We will support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of those in our community to provide better outcomes for individuals and less reliance on services.
The Shetland Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) is responsible for delivering on Scotland’s strategy ‘Rights, Respect and Recovery’ to improve health by preventing and reducing alcohol and drug use, harm and related deaths, as well as the Alcohol Framework 2018 – ‘Preventing Harm – next steps in changing our relationship with alcohol’.
Five priorities have been set out by Scottish Ministers to underpin delivery of the strategy and framework and ADPs are required to report their progress on these areas to Scottish Government on an annual basis.
The Shetland ADP is a multi-agency group with partners from NHS Shetland, the Council, the Third Sector, Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service working collaboratively to provide services and interventions to both adults and children.
In November 2022, the Shetland ADP published its latest annual report covering the year 2021-22. The accompanying report noted that alcohol and other drug-related harm, both to individuals and their families, remains a significant issue that cuts across many other areas including physical and mental health, wellbeing, poverty, housing, employment and education.
Highlights from the year included:
- Activities to mark international overdose awareness day, including naloxone training, offering people a space to remember those lost to alcohol or other drugs and challenging the stigma surrounding this.
- Facilitation of six national training courses, covering different aspects relating to substance use, at no cost to participants.
- Appointment of admin support at the Recovery Hub and Community Network, meaning that they can operate an open door policy each afternoon to facilitate drop-ins.
- Development of a harm reduction worker post at the Recovery Hub and Community Network
- Increase in recovery groups and communities, including a peer-led cocaine anonymous group and social evenings
- Development of an Oral Health clinic at the Recovery Hub and Community Network
- Scoping of a custody liaison and support service
The NHS Substance Use Service is part of the Community Mental Health Team and, as such, work closely with community mental health nurses in the team. Two members of staff in the NHS Substance Misuse and Recovery Service undertook an access to counselling qualification, with plans to commence further training next year.
The Recovery Hub and Community Network has continued to increase its reach. Recovery groups include a women’s recovery group, a women in recovery group which is abstinence based (at the request of the women who were accessing the Recovery Hub) and a cocaine anonymous group, which is an autonomous, peer-led group.
In addition, a social evening is held weekly where people eat together, chat, craft or play games. Feedback from people who attend groups is that they are gaining a peer support network outside of the organised groups. The recovery Hub and Community Network led on international overdose awareness day, with people from recovery communities volunteering at the event.
Areas for improvement:
- Understanding support needs among children and young people affected by their own or another person’s substance use
- Expansion of harm reduction interventions including naloxone provision, injecting equipment provision, wound care and blood-borne virus testing
- Including lived and living experience in the planning and provision of services for individuals and their families
- Online presence
- Licensing, in terms of protecting and improving public health
The annual report has since been submitted to the Scottish Government.