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The ADP South community forum is holding its AGM on Tuesday 2nd May 2017 from 1pm – 4pm at West Church in Banchory, AB31 5TB.
Please join us for a sandwich lunch prior to the meeting from 12.30 onwards. 
It would be great to see as many of you as possible as we look to appoint new committee members for the Aberdeenshire ADP South Community Forum.
Sadly, our chair Jean Henretty and our secretary Kirsty Greenhowe have both announced that their period of commitment to the South Forum committee has come to an end and that they will stand down at this meeting. I am sure you will all join me in thanking them for all their work and input over the past year and wishing them well for any new ventures.
This means the South forum committee will as of May have 2 vacancies, the chair position and the position of secretary. We encourage any interested forum members, and in particular community members, to consider this great opportunity to take up a role within the forum committee and to be actively involved in shaping the work of the forum.
If you would like to stand for our committee, then please contact kirsty.forrester@aberdeenshire.gov.uk no later than Friday 21st April 2017.
If you require more information about these positions before 18th April 2017 then please get in touch with Tanja.Mehrer@aberdeenshire.gov.uk .
Also, if you or anyone you know requires transport to the meeting please get in touch and we will see what we can do!
ADP Recovery Week
| Day | Venue | Time | Activity | Led by |
| Monday
12th September
Monday 12th September
Monday 12th September
Monday 12th September
|
The Town Hall
Banchory
The Town Hall Banchory
Stonehaven Community Centre
Stonehaven Medical group
|
11.30am-2.00pm
2.00pm-4.00pm
Afternoon 2-4pm
Evening 7.00pm |
Recovery café.
Soup and a sandwich
Introduction to SMART Recovery
Bake, meet and greet
Patient Participation Group evening meeting |
Siobhan
Chris
Siobhan
Bev Brian Chris
Jane Bev Chrissie Chris |
| Tuesday 13th September | The Barn
Woodend Barn Banchory |
10.00am
11.30am
|
Welcome and refreshments
NEOS art exhibition and meet the local artists
Yoga & Mindfulness in Recovery – How They Can Work for YOU |
Bev
Emma Kidd * |
| Wednesday 14th September | Outside Hall
Stonehaven Community Centre Bath Street Stonehaven |
10.00
11.00 |
Welcome and refreshments
Yoga & Mindfulness in Recovery – How They Can Work for YOU.
|
Brian
Chris
Emma Kidd *
|
| Thursday 15th September
|
Deeside Activity Park
|
From 12.00 | Various activities including Go Karting and lunch.
Please note; This event is for Recovery Groups accompanied by Support only.
|
Jean
Chris |
| Friday 16th September | Stonehaven
Meet at The Square Stonehaven |
1.15pm | Trip on the land train with refreshments. | Bev
Chris Siobhan |
Recovery Support
The Scottish Recovery Consortium are offering 8-week course of study and practice, running annually in Sept 
This “U Lab” course is an a global programme run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which supports people and communities to make changes. U.Lab connects people with each other – across Scotland and internationally – and provides access to world-leading learning about change. It’s free, and open to anyone to take part.
Interested?
A taster session is being held on the 18th August in the Aberdeen Community Health & Care Village from 2pm to 4pm.
To book a place call 01224 558554 or email renata.giszczak@nhs.net
Improving the Quality of Drug and Alcohol Service in Scotland
Small Test of Change Fund
The Scottish Government is making available small sums of money to encourage and support improvement in the quality of drug services. We are looking to invest in local small tests of change which contribute to our ambitions to build and strengthen recovery orientated systems of care (ROSC) across services throughout Scotland and support implementation of The Quality Principles: Standard Expectations of Care & Support in Drug & Alcohol Services.
A maximum of up to £3,000 (non-recurring) will be available per application (if successful). The concept of “small tests of change” stems from the Scottish Government 3-step Improvement Framework for public services. More detail can be found via: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0042/00426552.pdf.
Partnership applications are welcomed. It is expected that the lead bidder will be a third sector provider. It is also expected that applications received will sit within at least one of the following priorities; Prevention, Education, Harm Reduction and/ or Quality Improvement.
All applications should be signed-off by the local ADP. It is expected that any funding application received will clearly align to an outcome agreed as part of a local improvement work underway in your area. The ADP team in your area should be able to support you with this
https://www.facebook.com/AberdeenshireAdp
Deadline for applications and review process
This will be a rolling fund with applications received on a quarterly basis. The closing date for this round of applications is: 29th January 2016.
All applications received will be reviewed and successful bids will be notified within 4 weeks. Light-touch feedback will be provided to any unsuccessful applications. Read the rest of this entry »
Vacancy, Secretary – Aberdeenshire ADP South Community Forum
The Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership has three Community Forums, North, Central and South, where people meet and create local solutions to local needs around drugs, alcohol and recovery. With a very high level of community engagement, each forum has a dedicated support officer, a budget of £20,000 and a vibrant bunch of local citizen activists.
We currently have a vacancies for a Secretary in our South Community Forum and would welcome the opportunity to discuss this exciting opportunity with interested parties. This is an opportunity to make a huge difference to communities in Aberdeenshire. Read the rest of this entry »
A sober affair – Transport and the Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP)
For most of us, getting to the doctors or a health appointment isn’t an issue. We might drive, get a lift with a friend or family member, or get the bus or train. We might be disgruntled over the frequency of the buses, or indeed the cost, but nonetheless we would get there.
But what if we weren’t able to get a lift, or couldn’t afford the bus? We hear about how transport is an issue for the ADP and an initiative they have come up with try and address it.
The APD – what is it?
Aberdeenshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) is a collection of public bodies and citizen activists seeking to draw together interested parties to collectively tackle the issues associated with problematic alcohol and drug use and support recovery from addiction.
Key Messages
The ADP’s three key messages are:
- Addiction can affect anyone. Difficulties with alcohol and drug misuse do not tend to occur because people have been hedonistic or irresponsible. They are more likely to occur because people are trying to cope with significant difficulties in their life and may also be affected by a range of fundamental disadvantages in life, including isolation.
- Recovery from addiction is possible. People should be hopeful that with support, they can follow a pathway of recovery that leads to a happy, fulfilling and contributing life. Some of the most inspirational and serene people you can meet are those who have pursued a recovery journey.
- Stigma and inequities in access to support can inhibit recovery and make addiction worse.
What does the APD do?
Aberdeenshire ADP works with communities on issues of prevention, public protection and recovery. The ADP has an active agenda to involve and engage citizens in improving support services and contributing to their delivery.
The ADP and Transport – what’s the link?
For the last few years, a common response from citizens has been that the availability and affordability of public transport in Aberdeenshire has been a barrier to people accessing the services and support of the ADP. Not only this, but it restrains people from regular aspects of community life which are necessary to engage with the wider community and pursue a journey of recovery.
Substance misuse services aim to support people who can afford to access their services but this isn’t always possible.
How are we resolving these issues?
The ADP’s 3 community forums have tried to support people in need by providing funding for bus passes but have struggled with obtaining funding. Meanwhile, the has ADP sought to influence Transport Scotland to open the existing concessionary travel scheme for older and disabled people to include those actively working to recover from addictions. The current criteria for entitlement are here: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/public-transport/concessionary-travel-people-aged-60-or-disability
Similar requests from a number of other ADP’s across Scotland led to Transport Scotland agreeing in October to support a pilot project in Aberdeenshire to test whether temporary dispensations to the concessionary travel schemes would result in improved engagement and recovery outcomes for alcohol and drug clients in order to influence future policy.
How does the Pilot work?
The pilot commenced on 2 December and will run until end March 2015. The pilot enables certain staff in Substance Misuse services to assess whether difficulties in accessing affordable transport are a real barrier to someone making progress on one or more aspects of their agreed recovery plan.
If so, the staff member is able to authorise the person’s application for concessionary travel and will record their deliberations on a simple spreadsheet. This data will be evaluated at the end of the pilot to assess whether the rate of engagement in recovery activities such as care and treatment appointments, mutual aid, or other activities directly related to supporting recovery has increased and whether this has resulted in improvements in individual’s recovery progress.
If we can show that access to concessionary travel support enhances people’s recovery, we hope to persuade government to change eligibility for the scheme on a permanent basis. We hope the business case will stack up and that stigmatising views about people in recovery don’t get in the way.
For more information on the ADP please visit: http://www.aberdeenshireadp.org.uk/ or follow the ADP on Twitter: @abdnshireadp
Meet Local Community Substance Misuse Worker – Beverley Cattanach
When we asked Beverley Cattanach, a Community Substance Misuse Worker in the Kincardine & Mearns area, if she could introduce herself to you all on the blog she said,
“Oh wow have pondered over this for a while and really wasn’t sure what to write that others would find interesting!”
Now, we know that she’s a vibrant and inspiring character (who is rarely seen without a wopping touch of pink in her outfit) and we wanted to introduce you to someone this month who tied together February’s Alcohol & Drug theme and March’s focus on Wellbeing , so we gave her a few questions to get her started. Read the rest of this entry »
A Big Blethery Alcohol & Drug Success
The Big Blether on Alcohol & Drug in Kincardine and Mearns this month has been a great success!
We have heard from a Family Recovery event and the Drug Proof Your Kids Project.
You have answered alcohol & drug related questions on our Facebook Page and the local Mens Shed Project even won one of the gift voucher prizes!
This all culminated in a fabulous afternoon at Stonehaven Community Centre on Wednesday 25th of February where the air was charged with hope and recovery. Read the rest of this entry »
Addiction isn’t a spectator sport. Eventually the whole family gets to play.
Substance misuse affects us all; many families in our communities have a loved one caught up in alcohol or drug addiction. The lives of these families are overshadowed by despair, worry and isolation.
Recovery is the hope on the horizon that keeps family members going, and it is the whole family that needs to recover.
The good news is, help and support is available, not only for the person battling addiction but for the whole family. However, the fear of being judged by friends and neighbours often consigns families to a life in secrecy and isolation and holds them back from getting the support that could make a difference.
Meeting others in the same situation or talking to someone in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction can help families to realise that recovery is possible and happens a lot more often than we realise.
Recovery – A Family Affair
Making recovery visible in our communities and celebrating the success stories was the aim of a recent Grampian wide event held by Grampian Family Support Forum, a local charity for family members affected by a loved one’s substance misuse. Read the rest of this entry »
February Focus – A Big Blether on Alcohol & Drugs
During February, the South Aberdeenshire Alcohol & Drug Forum is kick-starting local conversations on alcohol, drugs & recovery in Kincardine and Mearns and they are taking over K&M Communities to help them! Happy to have you here guys!
The Forum is a place for local people to come together to discuss local issues pertaining to alcohol and drug use. The South Forum covers Kincardine & Mearns and Marr and anyone living, working, studying or having an interest in alcohol and other drugs issues in these areas is welcome to come along.
They say:
There’s an excitement growing around the knowledge that recovery is possible, that people can change and friends, family and communities are crucial in supporting these changes. We’d like to start a local conversation to promote this and we’d like you to be part of it.
Read more about how YOU can join the conversation. Read the rest of this entry »
K&M Communities 