North Yorkshire Council
Health and Adult Services
Executive Member Meeting
10 January 2025
REPORT TO Director of Public Health in consultation with the
Executive Member for Health and Adult Services
Extension of existing contracts for the provision of adult drug and alcohol service and young people’s substance use service
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1.0 Purpose Of Report To approve the extension of contracts for the provision of North Yorkshire Horizons (specialist adult drug and alcohol service) and North Yorkshire RISE (specialist young people’s drug and alcohol service) to end March 2026.
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2.0 Background
A Key Decision was taken on 3 November 2023 to approve the extension of contracts for the provision of North Yorkshire Horizons (specialist adult drug and alcohol service) and North Yorkshire RISE (specialist young people's drug and alcohol service) to September 2025, to enable the council and partners to embark on a service transformation programme. A number of local contextual developments meant that there was a unique opportunity to review the services that directly support and contribute support to people who experience harmful patterns of substance use.
Significant progress has been made to thoroughly review and explore an appropriate, cost effective and evidenced based future substance use services operating model, including opportunities to co-commission with other partners, and cement the role of the council in providing statutory and non-statutory services to people who use substances.
New substance use service arrangements will be implemented from 1 April 2026. A further 6-month extension to existing contracts will ensure that we can safely and effectively conclude the transformation programme and mobilise new arrangements.
Previous Key Decision including detailed report - 3 November 2023: Decision - Extension of existing contracts for the provision of specialist adult drug and alcohol service for North Yorkshire and the Young People’s Substance Misuse Service | North Yorkshire Council
3.0 Issues
The provider has confirmed agreement in principle with the proposed extensions.
4.0 Alternative options considered
New substance use service arrangements will be implemented from 1 April 2026. This is the minimum timeframe that a transformation programme of this nature, value and scale can be delivered within.
5.0 Financial Implications
The contracts will be extended to 31 March 2026 on the basis of their current value (this excludes additional SSMTRG grant which is anticipated but not yet confirmed):
It is highly likely that the council will also invest SSMTRG Section 31 grant funding within these services in 2025/26. Governance will be managed through the Procurement Assurance Board.
6.0 Legal Implications
The original contracts for North Yorkshire Horizons and North Yorkshire RISE each contain extension options and provisions beyond 31 March 2026, therefore the proposed variations are permissible under regulation 72 Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The proposed extensions will be subject to the usual gateway process in order to comply with governance requirements.
7.0 Equalities Implications
An Equality Impact Assessment was completed at the time North Yorkshire Horizons was last re-procured. Estimates suggest that unmet need for specialist adult treatment services exists across North Yorkshire. A new Equalities Impact Assessment will be completed as part of the transformation programme.
8.0 Climate change implications
A Climate Impact Assessment will be completed as part of the transformation programme.
9.0 Reasons for recommendation/s
New substance use service arrangements will be implemented from 1 April 2026. A further 6-month extension to existing contracts will ensure that we can conclude the transformation programme and mobilise new arrangements safely and effectively.
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20.0 Recommendation/s To extend the contracts for the provision of North Yorkshire Horizons (specialist adult drug and alcohol service) and North Yorkshire RISE (specialist young people’s drug and alcohol service) to 31 March 2026.
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Name and title of report author:
Angela Hall
Public Health Manager