Consultation launched for Shardeloes Road substance misuse treatment centre

Jack has sent us the details of a consultation being carried out in relation to a proposed new substance misuse treatment centre. The link to the site is at the end of the article and we have reproduced the Q&A they provide below.


The current service

Lewisham Council and NHS Lewisham jointly fund a drug and alcohol treatment service. The service is currently based at New Direction, 410 Lewisham High Street. This is backed up by a service for users in the south of the borough at Dartmouth Road, Forest Hill. Many service users will also get regular services - such as repeat prescriptions and needle exchange - through their local GP or pharmacist.

The service has had some real successes but we think we could achieve much more if our sites were better located - so that service users from the south and the north of the borough were better able to access them. In particular, we have many service users in Brockley, Deptford and New Cross that would benefit from a site more local to them.

The proposal

We are proposing to establish a new treatment site in Shardeloes Road, Brockley. This new site would be the main service site for users in the north of the borough and, together with the Dartmouth Road site in the south, would mean service users from all over the borough would be able to travel easily to access the service. The New Direction site would become the main site for after-care, helping improve the overall service further by reducing the numbers of service users who relapse. We welcome your views on this proposal.

Why Shardeloes Road, Brockley?

As we want to cover a larger area of Lewisham to help more people access treatment, we aim to have a treatment service in the north of the borough. Most areas of the country have drug services based within local communities and Brockley has been identified as being in need of services to provide help and support to local people. The building is on the main road and has good public transport services. The railway station is close by, and bus services are frequent. It is therefore an ideal location, making the centre accessible to local residents. The building is appropriate for drug and alcohol treatment, as it offers space for the kinds of services and interventions required.

How can local people get involved and find out more?

We intend to provide high quality, effective services that improve the lives of both individuals and local communities. In order to ensure that our services meet the needs of the community, we continuously seek the views and opinions of local residents and people that use our services. New Direction staff will be organising opportunities for people to discuss the centres and their activities, which you are very welcome to attend. 

For details of drop-in sessions, venues, dates and times please go on to the Council's website at www.lewisham.gov.uk/consult . We are also happy to come along to other local community events to tell you more about the consultation and give you the opportunity to share your views. You can contact the service via the local council: Jason Browne: Drug and Alcohol Action Team, 23 Mercia Grove, Lewisham, SE13 6BJ. Telephone: 020 8314 3263 E-mail: DAATAdmin@lewisham.gov.uk Website