Disclosure Log
Drug and alcohol testing (FOI/8144)
Message from Nottinghamshire County Council - 16 July 2026
Dear *********,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REFERENCE FOI/8144
Thank you for your request for information relating to Drug and alcohol testing.
We are now able to provide the following information:
1. Does the council commission or directly deliver substance misuse and/or addiction recovery services that include drug and/or alcohol testing of service users
Nottinghamshire County Council an outcome based contract where drug testing is included
2. If yes, which testing methods are used (e.g. urine immunoassay, oral fluid screening, hair testing, laboratory confirmation)
Change Grow Live Nottinghamshire drug screening can include urine immunoassay, oral fluid screening and laboratory confirmation.
3. What safeguards or procedural protections are in place for service users who receive a positive screening result — for example:
(a) Is confirmatory laboratory testing (e.g. LC-MS/MS or GC-MS) routinely carried out before any action is taken
(b) Are service users informed of the specific cut off levels and the possibility of false positives
(c) Is there a documented appeals or challenge process
In the majority of cases point of care drug screening is used in conjunction with clinical observation and self-reporting. The purpose of drug screening in this setting is for clinical decision making and often the results of the test are in line with what the person accessing the service disclose. Confirmation laboratory testing is conducted in a limited number of cases if deemed appropriate by the clinician.
On occasions where a person is concerned about the result of a drug test, and where it is possible to do so, the test would typically be repeated to ensure that procedural errors have not impacted on the result. If concerns remain a clinician can request a lab confirmation test. Where requested information provided by the manufacturer of the test can be provided regarding specific cut off levels, detection windows and the possibility of false positives.
The service operates a complaints and feedback process which is accessible if a person feels that a test has had an impact on their specific offer of medically assisted treatment.
4. Does the council hold or require its commissioned providers to hold a drug and alcohol testing policy If so, please provide a copy.
In terms of staff, we have a "people policy" regarding drug and alcohol use its very much focused on self-disclosure or concerns about how someone may be presenting at work, there is no policy requirement for the workforce to be drug tested.
In terms of drug testing the Medically assisted treatment procedures and policies are broken down into treatment phases, they reference referring to drug testing guidance in the orange guidance (section 2.4)
Drug misuse and dependence - Attached for ease of use
We trust this now satisfies your request and that you find this information to be helpful, however if you are unhappy with the way in which your request has been handled, then please email us at [email protected] quoting the reference FOI/8144 and we will be happy to review your request
For future reference, Nottinghamshire County Council regularly publishes previous FOI requests and answers on its website, under Disclosure logs, that may provide details relating to your query. (see link) Your privacy: we use your personal information such as name and address so that we can comply with our legal obligations to respond to FOI requests. For further details about the use of information about you, please see the information handling privacy notice on our website at https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/media/4323566/informationgovernanceandinformationrightsprivacynotice.pdf
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Requests should be submitted within 40 working days of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be addressed to: Complaints and Information Team, Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 7QP or [email protected].
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, WILMSLOW, SK9 5AF or Yours sincerely
Complaints and Information Team
Chief Executives Department
Nottinghamshire County Council
The Council is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring all personal information is kept confidential and safe. For more details see our general and service specific privacy notices at: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/global-content/privacy
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