The 2026/27 funding settlement gives commissioners greater certainty to plan ahead, creating an opportunity for a longer-term view to strengthen workforce development and improve services.
It's easy to think of training as something that sits alongside service delivery - a necessary expense, but rarely a strategic priority. In reality, the knowledge, confidence and capability of the workforce underpin almost every outcome commissioners are trying to achieve.
As local plans develop over the coming months, here are three questions worth asking.
Recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce remains one of the biggest challenges facing alcohol services. It's understandable, therefore, that much of the focus is on maintaining capacity.
But capacity alone doesn't guarantee quality.
People experiencing alcohol harm benefit from practitioners who are confident in recognising alcohol problems, delivering evidence-based interventions, working in a trauma-informed way and responding to the complexity that often accompanies alcohol dependence.
Investing in workforce capability isn't separate from improving outcomes - it's one of the ways those outcomes are achieved.
It's worth asking whether your current workforce development plans are designed simply to maintain services, or to strengthen them.
Specialist alcohol services are only one part of the picture.
Many people experiencing alcohol harm first come into contact with primary care, emergency departments, social care, housing, criminal justice or mental health services. The confidence of those professionals to identify alcohol harm, have meaningful conversations, and make appropriate referrals can shape people's journeys long before they access specialist support.
A whole-system approach to workforce development helps create more consistent responses, stronger referral pathways and earlier opportunities for intervention.
It's worth considering where the greatest opportunities lie to build alcohol capability across your local system - not just within specialist services.
One of the easiest things to measure is how many people attended training. Unfortunately, it's also one of the least useful indicators of success.
The more important questions come afterwards. Are staff more confident? Has practice changed? Are people experiencing more consistent, evidence-based care? Are services working together differently? Ultimately, are outcomes improving?
Thinking about evaluation from the outset helps ensure workforce development is viewed as an investment rather than simply a cost.
It's worth asking what evidence would genuinely convince you that your investment in workforce development had made a difference.
The new funding settlement creates an opportunity to do more than sustain existing services. It creates an opportunity to strengthen them.
That isn't simply about commissioning more activity. It's about ensuring the people delivering services have the knowledge, skills and confidence to achieve the outcomes we all want to see.
Workforce development isn't an optional extra. It's one of the foundations of high-quality alcohol services.
How is your organisation approaching workforce development in 2026/27? We'd love to hear what conversations you're having locally.
