Annex A5
Department for Children,
Adults and Health
Health & Wellbeing Division
Community Needle & Syringe Exchange Scheme
for injecting drug users
Service Specification 2015-18
Introduction
A Service Specification describes the minimum requirements for a particular service. It sets out all the important elements of that service.
All types of service that might be commissioned for someone by the Council will be described in Specifications, and the Specification will form a part of any Contracts or Agreements that are drawn up with those who are to provide the service or part of the service.
This Specification will apply until further notice. The views of Service Users, Carers and Providers will be taken into account in any review of the Specification during that time, and their views will be welcomed at any time.
Further information can be obtained from the Partnerships & Commissioning Team, Directorate for Children, Adults & Health, PO Box 298, South Gloucestershire Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Kingswood, South Gloucestershire, BS15 0DQ.
Community Needle & Syringe Exchange Scheme
for injecting drug users
Service Specification
Programme Lead, Drugs & Alcohol: Matt Wills
Tel: 01454 868762
Email:
1. Service Background
1.1 The Community Needle and Syringe Exchange Scheme is based on the principle of a free service, aimed at securing a one for one exchange; however professional discretion should be applied when dealing with clients who do not return a used pack of needles to exchange for a new pack.
1.2 The background of the needle exchange service is to ensure engagement with high risk injecting drug users who may not be working within current services. It seeks to reduce associated harm by ensuring sterile injecting equipment is distributed and collected, protecting the client and wider communities by managing and monitoring inappropriate and potentially dangerous injecting practice and ensuring discarding and storage is safe.
1.3 This service also ensures that information is available to all those who are potentially using needles; this could include heroin, crack cocaine, novel psychoactive substances, steroids and any other substances prepared for injecting.
2. Service Aims
2.1 To provide a free needle and syringe exchange service for injecting drug users.
2.2 To increase access to sterile injecting equipment and safe disposal facilities.
2.3 To provide harm reduction information.
2.4 To provide information about South Gloucestershire drug & alcohol treatment services and how to access these services.
2.6 To raise the awareness of community pharmacists and their staff on issues relating to drug misuse.
3. Service Criteria
Pharmacists providing this service are required to:
3.1 Ensure that staff undertake relevant training to enable them to provide this service.
3.2 Dispense free needles, syringes and information packs. The issuing of new needles and syringes should not be refused solely on the basis the service users have not returned a sharps container.
3.3 Provide additional advice or information regarding harm reduction.
3.4 Store the sharps containers containing the used needles safely in the sharps bin provided. Service users must ensure the sharps container they are returning is locked down. Pharmacy staff must observe the service user placing the sharps container in the sharps bin.
3.5 Ensure that sharps bins are sited so that they are accessible for service users to deposit their sharps container, but away from the general public, and in accordance with Health & Safety regulations. This bin is to be used for Needle Exchange only and not for disposal of other clinical waste.
3.6 Log details of each needle exchange pack dispensed on the quarterly monitoring form.
3.7 Return quarterly monitoring forms by the dates indicated below:
By 15 July for quarter 1 (April-June)
By 15 October for quarter 2 (July-September)
By 15 January for quarter 3 (October-December)
By 15 April for quarter 4 (January-March)
3.8 Facilitate at least one monitoring visit per annum by the link officer.
3.9 Ensure at least one member of staff attends the annual pharmacy training event.
3.10 Advise injecting drug users about the mobile needle exchange service provided by the community drugs & alcohol service, which provides a range of needle sizes and targeted harm reduction advice (e.g. regarding blood borne viruses, risks to groin injectors).
The commissioner will (via the community drugs & alcohol service provider (currently Developing Health & Independence):
3.11 Provide packs of needles and syringes for injecting drug users free of charge.
3.12 Provide advice and support in order that pharmacies may carry out their responsibilities in relation to the scheme. This will include at least one pre-arranged visit to the pharmacy per annum.
The commissioner will:
3.13 Provide an annual training event for pharmacists and staff. At least one member of staff is required to attend.
3.14 Provide strategic and financial management of the scheme.
4 Financial
4.1 Pharmacies delivering this service will receive £400 per annum, plus £1 for each needle exchange pack dispensed.
4.2 The payment to be paid quarterly in arrears following submission of the quarterly monitoring form. Monitoring forms must be submitted as follows:
By 15 July for quarter 1 (April-June)
By 15 October for quarter 2 (July-September)
By 15 January for quarter 3 (October-December)
By 15 April for quarter 4 (January-March)
4.3 To qualify for payment the pharmacy must have signed up to the Service Specification.
5 Equalities
5.1 South Gloucestershire Council is committed to ensuring that it is operating fairly and equitably through services delivered directly by the Council and through those it commissions.
5.2 Commissioned services are expected to determine the appropriate level of monitoring required in order to ensure that an effective analysis can be undertaken to inform both the ongoing delivery of that service and future commissioning intentions.
5.3 All relevant sections of the patient monitoring form must be completed in relation to the required data sets.
5.4 Commissioners will utilise this information collected to undertake an analysis of the data gathered in relation to these specific issues.
6. Clinical Incident Reporting
6.1 To ensure that the information contained in the training and scheme agreements for this service are sufficient we would ask contractors to notify the Programme Lead of any adverse incidents that occur.
7. Future Amendments to, or De-Commissioning of, the Service
7.1 Pharmacies may choose to discontinue their involvement in this service at any time provided they give South Gloucestershire Council three months’ notice in writing.
7.2 South Gloucestershire Council may choose to decommission this service, provided they give the pharmacies three months notice in writing.
7.3 Any future amendments to the service by South Gloucestershire Council will be notified in writing.
8. Safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults
8.1 Providers will have policies and procedures (including a whistle-blowing policy) that will safeguard service users, both children and adults, for dealing with allegations of abuse which are fully compatible with the South Gloucestershire Joint Policy and Procedures for Safeguarding Adults from Abuse (Revised May 2010 or any subsequent revision). The procedures should address physical, sexual, psychological, financial or material and discriminatory abuse and acts of neglect and omission.
8.2 The Provider is required to co-operate with Officers of the Council in any investigation undertaken.
8.3 Providers might wish to use this policy as a basis for their own, but should ensure that their procedures include the following actions described in Stages 1 and 2 of the South Gloucestershire Joint Policy and Procedures referred to above and detailed below:
8.4 Stage 1 – The Alert
8.4.1 A concern is raised that someone may be experiencing abuse or neglect. A safeguarding alert can be made by anyone, whether a Service User, member of staff or member of the public. The person experiencing abuse or neglect may tell someone, or signs that abuse is taking place may be recognised by someone else.
8.4.2 When the information comes to light a safeguarding alert should be made to the relevant section of the Department for Children, Adults and Health.
8.4.3 Information concerning under 18s: Telephone First Point 01454 866000 or out of hours the Emergency Duty Team on 01454 615165.
Information concerning over 18s: Telephone Adult Care on 01454 868007
Call 999 if someone is at risk of immediate harm.
8.4.4 Duty lines are open between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30am to 4.30pm on Fridays (outside of these times please contact the Emergency Duty Team).
8.4.5 Staff from partner organisations are encouraged to report concerns about abuse to their line managers, who will pass the information on to the Department. However, if this is not possible staff are encouraged to report their concerns directly.
N.B – the alerter should ensure that any immediate safety issues are addressed by summoning medical attention and/or other emergency services as necessary.
8.4.6 If there is immediate risk to an individual and/or if a crime has just been or is being committed call 999 to report the matter to the Police.
· Preserve any physical evidence
· Record what the alleged victim has said and any actions taken
· Managers of registered services should also inform CQC
8.4.7 Consent should be sought from the individual thought to be experiencing abuse/neglect if he/she has capacity, unless there are overriding public duties to act, or gaining consent would put the person at further risk. If there are overriding public duties, the person should be informed that the referral has taken place, unless this could jeopardise the safety of others who may be at risk.
8.5 Stage 2 – The Contact (Referral)
8.5.1 Information about the alleged abuse is reported to the Children, Adults and Health Department.
8.5.2 Service Providers should pass on the following information:
· Name of Service User; Contact details (phone, address etc); Communication Needs, Equalities information; What is known of his/her wishes in relation to the alleged abuse; any information known about the individual’s ability to consent/mental capacity should also be recorded.
· Information known about the alleged abuse that has taken place: How it came to light; impact on the individual; time and place that it took place; details (if known) of alleged perpetrator; any witnesses; any evidence.
· Any immediate action taken in response to the incident and actions taken to safeguard the individual; whether emergency services have been called; police crime number.
8.6 Timescales
8.6.1 Concerns should be reported:
· Immediately if they relate to a specific incident and indicate a risk of serious physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
· Within 24 hours if they relate to a specific incident indicating on going abuse.
· Within 7 days if concerns are of a more general nature (organisations can report these using the Interagency Alert form SA1, which can be faxed to the Customer Services Desk).
8.6.2 A copy of the Providers policy will be available and must be provided to the Council on request.
8.6.3 The Provider will have recruitment and appointment practices for staff and volunteers that will safeguard vulnerable adults from those in a position to exploit or abuse them.
8.6.4 Staff will inform their line manager immediately when it is suspected that an elderly or otherwise vulnerable Service User has suffered physical, verbal, emotional, financial or sexual abuse, or is otherwise at risk. The line manager will inform the South Gloucestershire Council Customer Services Desk immediately. The line manager will record the contact made.
8.6.5 The Provider will ensure that policies and procedures are covered in induction and fully understood by staff. Training on prevention of abuse is given to all staff within 6 months of employment and is updated every 2 years or sooner if required.
9. Managing Complaints
9.1 The Provider will have a complaints procedure which is simple, well publicised and in a format accessible to all Service Users to enable an individual, or someone acting on their behalf, to make a complaint or suggestion in relation to services they receive.
9.2 Service Users must be informed of the means of registering a complaint and this should allow for Service Users who may choose to raise their complaint or concern verbally.
9.3 The procedure must show how complaints are dealt with, how Service Users views are taken into account, how they will be informed of the outcome and the timescales involved. Service Users should be advised of their right to contact the Local Authority if they remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the Provider’s handling of the complaint.
9.4 Service Users of adult social care services also have a right of recourse to the Local Government Ombudsman (this includes those who self-fund their own care). The complaints procedure must provide information about the Local Government Ombudsman.
9.5 All Providers have a duty to cooperate with the Department in resolving complaints.
9.6 All Providers will maintain a log of complaints, concerns and compliments showing:
· The date the complaint, concern or compliment was received
· The name and address of the Service User
· The name and address of the complainant (where different)
· The nature of the complaint, concern or compliment
· The response to the complaint or concern. If it is a complaint a response, including timescales, should be in writing and the date of the response letter should be included in the log, with brief details of the outcome
· Learning points for the Service User and changes made to policies, procedures and practice as a result of dealing with a complaint
· The level of satisfaction of the complainant.
9.7 The log of complaints will be available for inspection by the Department at any time and will be available to the Council on request.
9.8 The timescale for investigating and responding to a complaint or a concern should not be more than 20 working days.
9.9 The Provider should collate the information from complaints annually to identify any trends which may impact on services thereby highlighting and actions to improve services.
9.10 The Provider will ensure that copies of the original complaints and compliments, and the responses are sent to the Department as and when they happen. Documentation should be sent to the Complaints and FOI Team, South Gloucestershire Council Department for Children, Adults and Health, Freepost SWB1485.