Guides for UK providers
Commissioner-grade explainers on NDTMS, housing compliance, and digital transformation, from the team behind GreenShoots.
Browse guides by topic
Start here if you are researching before a demo or procurement.
NDTMS
Submission-ready guidance on the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System.
What is NDTMS?
A practical guide for UK substance misuse services on the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System: what it collects, who submits it, and how to stay submission-ready.
12 min readRead guideWhat is a TOP? Treatment Outcome Profiles
A practical guide to the Treatment Outcome Profile (TOP) for UK substance misuse services: what each section measures, when to complete it, and how it feeds NDTMS.
10 min readRead guideCIRs and SIRs Explained for Treatment Services
How Client Information Reviews and Sub Intervention Reviews fit into the NDTMS treatment journey: what each captures, when it is due, and how they are commonly confused.
9 min readRead guideCommon NDTMS Validation Errors & Fixes
The validation errors that most often block NDTMS submissions for UK treatment services: what causes each one and how to clear it before the deadline.
11 min readRead guideNDTMS Dataset Specification Changes
OHID updates the NDTMS dataset specification regularly. Here is why changes break manual exports, and how to keep field mappings and validation rules current.
9 min readRead guideNDTMS Submission Deadlines Explained
How the NDTMS submission calendar works, why the quarterly cadence matters for commissioners, and how to build a submission routine that never runs late.
9 min readRead guideSubmitting NDTMS Without the Panic
A practical month-end rhythm for Episodes, TOPs, SIRs, and CIRs, so dataset generation is calm, not chaotic.
8 min readRead guideMedical
Clinical scoring for detox and primary care substance misuse: CIWA-A, CIWA-B, COWS, and NEWS2.
Outcomes & reporting
Evidencing outcomes and reporting for commissioners and funders.
Outcome Stars Explained for Treatment
What star-based outcome tools are, how a journey-of-change model works, and how to use readings well in substance misuse and supported housing services.
9 min readRead guideEvidencing Outcomes for Commissioners
Commissioners fund outcomes, not activity. A practical guide to evidencing impact with clean, defensible data that stands up in contract reviews.
10 min readRead guidePower BI for Treatment & Housing Services
How Power BI turns case management data into dashboards commissioners and boards trust, and what has to be true of your data first.
9 min readRead guideCompliance
Data protection, clinical safety, and regulatory standards for care software.
DCB0129 Explained for Care Software Buyers
What the DCB0129 clinical safety standard is, why it matters when buying care software, and the questions to ask a supplier before you commit.
9 min readRead guideCQC Requirements for Substance Misuse Services
How CQC inspects substance misuse services against its key questions, and how good record-keeping makes safe, effective, well-led evidence easy to show.
11 min readRead guideGDPR for Treatment & Housing Providers
How UK GDPR applies to services handling sensitive client data: lawful bases, special category data, retention, and demonstrating accountability.
11 min readRead guideeMAR Explained: What It Means & How It Works
What eMAR is, how it reduces medication errors in treatment and supported housing settings, and what to look for in an eMAR-capable system.
11 min readRead guideSupported housing
Housing standards, arrears, and social value for supported accommodation.
HHSRS Explained for Supported Housing Managers
How the Housing Health and Safety Rating System applies to supported housing and exempt accommodation: hazards, scoring, and evidencing remedial action.
10 min readRead guideRent & Arrears in Supported Housing
How to track rent, housing benefit, and arrears across a supported housing portfolio without spreadsheets, and catch problems before they escalate.
9 min readRead guideDemonstrating Social Value to Funders
Funders increasingly ask supported housing providers to evidence social value. A practical guide to capturing and reporting it without adding admin.
9 min readRead guideHHSRS and the 29 Hazards: A Checklist
A practical checklist of the 29 HHSRS hazards for supported housing managers: what to record and track.
10 min readRead guideSupported Housing Compliance Checklist 2026
An evergreen compliance checklist for supported housing providers covering tenancy, safety, data, and outcomes.
9 min readRead guideGetting started
Practical guides for moving to and getting value from digital case management.
Going Paperless in a Substance Misuse Service
A 90-day transition plan for small and mid-size treatment services moving from paper records to digital case management without disrupting client care.
11 min readRead guideChoosing Case Management Software
A buyer's guide to case management software for addiction treatment services: the requirements that matter, and the questions that separate suppliers.
12 min readRead guideSpreadsheets vs Case Management Software
Spreadsheets feel free. This guide sets out the hidden costs (risk, rework, and reporting pain) of running a treatment or housing service on them.
10 min readRead guideReady to transform how you manage cases?
Join treatment providers and supported housing organisations across the UK who trust GreenShoots to reduce admin, stay compliant, and focus on what matters.