Developed by the Department of Health and Social Care, the aim of these guidelines is to promote and support good practice and improve quality of service provision, resulting in better outcomes for people who use alcohol problematically. These are the first UK guidelines on the clinical management of harmful drinking and alcohol dependence.
The guidelines are for:
- clinicians and practitioners working in specialist alcohol (and drug) treatment services
- alcohol treatment clinicians and practitioners working in other settings such as primary or secondary healthcare or criminal justice settings
- clinicians and practitioners whose work brings them into contact with people with problem alcohol use in other services including primary, community and acute healthcare, adult and children’s social care, criminal justice, homelessness and housing, employment and voluntary sector services
- commissioners and managers responsible for planning services to meet the needs of people with problem alcohol use.
The guidelines contain a chapter on people experiencing homelessness. This covers strategies for improving access and engagement, highlighting the need for multi-agency integrated care to address alcohol use, housing, and wider needs while reducing health inequalities.