Alcohol & Drug Support

Kent’s Drug and Alcohol service wasn’t reaching as many people as it needed to, despite the growing need for its support. We were brought in to evaluate need and the provision landscape, create a brand for the offer, and content to maximise its reach.

Our research found that poor uptake was due to simple factors such as a lack of awareness and understanding of what was on offer, and other, more complex barriers, too, including concerns about the police getting involved, children being at risk, or confusion around geography. Messaging and communications such as videos, written content and UX design across Kent County Council and partner websites tackled these perceptions sensitively but without beating around the bush, to increase clarity and drive engagement.

Patient storytelling was a major content consideration. Knowing that we needed to break down barriers to access and negative perceptions towards to Council, authentic stories from recovered or recovering members of the community were vital in building trust in the service.