ABSTRACT
Treatment is generally only as good as the vehicle which delivers it. Central government, local health services, social services, voluntary agencies, professional groups and consumers all contribute to the creation and maintenance of this vehicle. This chapter reviews some of the lessons learnt while working with or within a large number of agencies concerned with ‘people work’, as trainers or management consultants. It concludes that the current concentration of research and training on ‘treatment methodology’ may be misplaced while scant attention is given to the vehicle which delivers these services. Concepts of service delivery in helping agencies have changed dramatically in the last decade and especially so for services to problem drinkers. Politicians, policy makers and government ministers have expressed open confusion as to where and how our services should be deployed, while admitting to a greatly increased need for intervention.
