate supporter of WDP and our work. He was a hardworking and committed member of our Board, sharing his valuable insight and expertise for almost a decade.

Graham had been the Chairman of the Seventy4 Foundation, a specialist addiction counselling service, and joined the WDP Board when the two organisations merged in 2013. His involvement with the Seventy4 Foundation came about because of his own personal recovery story and lived experience.

Graham was also a barrister for 30 years before serving with distinction as a judge at the Old Bailey until his retirement in 2005.

Among his many accomplishments was the publication of his memoir in 2021 called ‘A Drink at the Bar’, which he dedicated to WDP. He wrote engagingly and with compassion about his life, his work and his struggles with alcohol dependency and depression.

WDP’s Chair Yasmin Batliwala said: “Graham was our colleague but also a dear friend. Despite his recent poor health, he remained firmly and fully committed to our cause, working diligently and passionately behind the scenes as part of our Board to support WDP. He was a remarkable man and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with Graham’s family and friends at this very sad time.”

We are delighted to announce that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated WDP Greenwich as ‘Good’ across the board.

The CQC inspectors highlighted that the team “treated clients with compassion and kindness” and that they “understood the individual needs of clients and supported [them] to understand and manage their care and treatment.”

The report shares that staff “developed holistic, recovery-orientated care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment” and that they “provided a range of treatments suitable to the needs of service users and in line with national guidance around best practice.”

The inspectors also identified areas of outstanding practice in the service, namely:

• WDP’s Capital Card scheme, where service users can earn points by attending appointments and engaging with treatment, and then spend their points on positive activities in their local community.
• In-house motivational and confidence-building courses available to service users, such as NOVA and Next Steps, as well as a peer mentoring programme and development opportunities for volunteers.

The report includes some excellent feedback from service users. The inspectors reported that service users described staff as “approachable, non-judgemental and supportive”.

One individual told the inspectors that their recovery, and continued attendance at the service, was due to the kindness and support they received from staff.

Service users also said that the group programme was supportive, “family-like” and run by clinicians who were knowledgeable. They also felt encouraged to ask questions and learn about their treatment, and that they were listened to whenever they had concerns.

Councillor Denise Scott-McDonald, Cabinet Member for Health and Adults’ Social Care, said: “We are pleased to note that WDP Greenwich received a good rating from CQC. Since the launch in 2020, during the first week of lockdown, WDP has tackled many challenges and increased demand. Despite this, the team has remained committed to delivering a specialist holistic treatment and recovery service to residents in Royal Greenwich.”

“The strong rating reflects the professionalism, dedication, commitment, and care the team at WDP Greenwich delivers. The service manager and staff team can be proud of the recognition of the hard work this inspection provides, and our residents can be reassured that they have a good service that can respond effectively to their needs.”

Tom Sackville, Executive Director of Services at WDP commented: “We are extremely proud of this excellent CQC report acknowledging the high quality of our service in Greenwich. It is a credit to the team for their hard work and commitment to our service users, as it recognises the importance we place on providing a service which is tailored to the needs of each person who comes to us for support. Our WDP Greenwich service is hugely important for the local community and we look forward to continuing to support our service users’ recovery and identify even more ways to reach out to those in need. Working closely with our commissioners is a key feature of our success – it is a partnership we value immensely and hope to continue to build on.”

To access the full CQC inspection report, please click here.

If you live in Greenwich and would like to talk to someone about your own or someone else’s drug or alcohol use, please contact us on 0300 303 4552 or greenwich@wdp.org.uk.

You can also visit our service website page for more information and to register for help online: www.wdp.org.uk/greenwich.

WDP’s service users will receive SIM cards with free mobile data (and texts and calls) via the Good Things Foundation’s National Databank.

This new initiative will support service users to access online groups and support and manage day-to-day tasks. The pilot has started in our Brent, Cheshire West and Chester, Greenwich and Merton services with the intention of rolling out to other services in the future.

Anna Whitton, CEO of WDP, said: “We’ve been working with service users to explore access to and the benefits of online resources and support. Very quickly it became clear that one of the most significant barriers to access was the cost of data. It’s great to have been able to find a solution to this specific issue, which responds directly to the needs of our service users and will also respond to digital inclusion issues more broadly.”

Annabel Hudson, BRIC Coordinator at WDP Merton said: “We have many service users who are experiencing data poverty and are unable to afford data. This can have a significant impact on their recovery especially considering many groups and mutual aid in the community are delivered through online meetings and groups. Those who do not have access to Wi-Fi and are unable to afford data for their phone are excluded from accessing a variety digital support which would greatly benefit their recovery from substance use as well as other aspects of their lives, such as the ability to look for and apply for jobs. Having access to data will open many doors and provide many more opportunities for disadvantaged service users.”

WDP has also received a Digital Inclusion Capability Grant from the Good Things Foundation to purchase laptops and Chromebooks to set up ‘IT cafes’ for service users in two WDP services.

Support provided through the IT cafes will include:

• Access to the internet and support to set up an email account
• Facilitating access to essential online forms (e.g. GP registration/appointment) and documents
• Basic IT skills training e.g. using Microsoft Word and access to online resources
• Facilitating access to free certified online courses
• Bills and debt management resources and advice
• Employability resources, job searching and application form support

To find out more about the Good Things Foundation’s National Databank, visit https://www.goodthingsfoundation.org/databank/

WDP and Box Up Crime are offering young people in Redbridge who have experience of drug or alcohol issues the opportunity to get motivated and active in a fun and relaxed space.

Box Up Crime will enable young people who use the Capital Card® in Redbridge to use enjoy free gym passes and have a discounted membership in exchange for Capital Card points.

The Capital Card is an award-winning reward card scheme which empowers WDP’s service users. It rewards people for their engagement at their local service, through a simple earn-spend points system. They can earn points by attending appointments and then spend their points on positive activities in their local community, such as the cinema or gym.

Max Griffiths, Capital Card Manager at WDP, said: “We are delighted that Box Up Crime is joining the Capital Card Spend Partner family. The young people we work with in Redbridge will really benefit from these inspirational sessions and access to their leisure facilities, to help improve both their physical and mental health and wellbeing.”

Rob Harris, Operational Manager at Box Up Crime said: ‘This is an amazing opportunity for us at Box Up Crime to be involved in the great work of supporting people on the road to recovery. We strongly believe that working in partnership we can have a greater influence in the work we all do, so it is an honour for us to be part of the Capital Card family. We look forward to sharing many successful outcomes in the future.

If you live in Redbridge and would like to talk to someone about your own or someone else’s drug or alcohol use, please contact R3 (adult service) on 0300 303 4612 or info.R3@wdp.org.uk or Fusion (young people service) on 020 8708 7800 or info.fusion@wdp.org.uk for free and confidential support.

As part of its Recovery Month celebrations, WDP West Berkshire hosted an open day for its service users and community partners at its newly refurbished recovery hub.

WDP West Berkshire launched in April 2022 and provides a range of drug and alcohol treatment and support for adults and young people.

The event at our site on Station Road in Newbury was attended by Mayor of Newbury, Gary Norman, Councillor Steve Masters, and April Peberdy from West Berkshire Council (see pictured) amongst others.

Guests at the open day were able to take part in taster sessions and visit a ‘marketplace’ to showcase different elements of the service, such as: alcohol awareness, BBV testing, needle exchange, employment support, and information and training around Naloxone.

There was also a stall about WDP’s Capital Card scheme, which enables service users to earn points by engaging in treatment and then spend points on activities in their local community.

Tom Sackville, WDP’s Executive Director of Services said: “We were delighted to host this open day and provide an opportunity for our community partners to see the excellent treatment that is available and meet our team. Our refurbished service hub is a really positive welcoming environment for our staff, volunteers and most importantly for service users on their recovery journey.”

Our New Beginnings service in Cheshire West and Chester recently held a celebration event for its peer mentor graduates at the Storyhouse in Chester. Storyhouse is an award-winning library, theatre, cinema, and cultural centre, and is one of our Capital Card® spend partners.

The event was attended by the service’s peer mentors who graduated this summer, their friends and families, as well as those who will be starting the peer mentoring programme in September.

Other graduation attendees included: members of the New Beginnings team, WDP senior managers, staff from forfutures housing support service, Councillor Val Armstrong Cabinet Member – Adult Social Care and Public Health, and Director of Public Health Ian Ashworth and other local authority employees.

WDP Area Director, Dave Targett gave a speech about the value of peer mentoring within WDP services and our vision for the development of an independent peer-led service in Cheshire West and Chester.

Jane Murphy, Service Manager, New Beginnings said: “It was a very inspirational morning for everyone who attended. We were delighted to have our Peer Mentoring course delivered in Cheshire West and Chester and we are looking forward to our peer mentors joining us on their placements and supporting with the delivery of the next peer mentoring course. We also look forward to more graduation events in the coming years as our recovery community of peer mentors expands.”

Ian Ashworth, Director of Public Health, Cheshire West and Chester said: “I was honoured to have the opportunity to attend the WDP Peer Mentor Graduation Ceremony event at The Storyhouse, Chester on 23rd August. The peer mentoring programme is growing from strength to strength due to the commitment of the peer graduates, and it is amazing to see how their personal experience of addiction and recovery, with empathy and without judgement, provides an invaluable offer to those seeking treatment and support on their recovery journey.”

Some of the feedback from our amazing peer mentor graduates included:

• “I very much enjoyed the peer mentor course, not only because it was interesting and led to my gaining a qualification, but also because it offered support and structure at a very vulnerable time in my life. The lessons were always friendly and practical, and the friendships I developed with my fellow mentors were of huge benefit to my mental health.”
• It’s a life-changing experience that has helped me gain more insight into this line of work. I would highly recommend this course.”

About New Beginnings

WDP’s New Beginnings service delivers high-quality personalised care and treatment for adults and young people from sites in Chester, Ellesmere Port and Northwich. If you live in Cheshire West and Chester and would like to talk to someone about your or someone else’s drug or alcohol use, please contact us on 0300 303 4548 or cwac@wdp.org.uk. You can also visit our service page for more information and to register for support online.

We are delighted that our Pay and Reward project has been highly commended in the ‘Best reward or recognition initiative’ category at this year’s CIPD People Management Awards.

These prestigious awards showcase and celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions made by people engagement initiatives and the teams across the UK who are making a real difference in their workplace.

Anna Whitton, CEO of WDP commented: “We are extremely pleased to have been highly commended in this hotly contested category! Our team really wanted to develop a meaningful, valuable and flexible suite of benefits and rewards for our people and to have our hard work recognised in this way makes us very proud.”

Read more about WDP’s range of benefits – including health and wellbeing initiatives, financial perks and support, and recognition and development opportunities – in our Benefits Package area.

We are delighted to announce that we have been shortlisted for the Performance Recovery Award at this year’s HSJ Awards, along with our partners in the Hepatitis C Drug Treatment Services (DTS) Provider Forum.

The HSJ Awards recognise the outstanding contributions made to healthcare across the UK and showcase these achievements on a national platform.

The Hepatitis C Drug Treatment Services (DTS) Provider Forum has been nominated for its ‘Hepatitis C Virus Screening in Drug Treatment Services’ initiative, which aims to eliminate Hepatitis C from UK drug and alcohol services by the end of 2023.

Membership of the Provider Forum includes a collection of the UK’s leading drug and alcohol service providers and The Hepatitis C Trust. The group’s members have been working together to implement a collaborative reporting and monitoring approach in Hepatitis C test and treat data.

Marlon Freeman, Hep C Coordinator at WDP said: “Raising awareness of Hepatitis C and the very real potential to eliminate it is key to delivering the ambitions of this project. We’re really proud of the partnership and what has been delivered so far. Being shortlisted for this award provides another important platform to promote this life-saving initiative.”

HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, adds; “On behalf of all my colleagues, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate Hepatitis C Drug Treatment Services (DTS) Provider Forum on being shortlisted as a finalist in the category of ‘Performance Recovery Award’. We’re all very much looking forward to welcoming our finalists to the awards ceremony in November, celebrating their impressive achievements and jointly acknowledging our values of sharing best practice, improving patient outcomes and continuously driving for better service.”

The full list of nominees for the 2022 HSJ awards can be found at awards.hsj.co.uk.

WDP welcomes the publication of a national adult drug and alcohol treatment commissioning quality standard by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). These new standards were one of the key recommendations of the second part of Dame Carol Black’s review of drugs and were agreed by the government and included in the recent drug strategy.

As a third sector provider of recovery treatment and support services and a member of the expert advisory group that helped shape this framework, we are grateful to have been involved in the consultation and to have had the opportunity to share our views and experience of the breadth of activities carried out by local commissioning teams. A recognition that an effective tendering process is just one part of the wider commissioning role is important.

The new quality standards highlight the importance of collaboration and co-production, values that are a vital part of everything we do as an organisation, and this was especially clear in how the expert advisory group was consulted with and worked together. The membership of the group also reflected critical elements of these standards, such as dynamic partnership working and having people with lived experience involved at every stage as being essential.

We are very encouraged that a great deal of consideration has been given to ensure that when looking at future commissioning, the right people are in the room and that they are supported to make the best possible decisions for local communities.

The aim of the drug strategy is to have accessible, high-quality, effective, person-centred alcohol and drug treatment and recovery systems throughout England, and we feel that these new standards provide a good framework to support this important work.

David Targett, Area Director at WDP – and a member of the expert advisory group – said: “Seeing the recommendations from the Dame Carol Black review appear in the drug strategy and now being followed through with the publication of these new quality standards for commissioning is promising and positive news. However, it is imperative that we continue working together as a sector to develop long-term quality, performance, financial and workforce strategies to strengthen, expand and embed excellent treatment and support for the people who need it.”

To read the commissioning quality standard: alcohol and drug treatment and recovery guidance and self-assessment tool, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/commissioning-quality-standard-alcohol-and-drug-services

We are delighted that we have been shortlisted for our Pay and Reward project in the ‘Best reward or recognition initiative’ category at this year’s CIPD People Management Awards.

These prestigious awards showcase and celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions made by HR and Learning and Development teams across the UK who are making a real difference in their workplace.

Our new and innovative employee benefits package launched in 2021 following an extensive consultation with our staff. It was really important to us to put in place new conditions and benefits that support a happy, healthy, and impactful workforce and this has also helped us to continue to make a significant and positive difference in the work we do.

As well as gathering feedback from our people, we undertook research and benchmarking work, in our sector and beyond. We pushed and challenged ourselves to consider what we could do differently to make a difference. We will be reviewing our offer every two years, demonstrating our commitment to ensuring our pay and reward offer continues to help support us to attract, retain and develop the very best people.

Some examples of our benefits include:

• Annual leave of 30 days, from start of employment, increasing to 33 days over time.
• Sick leave of 6 months full pay, then 6 months half pay, from start of employment.
• An additional day’s leave for the following important life events: birthday, getting married/civil partnership, moving house, and child’s first day of school.
• Access to confidential counselling and practical support via our Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to Perkbox rewards and benefits, where all WDP staff can enjoy a wide variety of discounts – from fitness and wellbeing providers such as Puregym or Boxx and retailers like Argos or Snow & Rock – as well as freebies from Café Nero or Greggs, and free courses from the Skills Network.
• Other support we offer includes leave for: IVF (both partners eligible), adoption, gender transition, dependents, miscarriage (both partners eligible), pet bereavement and domestic abuse.

Anna Whitton, CEO of WDP said: ‘Our team have worked incredibly hard to develop and implement this important project. Being shortlisted for this CIPD award really recognises the careful time and attention invested in developing a strong and diverse employment offer. We are really proud of it!’

Read more about the full range of benefits available – including health and wellbeing initiatives, financial perks and support, and recognition and development opportunities – in our Benefits Package area.