Forward in partnership with Open Road awarded a new contract for integrated adults and young people community substance misuse service in Thurrock

The Forward Trust is delighted to announce it has been awarded the contract to deliver an integrated substance misuse services for adults and young people in Thurrock, in partnership with Open Road.

The service, which will go live on 1st April 2024, will support people in in Thurrock and the surrounding areas who have issues with drugs and/or alcohol. Open Road, who are experts in empowering a diverse range of people to lead healthy and more meaningful lives, will provide the young person’s service, which will support children and young people up to the age of 29 with tailored interventions.

The service will build upon Forward’s existing support for people in the surrounding areas with substance misuse issues, as we already deliver community substance misuse services in Medway (where we also partner with Open Road), Southend-on-Sea and East Kent.

Service users are at the heart of everything we do. As such, we’re delighted that co-design, a process which involves clients in the design and delivery of services, will form a crucial part of this new contract. We will also embed peers with lived and living experience throughout service delivery. This new service will also be ‘trauma-informed,’ an approach that seeks to address the barriers that people affected by trauma can experience when accessing health and care services.

Other partners will include charities such as Open Door and the Essex Recovery Foundation, as well as local partners in mental health, primary and secondary care, adult social care and children’s services, criminal justice services and housing services.

Forward Trust Executive Director of Substance Misuse Jason Moore said, “I am thrilled that Forward have been awarded this contract, and the opportunity to support the people of Thurrock who need help to address drug and alcohol issues. We know first-hand how, with the right support, people can and do transform their lives, and are excited to work with local partners to deliver this life changing work.”

Open Road CEO Sarah Wright said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Forward to help young people and young adults up to the age of 29 in Thurrock who have drug and alcohol problems. This service will help change the lives of young people, young adults, and their families.”

For more information about this or any of our service, please contact communications@forwardtrust.org.uk.