What consideration has the Cabinet Minister given to establishing a centrally funded commissioning pathway for residential substance abuse rehabilitation separate from area planning board budgets, to ensure that access is determined by assessed clinical need rather than the availability of an individual board's tier 4 budget?
The statutory responsibility to fund residential treatment, where assessed as necessary, lies with local authorities. The Welsh Government provides Area Planning Boards (APBs) with an additional £2 million of ring-fenced funding each year to support this access to residential treatment services. Decisions on residential rehabilitation placements are made based on individual need, with Area Planning Boards and local partners being responsible for commissioning appropriate services for their populations.
Residential rehabilitation and inpatient detoxification continue to play an important role in helping service users secure their long-term recovery and the Welsh Government remains committed to ensuring that such services are available on a long-term sustainable basis in Wales.
As such, discussions are being held to strengthen the management of the contracting and quality management process for tier 4 treatment pathways.