Posted on Monday 30th September 2024
Staffordshire’s Treatment and Recovery Services (StaRS) will be upgrading their locations around the county this autumn, with Stafford and Leek the first to get a facelift.
Since April this year, Staffordshire County Council has been working in partnership with Inclusion from Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) and other organisations to provide treatment and recovery services for people experiencing difficulties with drugs/alcohol.
Following a review, many buildings don’t meet the needs of the service or there is an opportunity to improve how staff across health and care work together. Some buildings will be refurbished, while other locations will move to share NHS spaces or invest in community resources.
The Stafford base in Browning Street is already being refurbished and will take 8-10 weeks to complete. Anyone needing support can contact the team on 0300 124 0356.
There will also be a member of the team based at Chase Recovery, 62 Foregate Street in Stafford whilst the refurbishment is taking place.
The Leek base in Russell Street has moved to a different location. The new site at Leek Moorlands Hospital is owned by MPFT and will help staff to collaborate better across services.
Jeremy Pert, Cabinet Member for Health and Care, said:
“The buildings we use for our drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services need to be fit for purpose all year round, so we have a series of moves and upgrades planned this autumn and winter.
“By sharing premises with the NHS where we can, we are not only giving taxpayers better value for money, but we are giving our service users a better experience - all while increasing opportunities for health and care staff to work together.”
Since the start of the new partnership arrangement, service users in Cannock have benefited from a new local place to seek support.
Jeremy added:
“We want to make this service available to more people across the whole county, and those efforts start to take shape now. Parkhouse in Cannock is also owned by MPFT, and we are pleased to serve another location with treatment and recovery support.
“STaRS supports some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, so we are determined to make sure that people can access the right support where it is needed.”
Howard King, Managing Director of Specialist Care Group at MPFT said:
“Providing high quality care to service users is the Trust’s priority. As such, the significant work taking place to upgrade, and in some cases relocate STaRS services, is an important and positive step forward for service users undergoing treatment and recovery plans.”
Have you been thinking about making a lifestyle change? Or cutting back how much alcohol you drink? Find support with substances at www.staffstars.org