National drugs mission funds: guidance

The First Minister announced a new national mission to reduce drug related deaths and harms in January 2021. This is supported by an investment of £50 million per year for the next five years. We are making £18 million of this available through four funds. These funds will be available for this year, and the next four years. Therefore, multi-year applications are welcome. 

These are:

• Service Improvement Fund: £5 million has been allocated to continue the Improvement Fund, launched earlier this year. To provide improved services for outreach, treatment, rehabilitation and after care
• Local Support Fund: £5 million has been allocated to continue the Grassroots Fund, launched earlier this year. To provide access to funding for a wide range of communities and grassroots organisations which support the aims of the national mission
• Recovery Fund: £5 million has been allocated to support access to residential rehabilitation by providing additional residential rehabilitation capacity, support people to access residential rehabilitation and support people after they leave residential rehabilitation
• Children and Families Fund: £3 million has been allocated to improve support for children, young people and families impacted by drug use, and ensure all children, young people and families have access to services

These funds are accessible by not-for-profit organisations working in the drugs sector, including Integration Authorities, Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, third sector organisations and grassroots/community organisations. Multi-year funding is available.

Improvement Fund

The Improvement fund will support drug service resources, particularly organisations which deliver services that lead to fast and appropriate access to treatment and collaborative approaches that help people to address the underlying challenges that they face. This includes better support after non-fatal overdoses and increased naloxone provision, as well as support for family members who often play a vital role in recovery. It is often hard for people to get the support they need to progress with treatment, so improving access and pathways to support services is a key priority for this fund.

This fund is administered by the Corra Foundation on our behalf. More information, criteria and guidance can be found here Drugs Services Funds - Corra.

Local Support Fund

The Local Support Fund is focused on community-based organisations which deliver frontline services to support people who use drugs, people who are in recovery and their families. The Scottish Government is aware that organisations providing this vital support often exist on shoestring budgets and are stretched to their limits. In some cases, the pandemic may have pushed these budgets further. It is hoped that this extra funding can help to provide more security. This fund is intended to help these organisations to stabilise or increase capacity, extend services and provide further reach into the community.

In recognition that the Grassroots Fund, which closed earlier this year, was not as accessible to very small organisations we have expedited access to grants of £10,000 or less to organisations with an annual income of less than £50,000. This is funded from the Local Support Fund and is administered by the CORRA Foundation. Please see their website for further information and application guidance. 

These funds are administered by the Corra Foundation on our behalf. More information, criteria and guidance can be found here Drugs Services Funds - Corra.

Children and Families Fund

The Children and Families Fund is focused on community-based organisations with significant experience in supporting children and families affected by drugs and which deliver frontline services. This fund is intended to help these organisations to sustain, stabilise or increase capacity, extend or improve services and/or meet identified gaps in service provision.

This fund aims to support direct work with children and families affected by alcohol and drugs and welcomes applications that are based on partnership approaches which demonstrate how they will take a Whole Family Approach which is Relational and Rights Based when delivering front-line services which support children and families.

This fund is administered by the Corra Foundation on our behalf. More information, criteria and guidance can be found here Drugs Services Funds - Corra.

Recovery Fund

The Recovery Fund seeks to improve access to residential rehabilitation. It will do this in two ways. Firstly, by providing funding to organisations to increase capacity in residential rehabilitation services. This is the Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme. Secondly, by supporting individuals who want to keep their tenancies whilst in rehab services which are funded by social security payments. This is the Dual Housing Support Fund.

Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme (RRRCP)

This is a programme focused on rapid increase in capacity of residential rehabilitation services. It allows for multi-year project delivery where appropriate, recognising that some projects will take time to get up and running. The RRRCP 2 relates to applications with the purpose of increasing capacity, which require capital investment (up to £2 million) or high value revenue costs (>£250,000).

The programme is now open for another funding cycle until 9 January 2023. Further information can be found in the guidance and application documents.

Dual Housing Support Fund

This fund will support individuals who want to keep their tenancies whilst in rehab services which are funded by social security payments. Funds will be made available to local authorities to ensure that when an individual accesses rehabilitation their housing payments on their core residence do not stop for the time that they are in treatment. Guidance on this will be shared with local authorities and rehabilitation providers. In the meantime, providers and/or local authorities who are aware of an individual facing this barrier should email drugsmissiondeliveryteam@gov.scot with Housing Benefit Request in the subject line. We will respond to you as soon as possible.

Prison to Rehab Pathway

The Prison to Rehab pathway supports individuals leaving prison who would benefit from accessing abstinence based treatment on release.

The Prison to Rehab Protocol sets out the process for prison based staff, residential rehabilitation providers and individuals. It contains information on all available residential rehabilitation providers. The protocol is available to all convicted prisoners within Scottish penal establishments. There is an expectation that individuals accessing the protocol will demonstrate a high and deep-rooted motivation to abstinent recovery within the prison setting.

See the protocol and associated forms.