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UFO
The User Feedback Organisation (UFO) is funded by
Safer Bristol's Drug Strategy Team and their
feedback is used to inform drug policy and strategy
within the Bristol treatment service.
They have a main group, a BME group (Mushwera),
a women's group and a steering group. Each group
sits monthly and there is a peer support drop-in on
Friday nights, specifically for stimulant users. They
also have a website and weekly radio show on BCFM.
UFO has two reps sitting on each of the drug related
strategic groups within Bristol, including the Joint
Commissioning Group (JCG), Treatment Task Group and
Shared Care Monitoring. Their reports have included the
Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) in HMP Bristol,
the first peer-led review of drug treatment in a UK prison,
and they are currently doing a follow-up review.
‘Our service users found the whole experience of
attending the conference very beneficial,’ said Paul
Moores, service user coordinator. ‘They networked
and gained insight into how other groups work
throughout the UK.’
SUIT
SUIT – the Service User Involvement Team in
Wolverhampton – is a completely service user run
organisation. ‘We have a volunteer programme for
current or ex users, a magazine, and run activities like
football, boxing, and an allotment,’ said Sunny Dhadley,
SUIT’s drug service user involvement officer. ‘There’s
strategic involvement, consultation and monitoring, and
a performance management framework in place, and
we offer advice and guidance.’ Among the team’s many
initiatives are an interactive text messaging network,
ETE (education, training, employment) and service user
lifestyle and drug awareness training. They hold 39
open forum meetings per year and have a dedicated
website at www.suiteam.com.
‘We networked with too many groups to mention,’
said Sunny. ‘The most enjoyable aspect of the day
was seeing service users and those associated with
them coming together – oh, and winning the DDN
award for best film for our entry
User Friendly
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SMUG
SMUG – Substance Misuse User Group – has
become the voice of service user involvement in
Wales, according to Chris Campbell.
‘We have reps in our Welsh National Assembly,
and on SMATS and provider boards,’ he said. ‘We
have been working with our local communities and
community safety partnerships on interventions, and
have also become part of social enterprise networks,
partnering with local government and other third
sector groups.
‘We really enjoyed this year’s service user gathering
again – it was right on the money! It couldn’t have been
more relevant to the times and was right on the pulse
of the issues that face service users all over the UK.’
‘At their conference stand, SMUG gave advice to
providers and talked to commissioners about
sustaining groups as a social enterprise. They also
talked about community engagement and third sector
networking, gave away self-help books, and had two
laptops showing the projects they do.
‘We were run off our feet – we did not stop!’ said
Chris. ‘We were the first group to set up at 7am and
the last to pack away!’
SUST
SUST provide service user involvement across
Gloucestershire, using their experience to help plan
and design services both locally and nationally. The
group runs countywide naloxone training, as well as
providing advocacy services and holding monthly
meetings in Gloucester and Cheltenham. There is a
website – serviceusers.org.uk – and a newsletter
updating members on the group’s activities, such as
the recent canoeing trip on the river Wye.
‘We enjoyed the conference, after we had navigated
our way around the Birmingham one way system to find
the hotel!’ said Dave Stork, service user coordinator. ‘It
was good to listen to the MP talking about DWP
reforms. There’s a lot of fear about the proposed
changes and a lack of knowledge, so it’s important to
have these changes explained. We were disappointed
with the heckling from the audience in this session. As
a group, service users are trying to tackle stigma so it
is important to not behave in a manner that could
possibly reinforce misconceptions.’
SUST had display boards on their stand about the
work going on in Gloucestershire. ‘It was great
meeting up with old friends and acquaintances, and
to do a bit of networking and see what other people
are up to,’ says Dave. ‘We have been doing this for a
while now, so hopefully some of the groups not as
well-established as us were able to get some ideas
from what we are up to.’
DDN
7 March 2011 |
drinkanddrugsnews
| 13
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
‘We really enjoyed this
year’s service user gather-
ing again – it was right on
the money! It couldn’t have
been more relevant to the
times and was right on the
pulse of the issues that
face service users all over
the UK.‘