20.11.09

Wakefield's NHS Substance Misuse Services (WISMS) is one of a small group of projects in England to get the go-ahead for its first milestone in looking to become a social enterprise, under the "Right to Request" a Department of Health initiative.

As one of the 20 first-wave organisations, WISMS will receive £30,000 of Department of Health funding; a dedicated mentor and access to professional development opportunities to help it progress.

Across the Wakefield district, treatment and care of substance misusers is currently provided through an integrated treatment system. This includes many partner organisations, all of whom are commissioned (planned, paid for and monitored) by NHS Wakefield District.

Dr Linda Harris, Clinical Director at WISMS said: "We are delighted with this news. Our work is very much about changing the lives of some of the most vulnerable people within the District. Becoming a social enterprise will enable us to continue to serve their needs, and will help individuals, families and communities, for whom substance misuse has a negative impact. We want to add even greater value to the day to day work that we do and we believe this form of organisation will help us to achieve that.

"The work we do is focussed on identifying the causes and consequences of addiction so that we can provide the right kind of services and support. Becoming a social enterprise will enable us to take more ownership of this work, which we hope will unlock more innovation in our services."

A social enterprise is an organisation with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are reinvested for the benefit of its members or the local users

Some of the benefits social enterprises are expected to bring include:

• Better clinical outcomes and patient experience
• Better integrated pathways and services for patients in the community, reducing reliance on hospital services
• A wider range of high quality, innovative and responsive community providers and services
• Improved value for money - better quality and lower costs,
• Improved productivity, releasing money to reinvest in services

Services WISMS provides include:

• nursing and medical support to community-based drugs teams
• a district wide alcohol team
• criminal justice interventions
• support for people who have had or have a drug problem to help them to gain jobs or training
• local care in partnership with GP practices and links with service user forums.

The PCT also commissions Turning Point to provide some of these services. All partners also work together within the wider WISMS Integrated Care Organisation

Alan Wittrick, Chief Executive at NHS Wakefield District said: "Social enterprise offers an innovative option for the future of some community services and is supported by the Department of Health. NHS Wakefield District is supportive of the aspirations of a social enterprise bid and its aims to bring high level benefits to patients in the District. The next stage is for WISMS to produce a full business case to help us assess whether a social enterprise option is financially viable."

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