National Mission on Drugs: annual report
Sets out the progress made between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 by national government, local government and third sector partners towards reducing drug deaths and improving the lives of those impacted by drugs in Scotland.
8. Finance
8.1 Overview
The National Mission is delivered both nationally and locally. To achieve this, the Scottish Government partners with, and supports, many critical organisations across public and third sectors. This finance section aims to provide greater transparency of National Mission funding, by setting out:
- where in the Scottish Government budget the funding derives from;
- the routes by which it is spent, providing a breakdown of the main funding distribution channels and partners, and;
- how our funding is broken down by theme.
8.2 The National Mission Budget
In 2023-24[11], the total funding for Alcohol and Drugs funding was from three main sources shown in figure 9.
NHS baseline funding[12] refers to Territorial Health Boards budget allocations, which they can spend in response to local need. In 2023-24, baseline funding totalled £57.6 million.
In summer 2023-24, the pay deal for healthcare staff governed by the Agenda for Change (AfC) agreement was approved. For drug and alcohol services this totalled an additional £5.02 million in 2023-24[13]. AfC funding is not included in the 2023-24 published budget for Alcohol and Drugs.
Alcohol and Drugs Policy funding is investment to improve the delivery of frontline care; the overarching aim of reducing harms and avoidable deaths caused by substance use. This included £17m funding commitment from the 2017 Programme for Government which is allocated directly to NHS territorial boards; core operational budget of SG Alcohol and Drugs Policy and in 2023-24, this totalled nearly £37m.
National Mission on Drugs funding includes the additional £50 million which the former First Minister committed in January 2021 to deliver the National Mission on drugs, totalling £250m over the duration of the parliament and £12 million commitment for delivering the Cross Government Plan.
| Funding Source 2023-24 | Funding (£000s) |
|---|---|
| NHS baseline | 57,620 |
| Agenda for Change | 5,019 |
| Alcohol and Drugs Policy | 36,995 |
| National Mission Funding | 62,000 |
| Total | 161,634 |
8.3 Funding Distribution
Table 2 below provides a breakdown of funding allocated in 2023-24.
| Funding Allocated | Funding (£000s) | % Funding |
|---|---|---|
| Health Board baseline | 57,620 | 36% |
| Additional ADP funding | 50,300 | 31% |
| Agenda for Change | 5,019 | 3% |
| Grants via Corra | 13,000 | 8% |
| SG Managed | 31,948 | 20% |
| Key Third Sector Partners | 3,747 | 2% |
| Total | 161,634 |
70% of all funding is delivered via Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs). This includes the baseline funding (36% of total) and funding which is provided for specific funding streams as part of the delivery of priorities (figure 4).
8.3.1 Key Third Sector Partners (KTSP)
Key Third Sector Partners (KTSP) received a total of £4.9 million for both core funding and specific project delivery. KTSP include:
- Crew Scotland
- Scottish Drugs Forum
- Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs
- Scottish Recovery Consortium
- With You
| KTSP | Core Funding (£000s) | Project Funding (£000s) | Cross Government Project Funding | Total (£000s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew Scotland | 130 | 130 | ||
| Scottish Drugs Forum | 853 | 614 | 481 | 1,948 |
| Scottish Recovery Consortium | 630 | 165 | 795 | |
| Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs | 168 | 465 | 1,250[14] | 1,883 |
| With You | 241 | 241 | ||
| Total | 2,022 | 1,244 | 1,731 | 4,997 |
8.3.2 Corra Foundation
The Corra Foundation is responsible for distributing funding to grassroots and third sector organisations through a number of dedicated funds. This accounts for 8 percent (£13m) of the total budget. Funding was available by open application for third sector and grass roots funds via a number of specific funds. Details of the projects and funding award can be found on Corra’s website.
| Fund Name | Funding allocated (£000s) | No. Grants Awarded | Activities supported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improvement Fund | 5,000 | 37 | To provide improved services for outreach, treatment, rehabilitation and after care. £3m was ring-fenced for Residential Rehabilitation. |
| Local Support Fund | 5,000 | 22 | To provide access to funding for a wide range of communities and grassroots organisations which support the aims of the National Mission. |
| Children and Families Fund | 3,000 | 11 | 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. |
8.3.3 Scottish Government
SG managed funds are funds that were directly administered by the Scottish Government. This includes funding for the following areas of work:
Residential Rehabilitation Rapid Capacity Programme (RRRCP) supports access to residential rehabilitation by providing additional capacity, supporting people to access, and supporting people after they leave residential rehabilitation. Funding in 2023-24 was £11.1m.
National Collaborative funding is focused on establishing and running a new national collaboration and totalled £0.5m in 2023-24.
The Cross Government Plan includes a broad range of initiatives which will not only support the complex needs of people who use drugs but also help support prevention and early intervention. Total funding available in 2023-24 was £12m.
Drugs policy division commission services from national boards, academia, and other settings to develop public health surveillance, evaluation, monitoring, and research. Funding in 2023-24 totalled £4.5m.
8.4 Funding Breakdown by Source and Theme
A breakdown of 2023-24 funding commitments by theme and funding source is provided in table 5.
| Commitments and Total | Funding Theme | Funding (£000s) |
|---|---|---|
| National Mission Commitments | Children & Families | 6,500 |
| Residential Rehabilitation | 19,104 | |
| Lived and Living Experience | 1,000 | |
| MAT Standards | 10,300 | |
| Surveillance | 556 | |
| Local and National initiatives | 18,000 | |
| Cross Government Action Plan[15] | 12,000 | |
| National Mission Total | 67,460 | |
| Drugs Policy Commitments | ADP PfG delivery | 17,000 |
| Drugs Policy delivery[16] | 10,685 | |
| Operational costs | 2,600 | |
| Drugs Policy Total | 30,285 | |
| ADP Baseline | ADP baseline | 57,620 |
| Agenda for Change | Agenda for Change | 5,019 |
| Alcohol Policy Commitments | Alcohol Budget | 1,250 |
| Total | 161,634 |
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