On the 29th January, in Stoke on Trent, the National Expert Citizen’s Group of Fulfilling Lives were invited to review the National Drugs Strategy. The strategy focuses on three key themes: Reducing Demand, Restricting Supply and Building Recovery. The day focused on the third strand – Building Recovery. A member from the Home Office’s Drug Strategy Team provided an initial presentation to set the scene. The rest of the day focused on obtaining expert’s views and opinions, from their lived experience, on key aspects that are needed to inform the new strategy. The review was particularly interested in:
— Barriers to recovery
— How to reduce the stigma of substance misuse
— What works well in recovery – particularly around housing and employment
The day was recorded graphically and in notes.
Home Office Fulfilling Lives – Juli Dosad Banter Graphic Recording small
The Home Office will be providing an annotated strategy after its publication later this year which marks which areas were changed/influenced by the views of the experts. A follow up session with the Home Office will occur at the May NECG meeting in Bristol.