Wednesday, 16 December 2015
NUCF Minutes 10/12/2015
Minutes of NUCF
Date: 10/12/2015
Location: Plummer Court
Chair:
Apologises: None
Update on Client Advisory Groups and Events
Trading Places – Trading Places was
closed on 6/12/15 due to the need for an additional member of staff to be
present. It will be open on 13th and moving forward a rota of staff
members like the one we have for forum members will be set up.
Monday and Wednesday Plummer Court –
No issues except more volunteers would be very useful. Times for the two groups
were recommunicated – Monday 11.00-1.00 and Wednesday 1.00-3.00. There was some
questions from clients around the referral process under the Lifeline service
now in Newcastle. Kellie explained that clients don’t have to go to Bridge view
for scripts if they are existing clients as there are Lifeline staff at Plummer
Court. Bridge view is the initial assessment centre for all new clients in
Newcastle.
Guest
speaker: Sarah Blakey – Active Inclusion
Sarah explained what active inclusion
is and how she engages with the forum on a regular basis.
Sarah talked about the spectrum of
needs which is a way of signposting people to the correct areas and giving
different levels of advise to people around housing, benefits etc. The spectrum
is made up of different tiers and Sarah suggested that the forum may like some
tier 1 basic awareness training. Forum agreed this would be useful and Sarah
was happy to design and deliver a training presentation in the New Year.
There were some questions around
bedroom tax and an example that in Walker some YHN Newcastle residents were
exempt. Forum members to get details of specific examples and Sarah will
investigate and feedback.
Also discussed homelessness in
Newcastle based on an article in the Chronicle claiming 96% of people begging
were homeless. Sarah clarified that that was misleading and the actual figures
are that 96% of people begging who appeared in court had been homeless.
A member raised a specific question
about Elliot House and the fact that he felt he was unsuitable to be there
because he was trying to stay abstinent. It was suggested that he speak to his
support worker.
DDN Conference
We
discussed the conference and what it was all about. Members that wanted to go
gave names, places will be limited depending on funding. Then did an exercise
to give some responses to questions posted on the DDN website looking for ideas
for content for the 2016 event:
Theme
is a snap shot of how things are working or not working in our area.
Working/good
Reduction
in treatment waiting times
NUCF
Referrals
from treatment to rehab
Naloxone
roll out and training
Service
User involvement in decision making e.g. recent tender bid
Good
recovery community
Not working/bad
Communication
between services
Waiting
times are still too high causing client congestion
Incorrect
script levels leading to people putting themselves at risk by using on top
Suggestions for DDN 2016 topics
NPS
Decriminalisation
of drugs
Sharing
of best practice
Safe
places to legally use drugs
Peer
mentoring, promote the benefits
Look
at the reasons for drug use, get to the root of the problem
Suggestions for speakers
Jeremy
Hunt
Russell
Brand
PHE
Service
user, carer and peer mentor shares
Christmas
Parties
Joint NUCF Christmas party is now on
17/12/2015 at St John’s Church, Grainger Street 11.00-3.00
Names of members wanting to attend
were taken as places again are limited.
Rota
for Trading Places and possible training
Members attending Trading Places this
week were agreed and 2 members agreed to be reserves that could be called if we
needed more people on Sunday. Also there may be possibility for volunteer
training via Changing Lives. Forum members would need to register as Changing
Lives volunteers. This to be looked at in more detail in the New Year.
Next forum: 07/01/2016
Guest speaker: To be confirmed
Location: To be confirmed
Tuesday, 15 December 2015
Sunday, 6 December 2015
Friday, 27 November 2015
NUCF Minutes 26/11/2015
Minutes of NUCF
Date: 26/11/2015
Location: Plummer Court
Chair:
Apologies: None
Update on Client Advisory Groups and Events
Trading Places – Usual update given to
new members as to what Trading Places is. No issues on Sunday 28 people through
the doors. Christmas party to be on Sunday 20th December. Rota
established for the next 2 weeks and people agreed what weeks they would be
attending.
Monday and Wednesday Plummer Court –
No issues except more volunteers would be very useful. Times for the two groups
were recommunicated – Monday 11.00-1.00 and Wednesday 1.00-3.00.
Recovery Clinic – Terry explained the
recovery clinic and the fact that there are virtually no clients engaging with
it. View from Plummer Ct is totally different so there seems to be a breakdown
in communication. Andy to follow up.
Naloxone Training – Andy gave an
update on the Naloxone training roll out that had included 2 people from the
forum. Excellent training covering administering Naloxone and additional first
aid support. Specific session to be put together for the forum.
Guest
speaker: Natalie Goodman – Public Health Practitioner (Alcohol)
Natalie introduced herself and
explained that she was going to talk about licensing and alcohol use and
prevention. Specifically around young people’s alcohol awareness and is the
city safe i.e. what’s happening on the ground.
Talked about the inappropriateness of
some marketing and advertising around the city and was it being displayed in
the right places? E.g. alcohol advertising outside Plummer Ct.
Comments around trying to promote
recovery more on bill boards, poster and TV
Feedback that it was good how quickly
the poster outside of Plummer had been removed.
Natalie asked that if the members saw
any examples of inappropriate advertising could they take pictures with time,
date and location and email to herself or Andy.
Question
Can the council
influence how drink is sold in licensed premises e.g. triple shots?
We can try, the Police can be informed
and there can be conditions added to the licence around timings of opening and
music.
Comments added that some coffee shops
now have licences and that all licensed premises have a duty of care to their
customers inside and outside their premises.
Question
Venues in Durham are
selling stimulant drinks with inappropriate packaging and marketing e.g.
pictures of drugs on them. Also does the council look at where licensed
premises are being opened in conjunction with treatment centres or recovery
services.
All the premises have to apply for a
licence so their location is looked at when the application is made. Also
conditions can be added to the licence at a later date. The council will work
with the advertising standards to try and influence what can appear in the
advertising packaging.
Question
Can drinks be put
into different containers or have the inappropriate marketing blanked out
mirroring what is happening in the tobacco industry?
This is the next stage for alcohol.
Alcohol is about 15 years behind the tobacco industry when it comes to the advertising
of its products. Very difficult to implement this as it would cost the
Government a fortune to implement.
Question
What work is being
dome with the Universities? (Example given of seeing students with trolleys
full of beer).
Newcastle University actually lead on
alcohol minimisation. During freshers week 80% of the events had no alcohol
themes.
Question
Can companies who put
up bus stop advertising and signs etc be contacted to put up more positive
messages? Can we use the council camera vans to police these?
Good idea Natalie will investigate.
The council will not put alcohol
related advertising on their owned bill boards but have less control over
rented out space. Ultimate aim is to have no alcohol advertising on any of
these boards.
Asks of the forum:
Take pictures of inappropriate
advertising
Feedback on inappropriate siting of
licenced premises
Feedback and complain about alcohol
adverts in cinemas that are inappropriate for the age of the people in the
cinema.
DDN
Andy
explained that the DDN conference was a national event that the forum had
attended regularly. The next event is in Birmingham in February. This would be
an agenda point moving forward to see how many people would like to go and the
best option for transport.
Christmas
Parties
Joint NUCF Christmas party is now on
17/12/2015 at St John’s Church, Grainger Street 11.00-3.00
Trading Places party will be on
2o/12/2015 11.00-2.00
Every one invited to both parties and
volunteers needed for the Trading Places party.
Road
to Recovery Trust AGM
Property for Newcastle dry bar has now
been secured and the AGM will include a tour of the building on 3/12/2015. All
full members are welcome to attend, application forms for membership were made
available.
Forum
Charter and Responsibilities Presentations
The above documents that the forum
wrote, reviewed and submitted have been signed off and will be rolled out to
all front line staff in January. From here the 1 page documents will be
displayed in services around Newcastle. Members of the forum have been asked to
lead on roll out and names of people who want to be involved are needed before
Christmas. Send names to Andy.
AOB
Terry gave an update on the experts by
experience group visit to Stoke and some great learnings. He will also liaise
with Oaktrees in N Shields around a possible forum there or some more joint
working with the NUCF.
Remembrance and Hope event is on
3/12/2015 3.00pm at Brunswick Church. All welcome.
Next forum: 10/12/2015
Guest speaker: Sarah Blakey from active
inclusion
Location: Bridge View
Chair: Terry
Minutes: Richard
Tuesday, 17 November 2015
NUCF Service User Responsibilities Charter 2015
Service User Responsibilities Charter
For people who use services in the Drug and Alcohol treatment system
Our Responsibilities
- Treat staff with respect and have an open, honest and constructive conversation about our care and treatment
- Consider the advice we are given by professionals, cooperate with any agreed decisions and work towards achieving them.
- Make our preferences known in any discussions about our care and once agreed, actively work towards agreed actions
- Make every effort to attend appointments and keep our personal details up-to-date
- Take responsibility for our own recovery and look at all things in our lives that could have a positive or negative effect on our wellbeing.
- Give feedback on our experiences of services. Be honest and open about what help we need, what works, what doesn’t and why.
- We will work towards making a significant contribution to our own, and where possible our family’s, good health and wellbeing, and take personal responsibility for it.
- We will endeavor to be seen as capable of changing and becoming positively connected to our local community and support networks
- We will get access to information on the different pathways to recovery. We will make sure that we get this information in a way we can fully understand it.
- We will set our own recovery goals, working with others to develop a personalised recovery plan based on accurate and understandable information about our health. Including a wide-range of holistic options to help with our needs and aspirations.
NUCF Service User Charter and Principles 2015
Service User Charter
For people who use services in the Drug and Alcohol treatment system
Our Vision and Principles
“Our vision as people using services in Newcastle is to be given the appropriate responsive treatment and support to cater for our needs.”
- To be treated in a professional manner and to be given time to speak and to be listened to.
- To know that all professionals will treat us with dignity and respect and without prejudice of any kind and an expectation that we will do the same.
- To be signposted to any services, the recovery community and any peer support that will benefit us in our treatment journey. And take the responsibility to engage with them.
- To receive information about changes or new services. And be able to give feedback into the new processes. While seeing an ongoing development and improvement of services.
- To be challenged in a professional manner especially on drug seeking and manipulative behavior. And to accept these challenges and respond appropriately.
- To be encouraged to include family members or carers during our treatment and that all services will be proactive in enabling this process at every opportunity.
- To be made aware of a clear procedure for comments (positive and negative) and complaints about the treatment system and receive a written response to any issue raised. To be respectful in the way we raise this feedback.
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