An extra £1million will be spent over the next 3 years to provide support for substance misuse on the Island.
Additional funding has been granted to the Isle of Wight from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) to increase the quality and capacity of substance misuse services — including residential rehabilitation.
The money will allow better outcomes, the Isle of Wight Council says, for residents with a substance misuse treatment need as well as those with complex needs. It follows the launch of the government’s national drugs strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’ in December 2021.
The council could potentially receive another nearly £850,000 from the OHID in the next 2 years, although it has not been confirmed yet.
Cabinet member for adult social care and public health, Councillor Karl Love, has said it is good news for Island people and will give a small boost to the services so they can be developed further.
The Island’s public health director Simon Bryant has said it will allow a whole systems approach to tackling drugs with a new partnership already starting to make a difference with multiple agencies working together and really helping.
An additional £100,684 has also been given to the Island by the OHID for the rough sleepers initiative with a potential £151,000 in the next 2 years.
Councillorr Debbie Andre has highlighted a lack of support in Sandown — the ward she shares representation of — for individuals needing rehabilitation accommodation with low to no support needs. She said she understood the concerns of residents as Two Saints looks to provide more accommodation in the town.
Cllr Andre said a meeting is yet to be arranged between the parties but a public meeting will be held where residents can ask their questions. She said:
“We are a caring administration and we have a moral duty, as well as statutory one, to support people who find themselves without anywhere to call home.”
Why are we spending more tax payers money on these damn lowlifes. Cut funding so they can either, dry out or just fade away. They had a choice to take the drugs or not. Meanwhile almost impossible to see a doctor face to face still. Bloody ridiculous.
That’s unkind.
Good for the island what rubbish it’s only good for the abusers
We are a caring administration and we have a moral duty, as well as statutory one, to support people who find themselves without anywhere to call home.
….
No Debbie – you have a statutory duty to assist and help those that through no fault of their own are homeless – you do not have any obligation, as imposed by the island taxpaying voters, to waste time, effort and money on deadbeat, lowlife, s cumbags that have absolutely no intention of making any effort to support theirselves, or are convicted sex pests, anti social tenants who won’t follow rules or just benefit sponging layabouts that won’t work no matter what.
stop being a handwringing do gooder, support those that are genuine and abandon the burdensome lowlifes
Total waste of money
No help for workers who choose not to adopt a sponging lifestyle of drugs, drink and uncontrolled breeding.
You get nothing now for being a worker.
Seems that the only people who get any help these days are criminals and spongers. Decent, hardworking people don’t get any consideration at all. It clearly pays to be pond life instead of a decent human being now.
Where’s the additional funding for Social Care, Hospitals, Schools etc…?
Where’s the extra financial support the alarming amount of families having to rely on Food Banks?
Alcohol and drug misuse is a lifestyle choice, a choice that the majority of honest hard working, taxpayers choose not to adopt.
Can someone kindly explain to my 82yr old Grandma why she’s having to move out of her care home due to the lack of funding because the money has been spent on Heroin addicts?
those that chose the benefits lifestyle are now going to find out what older people experienced in the 1970’s and 1980’s. These leeches that sponge off the state and had loads of kids without even thinking about paying for them or those that just can’t be bothered to work are in for a rude awakening.
interest rates hit 15% in the late 80’s – this new inflationary cycle is just getting started and the pain hasn’t even begun yet -if you think it has, then you are in for a shock over the coming months.
another mill wasted ..great
Just up their dole money so they can get smashed 7 days a week lol