If you work with drug or alcohol users and would like to gain valuable further knowledge and a specialised qualification in this area, Scottish Training on Drugs and Alcohol (STRADA) offers a wide range of educational and training opportunities.

STRADA has places available on the following educational programmes, commencing in September 2012:

• Certificate of Higher Education: Drug and Alcohol Practice
• MSc; Postgraduate Diploma; Postgraduate Certificate in Drug and Alcohol Studies

There are funding opportunities available for these courses.

About STRADA

STRADA is a workforce development organisation that supports people who work with those affected by drug and alcohol misuse. They aim to improve the competence of staff working in the substance misuse field in order to aid the recovery of those affected by substance misuse.

People affected by substance misuse come into contact with a wide range of organisations in the course of their treatment and recovery. The work of STRADA impacts on those within the broader health, social care and criminal justice arenas, including both statutory and non-statutory organisations.

Apply

Please visit www.projectSTRADA.org for further details and to download an application pack.

Alternatively, please contact Jenna Wright at STRADA, on 0141 330 240.

This is the findings of new research by the UK Drug Policy Commission (UKDPC). For example, where adult family members are offered services, this is usually to do with involving them in the treatment of their drug using relative, rather than providing them with services in their own right.

The study looked into the extent and nature of support currently provided for adult family members affected by a relative’s drug problem. Scottish Families Affected by Drugs helped fund the Scottish element of the research.

Not enough time

An online survey formed part of the research. Of the 72 Scottish services that responded almost three-quarters worked with families alongside their drug using relative. However, the majority of these spent less than 10% of their time working with the family members alone or with the drug user.

The most common sort of help provided to family members was information, signposting and general support, with much less mention of structured interventions, such as the 5-step programme or carers assessments.

Clare Beck, acting CEO at Scottish Families Affected by Drugs says, ‘We are pleased that there is now a map of family support provision in Scotland, but naturally we would like to see far greater provision of services across the country. This current snapshot must be the baseline from which all interested parties work together to increase support to the many thousands of family members affected by drugs.’

Parliamentary event

We organised a parliamentary event to allow service commissioners, family support groups, MSPs and peer organisations to discuss the findings of the research. It was a successful afternoon, attended by some 50 delegates and sponsored by Kezia Dugdale, Scottish Labour member for Lothian.

Nicola Singleton, Director of Policy and Research at UKDPC, presented the Scottish findings which was followed by a lively question and answer session. In the Q&A session it was suggested that services could do family assessments, rather than focussing on vulnerable individuals within that family. One delegate pointed out that his organisation has found it hard to get funding for projects working with the whole family.

Improvements to quantity and range

Nicola Singleton, who carried out the research for UKDPC  says, ‘this study suggests that while there are good examples of service provision for adult family members affected by a relative’s drug use in Scotland, the quantity and range of provision is insufficient when considered alongside the numbers affected.’

Earlier UKDPC research had estimated that there are at least 134,000 adult family members in Scotland affected by a relative’s drugs misuse.

Read more

Read the full report on the UKDPC website

Read an article about the research findings on the Guardian online, written by Roger Howard, chief executive of UKDPC:

We are thrilled by the response to our survey and are using the results to help us to plan and to improve our services. Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to fill out the questionnaire.

The results confirm our belief that family members need support in their own right, even if they do not go looking for that support, and highlight the importance of family support groups. The response also shows we have an engaged membership who value our work.

It showed that family members commonly experience isolation, depression, violence, guilt, stress, anxiety, insomnia and stigma. It’s not just the drug user who needs to recover.

Value of peer support

We are pleased that the results prove the importance of family support groups. The most common answer to ‘what has helped you most in your recovery journey?’ was ‘peer support’. One respondent wrote:

‘Just time has helped, and frequently going to support groups – to listen and be able to speak about how I feel and not be judged.’

We’re fundraising for additional family support development workers, so that we can help more groups to be set up as well as offer even better support to existing groups. We have had interest from a number of Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to part fund new development officers.

Need for family support

Despite the pressures they face, we found that most family members wait for at least two years before seeking help for themselves. Some respondents had yet to seek help. We hope our new website will go some way towards rectifying this, by showing clearly that help is available and signposting to that help.

The results also provide us with an insight into our membership. The survey highlights that we’re not reaching the younger generations or ethnic minorities. These are two demographics we’ll be looking into in the coming year.

Get in touch

The survey has closed, but we always value your input and suggestions. Share your ideas at info@sfad.org.uk. We will run another survey in 2013 to give us more insight and help us track our progress.

Sheila McKay, a family member representing Aberdeenshire, is one of our newest board members. She is a founding member of the Grampian Family Support Forum which held an event at the Scottish Parliament earlier this month. The event was part of their Community Partnership Project with the Parliament.

Importance of family support

Sheila writes, ‘We held the event to raise MSP awareness of the importance of family support, the integral part that family members play in the recovery of their loved ones, and how the experiences of recovering addicts could be used to better effect to help people with addictions and their families to recover.

A role to play

‘We heard two emotive personal accounts of recovery journeys. Firstly Jane, an amazing woman who has not only recovered from an addiction to heroin and alcohol, but is now using her personal experience to help others. Then we heard Betty’s story. Betty is the mother of a recovering heroin addict and has custody of her grandson. She has held her family together in spite of several tragic events.

‘There then followed a very fruitful discussion which will result in our sponsor, Nanette Milne MSP, tabling a motion in Parliament about family support.’

Tackling stigma through film

Board members Danny Ogierman is a family member representing Tayside. Danny is very involved in using film as a tool to tackle drug-related stigma and stereotypes. His work in this area stems from the loss of a loved one to drugs.

One of his latest projects is a recovery project at Constitution House, a drug treatment service in Dundee. Danny writes, ‘Art workshops will run for up to six weeks. We have a graffiti artist, photographer, collage artist and myself as a film maker.  Service users will create work that’ll be displayed in Constitution House and we’ll have an open night where local people will be invited in to see the work on display.

‘I believe having a chance to work creatively gives a sense of self worth and focus, which can benefit recovery. I’d also like to explore the effects on the family members, as stigma can be as great a barrier for their recovery as it can be for the loved ones.’

Peer education

Danny has also been involved in the Peer Education Project where he helped make a series of films which will be used in a resource pack for schools and colleges across Scotland.

Watch one of Danny’s films, entitled Junkies, here

Danny was at the Grampian Family Support Forum Parliamentary event and is now planning to make a film along with some of the recovering addicts who he met there.

We are looking for a CEO who will give vision, direction and leadership to the organisation. The succesful applicant will develop our engagement with national policy and develop the organisation as a key advocate for families in Scotland.

We require an inspired leader and an excellent communicator with significant experience of working at strategic level; a proven record of people management; and strong business planning, marketing and financial management skills.

Closing date: 24 March 2012

Salary: £32,710 pa*.

Cover letter

CEO job description

Application form

Equality and diversity form

* NB, this post is initially funded for 28 hours a week, with the potential to increase to 35 hours a week with a salary of £40,887 pa dependant on funding.

If you would like us to post you an application pack please email info@sfad.org.uk or phone the office on 0141 221 0544.

Please note that CVs will not be accepted.

SFAD is an equal opportunities employer.

You can learn more about our work in our latest annual review (479Kb pdf)

This question will be addressed in a new report by the UK Drug Policy Commission (UKDPC), which will be published next month.

Parliamentary event

Scottish Families Affected by Drugs funded the Scottish element of the UK-wide research, on which the report is based. We are profiling the report and inviting discussion with a special event at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 8 March, from 12.30 to 2.15pm.

Attendance is by invite only and there are a limited amount of places.  If you are interested in attending please do get in touch.

Have your say

Lisa Finlayson, who sat on the research steering group on behalf of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs says,

‘This important event offers an opportunity for those with an interest in family support services throughout Scotland to hear examples of best practice and gaps in provision.

‘I hope that the research presentation will stimulate discussion on how we can improve and expand upon existing family support services’.

Contributions

Nicola Singleton, Director of Policy and Research for the UKDPC will present the report.  We are delighted that Labour MSP Kezia Dugdale is sponsoring the event. Additional speakers will be announced nearer the time.

Keith Fowler

I became a Board member of Scottish Families Affected by Drugs in January 2009, after the death of my son Perry from poly drug use (drugs & alcohol). My main aim in joining the Board was to get better support for families after a drug related death and to promote a better understanding of what families living with a drug user can go through.

Understanding

I’m often asked why I give up my time for this organisation. It is an easy one to answer – it is because of what myself and my family have been through, and because I speak to many other people going through similar situations. We need an organisation that recognises the needs of families.

I passionately believe in our aims, which include strengthening the voice of families affected by drugs misuse; increasing families’ capacity to cope through information and support and improving the quality, scope and reach of local support for family members.

Vision

As Chair of the Board, my vision for the organisation is to employ more Community Development workers so we can get into more communities to support and help families. We are also working to expand our helpline services to include more web-based information and support.

On the advocacy side we need to gain influence with policy makers to make sure that they understand the issues families face, the needs they have and the positive impact they can have on the recovery of their relative.

Enthusiasm

So I, along with the rest of the Board and staff, have big plans for the coming year. We know, however, that 2012 is going to be a difficult year due to the financial climate for the third sector. We are already thinking creatively about securing funding for Scottish Families Affected by Drugs to grow.

It is going to be a challenge but we have a strong, diverse Board and an enthusiastic team who are working hard to get over the hurdles that this year is going to bring.

And can I take this chance to wish you a good 2012 and to say thank you to everyone who supports our work. It’s by working together we can have the greatest impact.

Get in touch

Do you have a question for Keith? Email us at info@sfad.org.uk

As you may be aware, we are conducting a survey of everyone who has an interest in our work.

This is to give us insight into the needs of families who have been affected by drugs misuse and to get a better understanding of the issues facing them. It is also to help us deliver effective communications and events.

The results  will help us to design services and areas of work that best serve families in Scotland. It will also help us back up our funding applications and policy work with evidence.

Complete the survey

The more people who fill out and return the survey, the clearer a picture we will get of the needs of our members.

You can access the short survey here.

Thank you

May we take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in our work and to thank you in advance for completing the survey.
Please note that the deadline for completing your survey is Tuesday 31 January.

All completed surveys will be entered into a prize draw, and the winner will receive a cheque for £50.

If you have any questions or comments about the survey, or if you have any difficulties in accessing or completing it, please contact us.

The average problem drug user is male, lives on the west coast of Scotland and is aged 24 to 34, according to a new study about the prevalence of problem drug use in Scotland.

According to the report, the estimated number of individuals with problem drug use in Scotland in 2009/10, aged 15 to 64 years old, was 59,600.

The study, titled ‘Estimating the National and Local Prevalence of Problem Drug Use in Scotland 2009/10’ has been carried out by Information Services Division, a support service for NHS Scotland.

Ageing population

It is worth noting that problematic drug users are getting older. These latest statistics show that the age group 35 to 64 accounted for 43% of problematic drugs users in 2009/10. In 2006 this proportion was 34%.

Problem drug use is worst in Scotland’s big cities, with the exception of Edinburgh, and in the west coast regions of East Ayrshire and Invercylde. Rural areas such as the Highlands and Islands have relatively low prevalence levels.

Impact on family networks

Scottish Families Affected by Drugs CEO, Clare Beck, says, ‘This study indicates that providing family support is more vital than ever. Each of these estimated 59,600 individuals has family members who are impacted by their problematic drug use.

‘As users are getting older, their family networks expand from parents to include partners and children. All these family members need support and services in their own right. And with children there are obvious sensitivities and child protection issues.

‘At Scottish Families Affected by Drugs, we hope that evidence about the scale of the family problem will soon be published and recognised alongside the user problem.’

Commenting on the report, David Liddell, Director of Scottish Drugs Forum, said, ‘It is vital that the issues which have impacted on parents and grandparents – and which have caused too many to seek oblivion through drugs – are not passed onto to their young people to create of a new generation of problem drug users.”

Read the report

The statistics are available in full on the Information Services Division (IDS) website.

Visit the IDS website to read a publication summary and the full report.

Yet stigma remains.

‘Family members feel isolated by feelings of shame, embarrassment, hopelessness and guilt, Sheila explains. ‘There is little doubt that the stigma attached to drug use acts as a barrier to families seeking support for themselves.’

Write to the media

The media can help end stigma

Sheila says, ‘The forum feels that the media play a huge role in stigmatising substance misusers and their families.

So the Grampian Family Support Forum, which is a collection of family support, kinship care and bereavement groups from across the Grampian region, decided to write to the Press to endorse positive news articles and express sadness at negative articles.

Clearly, the more groups and individuals who write to their local press regarding articles about drugs misuse, the more effective the campaign will be. ‘We believe that if other support groups throughout Scotland do the same, we will be more effective.’

Talk to professionals

As well as writing to the press, the Grampian Forum encourages people to let professionals, such as GPs, know when their words or attitudes cause hurt or offence. ‘Stigma comes in many forms. Professionals can stigmatise without even realising it. Even the tone of your voice can lead to tears behind closed doors that you will never be aware of,’ says Sheila.

What can you do?

‘We realise that the war against stigma is too big for us to tackle alone,’ says Sheila  ‘However, we hope that we can influence other family members throughout Scotland to unite and help us tackle this issue.

‘It is important that when a professional ‘wounds’ you with his words, you must make them aware of it, in a gentle manner, in order that they are aware and do not inflict pain on anyone else.’

If you write to your local paper or talk to a professional about how stigma has affected you, please let us know what you did and what response you got, so we can inspire others to take action as well. Together, we have more chance of breaking down barriers, ending isolation and tackling stigma.

Inspiration

These are just two examples of action taken by the Grampian Family Support Forum.

There was an article in the Sunday Post about a woman who had been prescribed an opiate blocker for lung cancer, and as a result was still alive years later having been told she had months to live. The article was entitled ‘Junkie’ drug. Sheila wrote to the editor, introduced the Forum and asked for an explanation as to why he felt it necessary to use such terminology. She says, ‘ I didn’t only get a reply, I got an apology and a promise that he would be more careful in future.’

There was an article in the Evening Express about a community project in Aberdeen involving recovering addicts. One of the members of the Grampian Family Support Forum wrote in to congratulate the project manager and the recovering addicts on the success of the project. Sheila further endorsed this by writing in on behalf of the Forum.