DDN 0717 DDN 18July2017 | Page 8

Complex needs Time for acTion Social action is the way forward in tackling complex needs, hears DDN T he All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Complex Needs and Dual Diagnosis recently launched a call for evidence around social action (DDN, May, page 5). With a detailed questionnaire, the group wanted to know what factors could really make a difference in helping people with complex needs. How could challenges be addressed around giving access to housing, employment opportunities and mental health services, alongside substance misuse support? ‘There are a lot of complex needs out there and not enough integrated services to address them,’ says Lord Victor Adebowale, chief executive of Turning Point, which provides the secretariat for the group. ‘What we’re talking about is a big problem – 70 per cent of people in drug services an