WIREDGOV

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."

Background

Rae House – Phoenix Futures

A PHS report suggests that, in 2022-23, the Scottish Government reached its target of 1,000 individuals a year being publicly funded to go to residential rehabilitation and that the number of individuals starting a placement which was publicly funded is likely to have almost doubled between 2019-20 and 2022-23.

The Scottish Government interim report on residential rehabilitation capacity in Scotland showed that there has been a rise in residential rehabilitation capacity from an estimated 425 beds in 2021 to a maximum of 513 in 2024 – an increase of 21%. It counted bed capacity at September 2024. A total of 28 more have been added through the expansion of the Maxie Richards Foundation’s service in Tighnabruaich and the opening of Rae House. A further 53 will follow through the Second Phase of Phoenix Futures’ North East Recovery Project through its Housing and Therapeutic Community Dayhab programme in Aberdeen City, with more to follow in Inverness delivered by CrossReach.

Widening residential rehabilitation access

Record levels of funding for Alcohol and Drugs programmes were protected in the Budget. Total 2025-26 funding has been increased by £2.5 million and now totals around £160 million, including health board baseline funding.

The September 2024 Audit Scotland report on drug and alcohol services recognises a doubling of investment in alcohol and drug services since 2014-15, from £70.5 million to £156 million in 2024-25, as part of a committed £250 million investment in the National Mission in this Parliament.