Alcohol and drugs: partnership delivery framework - 2026

3. What is an Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP)

ADPs are not statutory bodies and do not hold corporate legal responsibility. Statutory accountability for functions and services remains with the relevant NHS Boards, Local Authorities (LAs), Integration Authorities (IAs) and other public bodies and partners. ADPs provide a structured mechanism to support coordination, planning, assurance, and improvement within existing statutory governance arrangements. The adoption of ADPs is therefore provided for under the terms of this Partnership Delivery Framework (PDF) and accepted, widely endorsed, and encouraged as the best-practice means of lending relevant intelligence and authority to the collaborative planning of alcohol and drugs, and wider wrap-around, support services at a local level.

An ADP is convened with the intention of:

• Collaboratively creating a local strategic plan for the holistic and coordinated delivery of services, interventions, and initiatives, at the local level;
• Improving understanding, promoting harm reduction, combatting stigma, and ensuring the consideration and integration of alcohol and drugs related issues and mitigation in wider strategic planning, at the local level;
• Providing a primary conduit for the exchange of information and shared learning between partners to ensure informed and effective service planning and provision;
• Providing strategic input to, and coordination of, the commissioning and disbursement of national strategic (and other) funding to, local service partners, per local strategic plans;
• Facilitating peer and public scrutiny of local and partner activity, against local strategic planning, through the monitoring, ingathering, collation, evaluation, and communication of reporting and performance data and information, and robust financial monitoring information.

Children and Young People

Children and young people are a core consideration within local alcohol and drug planning, recognising both the direct and indirect impacts of alcohol and drug use on children’s wellbeing, safety and life chances. This includes the importance of prevention, early intervention, and reducing intergenerational harm.

Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) are expected to maintain clear links with Children’s Services Planning Partnerships and other relevant children’s planning and safeguarding structures, to ensure alignment between alcohol and drug priorities and wider children and families planning arrangements, including education, youth justice, and early years partners, as appropriate.

An ADP may be thought of as consisting in two parts: the forum, and the support team:

3.1 The ADP Forum

The first is as a forum for discussion, collaboration, problem-solving, planning, monitoring, peer-scrutiny, evaluation, learning, and improvement of local services and initiatives aimed at supporting people affected by problematic use of alcohol and drugs.

There should be no senior or superior member, either individual or institutional, within the ADP, with all partners bringing relevant value, experience, and expertise, as well as several accountabilities, to ensure balanced, holistic, and considered discussion and outcomes.

The forum may convene in a plenary, or subordinate subject-specific format, dependent on agreed local requirements, and should convene in plenary format at least quarterly.

The recommendations, planning, and any other products of the ADP are to be compiled collaboratively and by broad agreement of the ADP as a whole, before being subject to final endorsement, or agreement, and ratification by local statutory commissioning partners. This gives authority to, and a clear line of accountability for, those products.

3.1.1 Minimum Expected Cohort of an ADP

The specific organisations and individuals involved in any ADP will vary depending on local context. Any combination of the Partners described in Section 3, or others not listed, may be represented on a local ADP. Those participating in the ADP or its sub-groups should have the authority and responsibility to influence provision and contribute to decision-making across the ADP’s strategic priorities. Their involvement should support the ADP’s overarching aim of improving outcomes for individuals, families, and communities affected by alcohol and drug use. Below is a list of the minimum or core expected cohort of any ADP.

• Lived & Living Experience (LLE)
• Integration Authority (IA) (incl. Chief Officer, Chief Financial Officer)
• Local Authorities (LA) (incl. Social Work, Children and Young People, and Housing.)
• Health Board (HB) (incl. Primary Care)
• Police Scotland (and other justice services such as Scottish Prisons Service (SPS), where appropriate)
• Third Sector

Self-Assessment Checklist: The Alcohol and Drugs Partnership (ADP)

All key statutory and strategic partners been invited to participate in the ADP in some form.

The ADP comprises all representatives noted within the minimum expected cohort.

The ADP has taken steps to incorporate meaningful engagement with people with lived and living experience of substance use, in line with the Charter of Rights and the principles of participation, dignity, and co-production.

There are processes in place to regularly review, strengthen, and potentially broaden partner involvement.

3.2 The ADP Support Team

The second form an ADP takes is in its coordinating Support Team, providing secretariat function to the ADP Forum and supporting the coordination, communication, commissioning, monitoring, and accounting for the ADP’s collective priorities.

The relevant employing body, as determined through local integration arrangements, will resource the ADP Support Team, whilst allowing the ADP the autonomy to engage in independent discourse and activity.

As a minimum the ADP should be supported by a Chair, and a dedicated Coordinator. Whilst there may be variations in local populations, needs assessment, resourcing, and practices, these two roles are the keystone to ensuring cohesive and effective collaboration between other partners. Their respective roles are described in the following sections.

Where an IA or other employing body determines that the functions of the ADP Support Team can be delivered through a reduced or differing staffing complement, that decision should be informed by a documented assessment of capacity, risk, and mitigation. This assessment should provide assurance that the expectations set out in this PDF remain deliverable and that appropriate governance, resilience, and workforce wellbeing arrangements are in place.

3.2.1 The ADP Chair

The Chair of the ADP provides strategic leadership and oversight to aid effective multi-agency collaboration in tackling substance-related harm. The ADP Chair plays a pivotal role in challenging partners in being coordinated, inclusive, and responsive to community needs. The Chair is responsible for:

• Setting strategic direction in alignment with national frameworks.
• Facilitating partnership working across statutory services, third sector organisations, and lived experience groups.
• Providing strategic oversight of governance and accountability arrangements, including monitoring progress against local delivery plans, and ensuring transparent financial arrangements.
• Championing LLE, embedding rights-based and trauma-informed approaches – as provided for in the Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use – in service design and decision-making.
• Driving continuous improvement, through performance monitoring, data-informed planning, and quality assurance.

In partnership with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), ADP Chairs have undertaken the development of a formal role profile to support and clarify the responsibilities of the Chair position. This can be found in Annex C.

Local Autonomy, Propriety, and Objectivity in the Appointment of Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) Chairs:

In some areas, the ADP Chair is appointed as an independent role, separate from statutory agencies, to enhance impartiality, strengthen accountability, and support cross-sector collaboration.

In other ADPs, the Chair may be drawn from senior leadership within local authorities, health boards, or integration authorities, to draw on existing relationships, networks, and influence.

The decision on Chair appointment rests with each individual Integration Authority (IA), based on local governance arrangements and partnership needs.

3.2.2 The ADP Coordinator / Lead

The ADP Coordinator / Lead plays a pivotal role in coordinating and driving local efforts to reduce harm from substance use. Their fundamental responsibilities span strategic leadership, partnership coordination, service improvement, community engagement, and reporting. Here's a breakdown of their core functions:

• Strategic Leadership
• Contribution to National Policy Making, Engagement, and Improvement
• Set the direction for local alcohol and drug strategies, in alignment with national frameworks.
• Lead the development of a recovery‑oriented approach across the whole continuum of support, from preventing and reducing initial harm to promoting long‑term recovery and wellbeing. This includes ensuring commissioned services are person‑centred, trauma‑informed, and support people to have agency in improving their health and wellbeing.
• Encourage alignment with broader public health, justice, and social care strategies.

• Partnership Coordination
• Act as the central coordinator for multi-agency collaboration, bringing together partners both within and associated with the ADP.
• Facilitate local forums to enable informed decision-making and improved accountability.

• Service Planning and Commissioning
• Influence, coordinate, seek assurance, and escalate with partners to ensure that the contributions of people with LLE are considered and integrated within planning and service delivery.
• Influence, coordinate, seek assurance, and escalate with partners to ensure services are responsive to local needs, and evidence-based, including support for families and children affected by substance use.
• Support and coordinate the planning, commissioning, and evaluation of services for prevention, treatment, and recovery.

• Data, Monitoring, and Reporting
• Co-ordinate on data collection and analysis to monitor progress against strategic goals and national standards.
• Proactively report outcomes and impact to national and local bodies, ensuring transparency and accountability

3.2.2.1 Qualifications and Training

While formal qualifications may vary depending on local arrangements, ADP Coordinators are typically expected to have:

• Relevant professional experience in public health, social care, community planning, or substance use services.
• Strong skills in partnership working, project management, and strategic planning.
• Knowledge of national policy frameworks.

To support effective delivery, ADP Coordinators should have access to:

• Induction and orientation covering ADP governance, local priorities, stakeholder roles, and provisions otherwise contained in the Drugs and Alcohol Workforce: Knowledge and Skills Framework.
• Ongoing professional development, including training in trauma-informed practice, data analysis, commissioning, and lived experience engagement.
• Peer learning opportunities, such as national coordinator networks, workshops, and cross-ADP collaboration.

Local Autonomy and National Resourcing in Relation to Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) Support Staff:

Responsibility for ADP Support Staff training and development typically lies with Integration Authorities (IAs) as their employer.

These organisations are expected to work in collaboration with national bodies such as Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS), and relevant professional networks to ensure Coordinators are supported in accessing appropriate learning and development opportunities.

Training should reflect the evolving nature of substance use policy and promote consistency, leadership, and innovation across ADPs.

Future Commitment : Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) Support Resourcing

The Scottish Government (SG) will support enhanced capacity and consistency across ADP chairs and officers, whilst protecting the autonomy and flexibility of local planning and decision-making.

Self-Assessment Checklist: The Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) Support Team

The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have the capacity and skills to support the ADP in setting a clear direction for local alcohol and drug strategies that align with the national Strategic Plan, relevant national frameworks and broader public health, justice, and social care priorities.

The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have the capacity and skills to support and encourage multi-agency collaboration across statutory, third sector, and community partners, including people with lived experience.

The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have the capacity and skills to support organised planning and project management and monitoring on behalf of the ADP.

The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have the capacity and skills to encourage and support appropriate information and data management and exchange between partners.

The ADP Coordinator / Support Team has on-going relevant training in areas such as:

Collaborative leadership and partnership working

Trauma-informed practice

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

Community engagement and co-production

Data analysis and performance reporting

Commissioning and financial oversight

Safeguarding and risk management

Human rights-based approaches

The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have identified any gaps in knowledge or skills that require further training and pursued options to fill those gaps.

The Integration Authority (IA) has provided support in sourcing corporate or other training to the ADP Coordinator / Support Team.