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drinkanddrugsnews
| 23 March 2009
Involvement |
Service user conference 2009
www.drinkanddrugsnews.com
At your service:
‘There was so much networking going on – I think
that was the most important thing,’ says
DDN
’s
service user volunteer co-ordinator Marcus Wilson
about the service user exhibition he organised at
Voices for Choices. ‘The aim was to bring together as
many service user groups as possible to share good
practice and see other groups at different stages of
development.
‘I was really pleased with it – in the run up to the
conference I wasn’t sure how many people would
turn up but it went really well,’ he continues. ‘It gave
the service user groups a chance to show off what
they’d achieved and helped people realise that being
part of the service user movement is worthwhile, and
that the NTA is listening. With that many people
coming together the NTA has no choice but to listen,
because it’s such a viable force.
We had really, really positive feedback. People
were telling me that they’d really learned a lot and it
was important to meet other service users, so they
don’t feel they’re just plugging away in isolation.
A couple of people said how much it had re-
energised them – they were getting a bit
disillusioned and this gave them the boost they
needed. Next year I’d like to really build on what
we’ve done and make it even more successful.’
TALKING
THERAPIES
The afternoon saw a panel discussion on key issues around service
user involvement, featuring Andy Stonard of the Conference Consortium,
Hugo Luck of the NTA, GP and
DDN
columnist Dr Chris Ford, and editor
of service user magazine Black Poppy, Erin O’Mara.
‘Service user involvement has a large part to play in
drug treatment and days like this demonstrate that to
the NTA. It was great to meet other service user groups
at varying levels of development.’
Dave Rankine, Lancashire User Forum.
‘I took along two new service user reps and we all
found it a really informative, useful day, especially the
Wiltshire Naloxone Pilot presentation, which we're
now looking into.’
Jill Dunnington, service user involvement worker,
Turning Point, Wakefield.