Depaul, First Housing and ARC Healthy Living Centre (‘the consortium’) are contracted by the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency (PHA) until June 2020 for the provision of support, care, facilitation and harm reduction services (Low Threshold Services) for people who are misusing Substances in the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) area. The contract was awarded following a public procurement in 2014. Similar contracts were awarded for other Health and Social Care Trust areas.

As the consortium enter the final year of its contracted service, it commissioned a contextualised study of current trends of the alcohol and drug environment within the WHSCT area. The research was funded by the PHA. The purpose of the research was to examine key trends, infrastructure and pathways in relation to low threshold drug, alcohol and addiction service provision and how these have evolved over the lifespan of the harm reduction contract, and thus, how this could help shape and direct future provision.