A new report from SPARK is sharing what has been learned from four years of recovery support in Blackburn with Darwen, and the difference that can be made when organisations work together around people’s lives rather than service boundaries.
Outcomes Don’t Happen by Accident looks at the approach behind SPARK, a partnership bringing together treatment, recovery, health and community organisations to support people affected by substance use. Rather than focusing only on performance data, the report explores how services have worked together to provide more joined up support and stronger continuity of care.
Over the last four years, the number of adults accessing support has grown from 1,246 to more than 1,550. The report also highlights engagement rates following release from prison that remain significantly above regional and national averages, progress towards Hepatitis C micro elimination in Blackburn with Darwen, and a Good rating across all five CQC domains.
The report is less about the numbers themselves and more about what sits behind them. Through examples ranging from prison release support and women’s outreach work to community engagement and health interventions, it reflects on the importance of trust, relationships and shared responsibility across organisations.
Anyone who works across Calico will recognise the thinking behind the report. Whether it’s recovery, housing, care, employability or domestic abuse services, people rarely need support from just one place. The report explores what can happen when organisations work together around the person and keep that support connected.
As the report puts it:
“The difference in SPARK is not any single service or intervention: it is how the system holds together around the person.”
The report also shares the voices of people who have accessed support, alongside reflections from colleagues and partner organisations. Together, they highlight the value of connection, confidence, family relationships, community support and having the right people alongside you at the right time.
The full report is now available to read and offers an honest reflection on what has been achieved, what has been learned, and why good outcomes rarely happen by accident.
Read the full report here
