‘ We come together to repeat conversations and are back at the same place.’
STELLA KITYO
you. These people matter to me because I hold their hand when they die. What are you doing with the money? Services need to become more holistic and more realistic. People in services are frightened of being outspoken and the partnership working feels false
STELLA KITYO, practitioner: I identify with the frustration. We come together to repeat conversations and are back at the same place. Why aren’ t people accessing services? It’ s us that make them hard to reach. Stigma hangs over everything. You need to make people feel they want to come out of the lifestyle they’ re in, but we somehow think we’ re on a different level to them. Sometimes neighbours have more empathy than drug services.
We need to ask our customers what they want. It’ s not just tickbox exercises – they tell us what’ s work ing. Why would people go to your service? Women often don’ t get the help they need unless they’ re a risk to themselves or others.
PETE YARWOOD, founder, Red Rose Recovery: I grew up in the criminal justice system and I stayed in the system for 20 years because I was conditioned that I was‘ less than’. People like me get well in communities – not in services, but communities. It took a prison officer to identify the skills in me. As an addict, I was one rung above a sex offender.
You need to start sharing power – and recognise where power dynamics are at play.
‘ People like me get well in communities – not in services, but communities.’
PETE YARWOOD
NATIONAL POLICY FOR LOCAL IMPACT
DAVID THORNE, chair, Well Up North primary care network: All day we’ re trying to take complicated problems and make simple solutions – but we need complicated solutions. We oversimplify everything. We have to get into the complex and do it right.
DAVID SIDWICK, PCC for Dorset and APCC joint-lead for substance misuse: Things work well when there’ s a clear focus on outcomes and measurable success. We need different ways of getting messages into schools, including true partnership and collaboration. From government we want commitment to From harm to hope – and to sort out funding so it’ s secure. Give us money for primary prevention to stop our young people coming into substance misuse.
JASON KEW, drug and alcohol public health specialist: Sometimes we need to challenge the status quo – and make sure it’ s evidence based. Can people acquire the medication they need? It’ s a human rights issue. It’ s not about one organisation over another – are we focusing enough on prevention, such as helping schools rewrite their drug policies?
LEARNING FROM BEST PRACTICE
VICKY MAJOR, nurse consultant, NHS Northumberland: We asked women using services for their feedback – on keeping
REAL VOICES
Through conversation with journalist and broadcaster Zoë Grünewald, three people shared lived experience of their struggles – and the things that service providers did that really made a difference. Their names have been changed to respect their privacy.
CHRISTINE: I was, from the age of 13 to 41, addicted to heroin. A security guard got me on a programme and I went on monthly injections which saved my life. Not one formula fits everybody but we need a system where you’ re not passed from person to person – and they care, which makes a massive difference. You can’ t just send people a letter and tick them off your list – you’ d be lucky if they even open it.
Fast referral made a real difference and my service are like family now, they really care. They would hunt me down if I missed an appointment.
NATASHA: I was sexually abused and ended up on the streets of Liverpool with a £ 900 a day habit. I went on a script when my friend was murdered. I decided to turn my pain into power and from every little rock that was thrown at me I built a strong foundation. I can’ t really fault services – I was to blame. Someone saw something in me that I’ d never seen in myself – an IPS person. You can go through a shit time, but don’ t judge a book by its cover. They saw something in me –‘ What do you like doing? Tell me a bit about you.’ We are human beings – have a little patience.
I leave little notes to look at every day, to remind me of my self-worth. How you treat other human beings says a lot and people can change with the right help and support.
STUART: I had a successful career in film and TV, but I was tortured as a child. I had terrible anxiety and debilitating trauma. I was also neurodivergent. I found drugs really early – alcohol and cocaine. When I was playing in the West End, I partied every night and was an addict for the best part of 20 years.
The treatment service was brilliant with me. They opened the clinic early and gave me privacy. I’ m passionate about challeng ing stigma. The general public seem to have entrenched views about addiction, but they know fuck all. Always remember that nobody chooses it, nobody wants it.
women safe, child-friendly spaces, and how to lose the fear around treatment. The things that came out were fear, shame and guilt.
BRIAN MARTIN, advanced nurse practitioner, NHS Ayrshire and Arran: There’ s lots of community activity involved in mental health support – a connection with communities. Medication is one aspect, but there’ s so much more.
KIRSTEN HORSBURGH, chief executive, Scottish Drugs
Forum: While we’ re doing some things right, it’ s clear there’ s lots more to be done. We had an‘ advocates for change’ day for the national living experience group. Their statement said:‘ We are not here to be managed, fixed or saved … real change starts now, with us …’ It was about taking the power back, with a charter of rights:‘ We are not passive recipients, we are the agents of change.’ DDN
The Real Voices, Real Choices event was organised and funded by Camurus, who had no input or involvement in this article.
8 • DRINK AND DRUGS NEWS • DEC 25 – JAN 26 WWW. DRINKANDDRUGSNEWS. COM