Council set to expand drug and alcohol treatment

Change Grow Live Services Limited's contract is set to be renewed for a further five years

A local authority is set to award a multimillion-pound contract for drug and alcohol treatment that would expand its services.

Peterborough City Council has worked with Change Grow Live Services Limited (CGL) for the past 10 years, but the current agreement is due to end in March 2026.

Cabinet members will meet on Tuesday to consider authorising a new five-year contract worth £13.4m with CGL, which emerged as the preferred bidder after a competitive procurement process.

If approved, the new integrated drug and alcohol treatment service will run from April 2026 to March 2031, with options for three one-year extensions.

'Complete transformation'

It will expand treatment to all age groups, including children and young people up to 25 across Peterborough, and provide up to 40 service contact points across the city.

The cabinet report claims that the new programme will provide a "complete transformation" in accessibility of services across the city, with additional support available for sleepers, vulnerable women, groups with protected characteristics, support to address smoking and investment to reduce drug related offending.

According to the report, the current service has achieved a number of positive outcomes.

These includes a reduction in positivity rates for Hepatitis C from 44% to 18% in two years for clients with drug and alcohol issues, and an increase of inpatient detox places by more than double.

Last year, the rehabilitation group welcomed an increase in people from harder-to-reach communities using its services.

It expanded its work with religious groups and community centres to beat "cultural stigma" surrounding drug and alcohol use within South Asian communities.

The cabinet meeting will take place from 16:00 BST.

Other key matters to discussed at the meeting include a proposed new swimming pool in the city and and a legal decision to be made regarding the long-running Werrington Fields saga.