Addicts to be helped under new Wakefield Council service

A new drugs and alcohol treatment service will offer 'high-quality' and 'specialist' help to addicts and their families.

Wakefield Council has approved the creation of the service, which will be tendered out to a private operator and begin working at the end of the year.

Around £300,000 of public money will be invested in the scheme, which will prioritise help for the families of those with alcohol and substance problems as well as people seeking treatment.

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The scheme will also liaise with other agencies who can help individuals, such as those covering mental health and children’s services.

The local authority’s portfolio holder for health, Coun Pat Garbutt said: “For those who are suffering, be it with alcohol or substance misuse, there’s somewhere they can go for help.

“There’s a need for substance misuse prevention in all areas and we have a statutory obligation to provide it.

“The key objectives of the service is to provide a high quality specialist care that meets the diverse needs of the residents of Wakefield and achieves positive outcomes for individuals and the communities they live in.

“I think this is a brilliant thing for Wakefield.”

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The approval of the service follows the closure of the Turning Point drug and alcohol support centre in South Kirkby last month, which was helping around 200 people at the end of last year.

The new service will provide treatment for issues with all types of drugs, with cannabis and alcohol the most likely causes of substance misuse.