on a small contract”.’ The centre proved itself, and other agencies recognised a
different model. ‘They were thinking “we’re part of this treatment process – it’s
not rehab sitting on the hill”. Agencies will refer someone out-of-county and only
see them every three months for a review. That was one of the key things for us,
that we do this together. It’s about a seamless care pathway.’
The organisation now helps more than 200 people a year, with semi-
independent living accommodation as part of its resettlement programme and
another residential centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme opening two years ago. ‘In
order for the community to own it they’ve got to be part of what’s going on, so
the colleges come in and do numeracy, literacy and NVQs and housing come in
and do good tenancy modules. We have work placements, voluntary placements
and business people come in to do role-play interviews with clients – every
agency we can think of.’
There’s also a large group of recovery champions who work in community
drug teams, custody suites, probation sites, schools and hospitals. ‘It’s
basically to show there is another way, to inspire. They’re real role models and
people know them – a client recently said to one, “the last time I saw you we
were sitting on my sofa injecting”.’
So what does she make of the government’s recovery focus? ‘I think the
implementation will be key,’ she says. ‘I also think we need much stronger
messages, and one of the most important things is for the field to be working
together – “is it harm reduction, is it abstinence?” when actually it’s both. We
need to start uniting and the NTA needs to start giving out some very clear
messages – we’re now in February and there are no clear plans about how each
county is going to achieve its recovery goals. They need to step up to what’s in
the drug strategy.’
The next step for BAC O’Connor, meanwhile, is a social enterprise café, a
‘huge venture’ she says. ‘Again, all the community’s involved. It’s going to be
a café and a training centre for service users to do their NVQs and IT training.
There’ll be a gym, conference facilities, and at any one time it will provide up
to 40 12-month employment places for ex service users to fill a gap on their
CV. But it will also be a social outlet with pool tables and TV, so instead of
clients being isolated when they move into their own flats they’ll have
somewhere to go.’
All of this work hasn’t gone unnoticed, and on top of an MBE she’s received
awards from the Home Office, the Centre for Social Justice and a Daily Mirror
People’s Award. How much of a validation is it? ‘It’s lovely to get but I view the
awards as being about what we’ve managed to achieve in the community as a
partnership – they wouldn’t have been possible without the housing agency, the
colleges and community drug teams. It’s about what the field can achieve if we
really want to and say “let’s look at a different way”. I would never, ever say that
everybody has to go into abstinence and I would never be naïve enough to say
that everybody will achieve abstinence. What I would say is that everybody has
to have that choice, and if they can’t do it we have to stop making them feel like
they’ve failed.
‘We do that by working with other agencies,’ she stresses. ‘If we have
someone who feels it definitely isn’t their time or it’s too dangerous, we’ll refer
them back to the community drug team to go back onto methadone. That’s
about partnership, and it’s what those awards were about – what can happen as
a community if you pull together.’
DDN
7 February 2011 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 21
Profile |
Noreen Oliver
Post-its |
Stigma
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
‘One of the most important
things is for the field to be
working together – “is it harm
reduction, is it abstinence?”
Actually it’s both.’
A phone call from the London Ambulance Service
was put through to me in the middle of a partners’
meeting, and my colleagues wondered what had
happened when I burst into floods of tears. I was
informed that Angie (see DDN, 27 July 2009, page
16) was dead, and I needed to come and certify the
body.
Before leaving the surgery I told the team and
receptionists about Angie’s death. We talked about
what a wonderful character she was – warm,
caring, as well as crazy – and how she had enriched
all our lives.
When I reached the house where she had died, the situation was very
different. There were four uniformed policemen and their chief superintendant,
who said we should have a meeting before seeing the body. I was shocked when
one of the policemen started by saying ‘Angie was a known drug abuser and
alcoholic’. I interrupted, questioning the relevance of his point, and the chief
superintendent said their aim was to discover what had happened. I told them
she had severe chest disease, had only two weeks previously been in intensive
care, and that I was here to certify, not to listen to people making assumptions
about her and her life.
I did the necessary checks and it was clear that she had slipped away during
the night from her chest problems. The chief superintendant then informed me
the death had to be reported to the coroner and, because she used drugs, he was
sure they would want a post-mortem. I agreed we had to inform the coroner but
thought that, as I was willing to issue the death certificate, a PM was not
needed. He completely condemned her because she drank and took drugs.
Fortunately the coroner agreed with me and I finished the death certificate.
I left the house feeling sad, but also angry that the police had made such
assumptions. I knew Angie’s pharmacist was also very attached to her so decided
to pop in on my return to let her know. The pharmacist was really upset, as were
all the counter staff. It reminded me how valuable that relationship is, as they
would see Angie almost daily.
Stigma is damaging to people who use drugs, and breaking the wall of
exclusion can be a bigger problem than breaking the physical addiction. For
things to improve, stigma must be challenged on personal, cultural and
structural levels. It is the final frontier.
I will never know how much of this stigma Angie put up with every day
but what I do know is that many people, including me, loved her. She will not
be forgotten.
Post script: we need your help
If we can’t find £1,500 in the next month, Angie will be put in a pauper’s grave.
Please donate to the account details below. We will also have a bucket for donations
at the DDN/Alliance conference on 10 February, so please give generously.
To donate, please post cheques, made out to Morgan Pengelly Associates, to:
Sarah, 8 Star Street, Ware SG12 7AA. Electronic banking details: Sort Code 40-
28-14 Account Number 01679996
Dr Chris Ford is a GP at Lonsdale Medical Centre and clinical lead for SMMGP,
www.smmgp.org.uk
SMMGP speaks out against stigma – see the next Network in two weeks.
Post-its from Practice
Stigmatiseduntil the end
Prejudice is everywhere, even at death,
says Dr Chris Ford