Challenge 12.1

What is the problem, and how does it affect the Challenge Sponsor organisation, service users and/or People of Scotland?

Many treatment and support services for people with substance use issues (PWSUI) are available Monday to Friday 9am–5pm and are often located in cities and larger towns. 

This creates issues for people who may require access to support out of service hours, and for those who may find existing service provision difficult to access e.g. lack of public transport links, finance, or those living with poor physical, mental health and disability. 

This is a problem because when people need help most the only support available can be an emergency service or no support at all. DHI service design research has informed us people are at their most vulnerable and isolated at night. Due to the lack of trusted information and supportive voices, people’s situations can quickly escalate and result in avoidable harm and death.

The problem requires an empowering digital solution that would increase access and availability of support for this vulnerable and often stigmatised group of people, utilising an easy accessed, virtual support network. To be effective, this should be available ‘out of hours’ and available to parts of Scotland with limited services during ‘office hours’, utilise existing available resources (local and national voluntary and community organisations, friends and family) and be accessible to people no matter where they are located. A solution should provide positive, non-stigmatised support and also help to identify gaps for service improvement by enabling demand factors to be surfaced.

How will we know this Challenge has been solved?

• People living with substance use issues will feel safer and more supported.

• The ‘circle of care’, including friends and families, around a person are included and participating in the support available.

• An active network of extended support will be available and accessed through digital technology in at least one clearly defined geographic area.

• Relevant local services have pooled resources to provide digitally enabled out of hours support.

• Data is available to demonstrate an improvement in when, where and how people have accessed appropriate support.

• The overall system enabled by this solution enables feedback mechanisms so improvements to how we tackle this problem can be identified.

• People living with substance use issues are successfully accessing appropriate support earlier.

• Long-term system outcome: fewer people requiring emergency health and care services.

Who are the end users likely to be?

• People who are living with substance use issues

• The services (community, charity and statutory) who support them

• The families and friends of PWSUI

Has the Challenge Sponsor attempted to solve this problem before?

DHI leads the national Digital Lifelines Scotland Programme (DLS) which has generated many insights into requirements. Through previous research and engagement activity, DHI has identified that the marketplace for technology specifically designed to support PWSUI is relatively immature. There has been recent activity supported by The UK Office for Life Sciences and the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office that focused on a challenge call for overdose detection and response, but this did not cover a wider public health and collaborative support network activity as proposed here. There are also emerging technologies operating in North America where this is a significant, shared issue.

DHI is also a partner in an EU Peaceplus funded project led by Queens University Belfast called SUMIT (Substance Use & Mental Health Interventions using digital Technology). In that project DHI is supporting industry engagement and procurement of at least 3 digital products focused on self-directed help, personalised journeys and portability of personal data between services. Some of the privacy, regulatory and data sharing experiences from SUMIT can be used to help inform successful participants in this CivTech Challenge as identified solutions would be complementary rather than competitive.

It is understood that there may be transferable products operating in related areas like mental health or other network facilitation tools, however whilst the current market for PWSUI is maturing there are still sufficient gaps in this Challenge space.

Are there any interdependencies or blockers?

Access to service users and support service providers will be required to help design and develop the solution. This will be facilitated by DHI, who lead the Digital Lifelines Scotland programme working in partnership with local Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, and community and voluntary sector organisations. Co-sponsors With You and Simon Community Scotland are currently delivering services for and with PWSUI. Both organisations have lived and living experience at the core of their service models. Both organisations are trusted by their clients and respected by other service providers.

There are extreme financial constraints on addiction services which are no different to the rest of the public and voluntary sector health and care provision. However, effectively supporting people living with substance use issues is a national priority and a growing international issue. An imminent Digital Lifelines Scotland Phase 3 Evaluation might be helpful to demonstrate why investment in this challenge’s solution could be cost and resource effective and help disseminate awareness of any resultant product.

Traditionally there are complex and time-consuming legal, regulatory and information governance challenges if working with statutory service providers such as NHS Scotland and Local Government. There are also individual concerns from PWSUI who have limited trust in statutory services, so privacy protecting features will be paramount.

Will a solution need to integrate with any existing systems / equipment?

Many of the existing support services are voluntary and community organisations, such as Simon Community Scotland and With You, and we would be looking for this solution to integrate with those services. The extent of the sharing would be explored early by the services collaborating, acknowledging existing information governance and GDPR requirements.

In the future the solution would aim to integrate with statutory services such as NHS Addiction Services, Local Authority Social Care, Primary Care and Scottish Ambulance Service.  DHI can facilitate the demonstration and simulation of any necessary future integration with service provider systems within its existing Data exchange simulation environment to inform medium term requirements. This would act as a roadmap for future integration.

Is this part of an existing service?

Yes, it will be related to the delivery of support services for PWSUI. It would be practical and desirable to set the Challenge initially within one of the Digital Lifelines Scotland (DLS) Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and where Simon Community and With You have active services. Through the Co-Sponsors and ADP locations (there are currently 5) there is access to a test cohort and enhanced potential for adoption. DHI can help facilitate this.

Any technologies the Challenge Sponsor wishes to explore or avoid?

This Challenge should not be resolved by the development of a ‘service directory’ or a ‘call centre’. Both might be constituent parts of any solution, but culturally it needs to echo the trusted and positive relationships nurtured by existing physical day-time services and operate as a ‘virtual support network co-ordinator’ out of hours and available in-hours to locations with limited local services.

A co-ordination element may be required to engage existing service providers, friends and family members to participate and pool their resources in one virtual space. There will also need to be the capability for someone in one location to know what support is available in another location.  A technical solution which can co-ordinate a multi-layered circle of care consisting of peers, friends and family to local and national voluntary and statutory services would be welcomed. The tone of the solution should avoid a sense of emergency or crisis and be preventative or supportive in focus. The objective should be to avoid the requirement for escalation to 999 and Emergency Service attendance. This is not an alternative emergency service.

Access to a suitable device, reliable connectivity, sufficient data, battery life, and digital confidence can all present barriers for individuals trying to access a service. Any solution should be designed with these challenges in mind.

What is the commercial opportunity beyond a CivTech contract?

There could be transferable opportunities where current support for specific health conditions is limited to daytime only access or is not available outside centralised locations. The technical solution could be applicable to any service which relies on a range of community (family and friends) and voluntary sector support, and which could be better coordinated with limited resources maximised and pooled by the solution to provide comprehensive out-of-hours cover. 

Who are the stakeholders?

·       DHI

·       Simon Community Scotland

·       With You

·       Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships (ADP)

·       Services delivering support in these ADP areas and funded through DLS

·       Local Authorities

·       NHS & HSCP related to the ADPs

·       Scottish Ambulance Service

·       National and local support organisations who may wish to participate

·       Scottish Families for those affected by Drugs & Alcohol

DHI, Simon Community and With You will identify organisations from existing stakeholders as enthusiastic collaborators.

In 2026-27 DLS will be working with Aberdeenshire, Moray, Angus, East Ayrshire and Dundee ADPs.

Who’s in the Challenge Sponsor team?

• DHI

• Simon Community Scotland

• With You

DHI can contribute personnel with experience of supporting SME business innovation, participatory design expertise to capture service and user insight, and involve their wider stakeholders who are subject matter experts in this space e.g. Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. In addition, DHI would encourage involvement of ADP personnel with expertise in how their local system works and any national partner who may see potential in enhancing their service offering.  DHI could also invite participation from the Health & Social Care Alliance as there may be synergies and the opportunity to pull data from their ALISS product (A Local Information System for Scotland), although technical integration would be outwith the scope of this call.

DHI has a wealth of research and expertise related to health and care digital interventions, excellent international economic development channels and can contribute considerable non-funding resources to optimise success.

What is the policy background to the Challenge?

The proposed Challenge sits well with the Alcohol and Drugs plan Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland's Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan 2026–2035 which itself aligns to Scotland's Population Health Framework and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework.

The Service Renewal Framework provides a high-level guide for change, to ensure the sustainability, efficiency, quality, and accessibility of health and social care services in Scotland.  This Framework sets out five key principles for renewal:

• Prevention Principle: Prevention across the continuum of care.

• People Principle: Care designed around people rather than the ‘system’ or ‘services’.

• Community Principle: More care in the community rather than a hospital-focused model.

• Population Principle: Population planning, rather than along boundaries.

• Digital Principle: Reflecting societal expectations and system needs.

Delivering a solution to the proposed challenge would align to all 5 SRF principles.

The Population Health Framework sets out Scottish Government's and COSLA’s long-term collective approach to improving Scotland’s health and reducing health inequalities for the next decade.

The Alcohol & Drugs Strategic Plan sets out the Scottish Government and COSLA's long-term approach to addressing alcohol and drug harms.

Collectively these strategies place Scotland’s citizens at the centre of their own care and wellbeing. Giving citizens agency to make informed decisions about their health and care. They provide frameworks to ensure quality of care and equitable access to care, where practical and acceptable, delivered digitally and in the community. Preventative actions which mitigate the need for crisis intervention and escalation to secondary and tertiary care.

A successful Challenge solution would contribute directly to these objectives.