About this programme

There is strong evidence that people who sleep rough experience some of the starkest health inequalities in London. The average age of death of a person who sleeps rough in England is under 50 years old. People who sleep rough also experience higher levels of multiple, complex co-morbidities than other groups including substance misuse and physical and mental health problems. Their lack of stable accommodation is a further barrier to engagement with treatment and healthcare which in turn creates a revolving door of homelessness, addiction, ill health and early death.

The Pan-London Substance Misuse Programme is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care for SSMT&RG and Department of Levelling Up, Communities and House (DLUCH) for Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Grant, in partnership with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the Greater London Authority, and London boroughs.

For key information about the programme’s services and referral information, see our Services page, or find a summary of services below. 

Contact details

For further information and general enquiries about the programme, please email: Nadia.Adigbli@cityoflondon.gov.uk.

 

Overview of services

Addiction Clinical Care Suite

Provided by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust at St Thomas’ Hospital, the Addiction Clinical Care Suite offers elective in-patient detoxification and stabilisation beds for people who are dependent on drugs and/or alcohol, who also have high levels of co-occurring complex physical/mental health medical need.

Intermediate rehabilitation beds 

Provided by Mildmay Mission hospital, intermediate rehabilitation support can be provided for people who are sleeping rough, or at risk of sleeping rough (following in-patient substance misuse detoxification or stabilisation, usually at the ACCS). Intermediate rehabilitation beds are available:

• if a Local Authority is unable to access a suitable residential rehabilitation facility at the time of referral to ACCS.
• for those requiring on-going assessment and care post a ACCS stay i.e. additional support to manage co-existing physical and mental health needs/ongoing social care assessment.

Regional homeless Engagement Substances Team

Provided by Phoenix Futures, the Regional Homeless Engagement Substances Team (RhEST) works across London and alongside local community substance misuse teams to support people who sleep rough, or at risk of sleeping rough, to initially engage or re-engage with community substance misuse treatment services.

Social Isolation and Recovery project

The Pan London Substance Misuse Programme completed a social isolation and recovery project during 2023/24. This work began with a rapid evidence assessment of interventions aiming to reduce isolation and promote recovery and a map of social isolation and recovery services for London, plus a map of London boroughs CHAIN data with Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI) and Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment & Recovery Grant (RSDATG) funding allocations. In addition, a reflective toolkit was produced for professionals to look at simple ways to make changes to existing services to promote inclusiveness. View all resources from this project.