North-East project boosts capacity outside Central Belt
First Minister John Swinney has officially opened the first phase of a new residential rehabilitation service in Aberdeenshire, which will increase capacity in the North East of Scotland.
The 27-bed facility, named Rae House and run by Phoenix Futures, will be followed by a second phase which will consist of 53 units of housing and therapeutic community ‘Dayhab’ in Aberdeen City, which in total could provide up to 200 placements a year.
In the following phase, the therapeutic community ‘Dayhab’ model will see people living in separate accommodation coming together for day programmes at a central hub in Aberdeen to help them address their drug and alcohol use.
Speaking at the official opening, First Minister John Swinney said: ““We want every person experiencing harm from drug use to be able access the support they need. Residential rehabilitation is central to that and we have made £100 million available to improve access over the course of the Parliament.
“Following our support for Phoenix Futures’ family service in Saltcoats, this further investment of £11 million into the North East service will help address geographic barriers and provide a welcome increase in residential rehabilitation capacity in Scotland, particularly for areas outside the Central Belt.
“I am pleased that the way we have funded placements has allowed more people in the North East to access this type of treatment quickly.
“A recent report suggests we have achieved our aim of 1,000 people a year receiving public funding for their residential rehabilitation placement by March 2026, but we want to do more and our Additional Placement Fund will support even more people to access rehabilitation.
“Yesterday’s suspected drug death figures showed an 11% decrease for 2024 but they remain too high. There has been some encouraging progress, but we know there is much more to do and that is why, through our National Mission on drugs, we’ll continue to invest in a wide range of evidence-based measures to save lives and reduce harms.”
Phoenix Futures Chief Executive Karen Biggs said: “We are delighted to open Phoenix Futures Scotland’s new residential rehab in Aberdeenshire, bringing much-needed recovery support to the North East. This service ensures people can access life-changing treatment closer to home.
“Thanks to the Scottish Government’s innovative funding model, we’ve overcome financial and systemic barriers that previously limited access to residential rehab.
“By prioritising investment in recovery services, Scotland is setting a precedent for inclusive and effective addiction treatment. This facility will provide a safe, supportive space for people to rebuild their lives.
“We look forward to working with local communities and partners to make recovery accessible to all who need it.”
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