Figure 8 is owned and managed by Andy Perkins, who has over 28 years’ experience in the alcohol and other drugs, justice and homelessness sectors. Andy has extensive knowledge of the alcohol and drug treatment and commissioning sector across the whole of the UK and is now acting as a Consultant on a European-wide evaluation of a four-year/£10m Evidence into Action Alcohol Project (on behalf of the World Health Organization). Andy is highly skilled in leading and contributing to the synthesis and interpretation of both qualitative and quantitative data, as evidenced by the extensive portfolio of work he has led and contributed to over recent years.As a practitioner, Andy spent 10 years managing residential and in-prison treatment programmes, including residential services for men, women and children, and in-prison services for young offenders.As the founding Director of Figure 8, Andy has project managed more than 180 contracts over the last sixteen years, including:• Principal Investigator on one, and Co-Investigator on two, five-year research studies in relation to the impact of Minimum Pricing for Alcohol implementation on behalf of the Welsh Government (2019-24).• Leading a thematic evaluation of £6.1m Scottish Government Drug Deaths Taskforce funding for 30 test of change projects on behalf of the Scottish Government (2021-23).• Principal Investigator on an ‘evaluation of additional £10m funding for inpatient detoxification programmes across England’ (NIHR/OHID funded study) – in collaboration with Professor Jo Neale, Kings College London (2022-23).• Co-Investigator on the five years ‘Evaluation of the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing of Alcohol on Scotland’s Harmful Drinkers’ study (2017-22), on behalf of Public Health Scotland.• Principle Investigator on an ‘Understanding substance use (alcohol, drugs and tobacco) and the wider support needs of Scotland’s prison population’ study (2021-22) on behalf of the Scottish Government.• Facilitation and support of the four year (2018-2022) Independent Dundee Drug Commission.• Co-investigator of a Scottish Government Drug Deaths Taskforce funded research study ‘exploring the perceptions and attitudes of senior decision makers across Scotland in regard to the implementation of drug consumption rooms’ (2020-21).• Project management of 27 Health Needs Assessment projects across the UK - all four home nations (2008 – present day).• Co-lead of a review of the Welsh Government’s national alcohol and drug strategy in partnership with Glyndŵr University, Wrexham (2018).
Listed skills include Training, Treatment, Motivational Interviewing, Leadership Development, and 46 others.
