26 January 2026
Delivering drug and alcohol support in rural areas has always meant difficult trade-offs. Concentrate services in central locations and you exclude people who can't travel. Spread resources thinly and quality suffers.
We designed Highland Anywhere to test a different approach. What if geography wasn't a factor at all?
Launched in October 2025, Highland Anywhere is the UK's first commissioned fully virtual drug and alcohol service for people aged 16 and above. Four months in, we're proving the model works.
Removing barriers
In Highland, two things stop people from accessing support. Those are stigma and distance.
Jackie Daverson, our Highland Anywhere team leader, explains: "People worry about being seen accessing drug and alcohol services in smaller communities. With virtual, you don't have to leave your house to access that support."
Distance is just as real. When you're miles from the nearest service without reliable transport, appointments become almost impossible.
Virtual support solves both. People connect by phone, video or webchat from home, without worrying about being seen or travelling hours.
Early impact
Four months in, we have a significant caseload of active clients. Referrals are increasing month on month. Self-referrals are strong, with many people finding us through our website and choosing to engage.
Around 48% of our clients are women, which is significantly higher than typical face-to-face services. This suggests virtual delivery is reaching people who face greater stigma barriers.
We're delivering one-to-one support and family support. Some people want brief interventions to make specific changes. Others need longer-term structured support. Virtual works for both. We're also launching MAP (Mutual Aid Partnership) groups soon, which will add another layer of peer support.
Jackie says: "We're quite a small team, but we're all very skilled in delivering virtual interventions for drugs and alcohol. What we've been really heartened by is just how open-minded and welcoming people in Highland have been to something that is not just a new service, but a new way of working."
What makes it work
Three things matter:
Flexibility: We arrange appointments around people's lives. For people juggling work or childcare, this removes another barrier.
Privacy: No one sees you walk in. In small communities, this can mean a lot.
Skill: Our team are experienced professionals trained in remote delivery. This is real people providing evidence-based support, not AI chatbots or even just phone advice. Quality doesn't drop because it's virtual.
What we're learning
Virtual isn't replacing face-to-face services. It's reaching people those services struggle to.
The barriers we remove — stigma, accessibility, and inflexibility — exist everywhere, not just in rural areas. We're exploring what this means for service design beyond Highland.
We're also learning that virtual delivery requires specific skills. Our team build rapport remotely, spot risk without the same level of visual cues, and keep people engaged. Training and supervision are critical to this.
Looking ahead
We're proving that removing barriers increases access. For commissioners, this model reaches underserved populations without building new infrastructure. For people in rural areas, it offers support they can actually access.
We'll keep sharing what we learn. If you're thinking about virtual delivery in your area, get in touch. Or to find out more about Highland Anywhere visit wearewithyou.org.uk/local-hubs/highland.
