What do we want to achieve?
Sandwell Drug and Alcohol Partnership (SDAP) is committed to help Sandwell evolve into a Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC). SDAP’s ambition is one where workers and organisations across Sandwell are Recovery Informed and able to support people on their recovery journey.
How will we do this?
#You’re_in_recovery_when_you_say_you_are
#RIOT=Recovery_is_out_there
#Recovery_is_all_our_business
#Recovery is contagious, you need to be near it to catch it
Our Route to a Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC)
What have we done so far?
Call 07741817800 or email a question to: PublicHealth_InConfidence@sandwell.gov.uk
The Sandwell Drug and Alcohol Strategy 2022-2032 promises collaboration to ensure a borough-wide Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC). We will also collaborate with partners and stakeholders to ensure a borough-wide offer of recovery support.
The process of reaching recovery takes time to achieve and effort to maintain. In Sandwell, we will work towards achieving a Recovery Oriented System of Care (ROSC). The UK government’s Drug Recovery Champion stated that creating a ROSC offers the best chance to help people to move on from drug dependence. At its best, ROSC is built on person-centred services and supports multiple pathways to recovery.
In Sandwell, we will build on our current recovery services, which provide multiple recovery options to those seeking to rebuild their lives. We aim to ensure networks of peer-based recovery support, communities of recovery and mutual aid groups are available in areas of need across the borough.
Download: Sandwell Drug and Alcohol Strategy 2022-2032
Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant (SSMTRG) funds allocated to recruit a Project Officer to lead on developing recovery opportunities in Sandwell.
In 2022 to 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care is providing a total of £85.7 million in additional grants to improve services in line with the ambitions of the 2021 drug strategy, and the recommendations from Dame Carol Black’s independent review.
In Sandwell, some of the SSMTRG funds were allocated to appoint a full-time Project Officer for two years. To find out more about recovery in Sandwell call 07741817800 or email a question to: PublicHealth_InConfidence@sandwell.gov.uk
Linxs Consultancy Ltd. were commissioned by Sandwell Council to undertake a Review of Lived Experience Mechanisms and their effectiveness in relation to substance misuse; and to review and assess the current recovery support available.
The review has the aim of judging the level of involvement and recovery support that is available. This is especially within the context of the Government’s most recent drug’s strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’ which includes the desire to increase user involvement in services. In assessing the current support available and involvement locally, comparative practice and models from elsewhere were also examined.
The review culminates in providing a range of options, both for enhancing recovery support in the area along with models to develop further lived experiences in services, such as in developing policy and practice.
Download: LINXS Sandwell Recovery Report.
Evidence suggests that in the first years after people detox from alcohol or drugs, the likelihood of relapse is between 50 and 70% but by the time they get to five years of consistent sobriety or abstinence from their problem substance, the likelihood of relapse has dropped to 15%, on average it takes about 5-years from the point of putting down drink or drugs, until people can self-sustain their recovery journey. People do recover, in fact, most people recover.
Research shows that when people reach five years into recovery, not only do they become active contributing citizens with strengths and assets, they become ‘better than well’, they volunteer more, they’re more active in the community, they take fewer duvet days. This ‘better than well’ phenomenon is one that everybody benefits from.
Download: Sandwell ROISC Implementation Plan
1) What is recovery and when is a person recovered?
2) What is recovery capital?
3) What a ROISC looks like
4) Recovery Implementation Proposals
5) Community recovery projects
6) Recovery Informed Practice
From attending the Sandwell Networkers Forum each month, networking meetings across the six towns, following Facebook pages and various other sources, we are compiling a monthly e-bulletin/ newsletter with posts of events, activities, support, and A.A. & N.A. meetings in or near Sandwell, to support anyone in recovery.
Download:
The nine projects granted up to £10k to work with the recovery community to develop projects supporting people in recovery in Sandwell from July 2023 to March 2024 are:
You can self-refer to all of these except for the West Bromwich Leisure Centre pass must be referred via your Cranstoun key worker.
Download: Sandwell Recovery Projects 2023-24
A group of service users, volunteers, and staff from Cranstoun Sandwell worked with the Public Health D&A Team, to co-produce the “2023 Recovery Event 4 Sandwell – Roots of Recovery” which was held in the Council House Chambers on the 19th September for Recovery Month. The event welcomed over 120 people in recovery, people looking for recovery, and people supporting recovery from across the borough and beyond.
There were fantastic speakers, a poet, thirty-two stalls, and a choice of workshops including a Sound Bath taster session. With the aim of bringing the recovery community of Sandwell together in one place to learn about and celebrate recovery together during International Recovery Month, this will hopefully become an annual event in the Sandwell calendar.
Watch the video here on YouTube
To ensure that recovery conversations begin to take place across organisations in Sandwell, all SDAP members have been sent a survey link to return by 15/09/23 which asks them to consider what they already do that supports peoples recovery journeys, and what else they could do. In considering responses to the survey, each organisation will need to have these conversations, helping to understand recovery concepts better, review the training needs of staff, and become a recovery informed partner member of the ROISC.
Results from the survey will be published here in the autumn.
Download documents