A new national report highlights Brighton & Hove partnerships, including specialist substance use charity Oasis Project, as a national example of best practice in supporting women in drug and alcohol treatment.
Launched by Collective Voice’s Women in Treatment Working Group, the ‘Womanifesto’ calls on national bodies and local commissioners to adopt gender-transformative approaches. It urges the setting of minimum standards for women’s services, embedding women’s voices in design, and supporting services already leading the way.
The Women in Treatment Working Group brings together leaders committed to improving services and outcomes for women affected by drug and alcohol use. Convened by Collective Voice, the UK network for substance use providers, the group includes Oasis Project as an active participant, sharing expertise and shaping best practice across the sector.
Specialist Support Essential for Women
The report highlights the urgent need for services that respond to women’s specific experiences. Women make up over half the population but only a third of people in drug and alcohol treatment. Research shows women who use substances experience higher rates of childhood trauma and interpersonal violence and have different patterns of use compared with men.
The report also draws attention to serious outcomes. Drug-related deaths among women continue to rise, and women are six times more likely than fathers to have children removed. Substance use is a significant factor in maternal deaths, often alongside domestic abuse, underscoring the importance of gender-responsive, specialist services.
Areas of focus identified in Womanifesto (credit: Womanifesto, 2025)
Brighton & Hove Stands Out
In Brighton & Hove, women seeking support for drug or alcohol use can access specialist structured treatment through Oasis Project, delivered from a safe, welcoming, women-only building with a free creche to remove childcare barriers.
Oasis’ Looking Forward programme supports women who have experienced the removal of children, while coordinated partnership work, including maternity services through Brighton’s specialist One Stop clinic, ensures pregnant women receive expert, joined-up care. POCAR (Parenting Our Children, Accessing Recovery) provides intensive recovery support for parents whose children are open to social services.
Brighton & Hove’s strong partnership model brings together drug and alcohol treatment services like Oasis and CGL’s Brighton & Hove Recovery Service, NHS services, sexual health teams, probation, children’s services, and peer-led community recovery support, delivering coordinated, responsive care.
Brighton & Hove and Oasis Project provide a national example of how specialist, partnership-driven services can meet women’s needs with dignity, expertise, and care.
Sam Price, Oasis Project CEO, says:
Sam Price, Oasis Project CEO
“We are proud that Brighton & Hove’s approach is recognised nationally. This celebrates the dedication, creativity, and collaboration of our partners, commissioners, and the wider city, as well as the women who engage with these services every day.
For nearly 30 years, Oasis Project has delivered specialist support for women affected by drug and alcohol problems. Being part of the Women in Treatment Working Group allows us to share our experience and learn from others across the country. We remain committed to this work, proud to stand alongside Brighton & Hove’s innovative model, and inspired by what we can achieve when women’s voices shape the services they need.”