UKRF Consultation Paper

A consultation paper
Introduction:
The UK substance misuse field is currently experiencing change on a profound level, mirroring significant changes within society as the political, social and financial landscape shifts and adapts to challenging new priorities and agendas. The rhetoric of ‘Recovery’ has entered the drug ‘treatment’ system.
‘Recovery Services’ (indicating an apparent shift in focus from treatment/medical models towards community focused social models) are now being commissioned and are springing up all over the UK. Within communities across the UK, Recovery Networks, made up of service users, ex-service users, family members, practitioners, academics, activists and other stakeholders are achieving greater prominence and/or slowly beginning to emerge. A Recovery Academy, which intends to investigate and establish an evidence base for ‘recovery,’ is due to launch early in 2010.
At a recent meeting in Glasgow (22.01.2010) recovery activists met to plan the 2nd UK Recovery Walk that will take place on the 25th of September 2010 in Glasgow. At this meeting it was agreed that there was a need for an ‘umbrella’ community focused organisation to shape, promote and support future annual Recovery Walks and to provide support to Community-led Emergent Recovery Organisations (C.E.R.O.’s) across the UK.
A Community Interest Company (CIC), the ‘UK Recovery Federation’, is to be established and the following outlines the proposed vision, principles, aims and objectives of this company. This has been produced for wide distribution and consultation with all those interested in the development and establishment of a British Recovery Movement.
The UKRF Vision:
The UKRF welcomes the shift toward Recovery practice within treatment systems and will support all efforts to make services optimistic, inclusive, person centred, culturally relevant and effective. However we believe that there needs to be major changes in the way that society helps people overcome substance use and related problems and these changes must be rooted within diverse and inclusive communities.
Recovery solutions should be generated by individuals, families and communities with the active assistance of treatment/support agencies. ‘Treatment’ is a small, although often vital, element in recovery. The UKRF will assist in the development of ‘Recovery Oriented Integrated Systems’ (ROIS) but will principally focus on the raising and maintaining of ‘Recovery Capital/Social Capital’ within Recovery-focused communities.
The UK Recovery Federation (UKRF) envisions a world where the power, hope, healing and potential of Recovery is thoroughly understood and embraced within communities, society and support agencies. We will bring the power and proof of Recovery to everyone in UK.
We intend to combat the discrimination and stigma that is too often associated with addiction and Recovery. We will put a positive face on Recovery through advocacy, education and service. We will generate choices, remove barriers to Recovery and ensure that all people in Recovery and people seeking Recovery are treated with dignity and respect.
The UKRF principles:
1. Honesty, self-awareness and openness lie at the heart of healthy Recovery movements.
2. There are many pathways to Recovery and no individual or organisation has the right to claim ownership of the ‘right pathway.’
3. Recovery embraces harm reduction and abstinence based approaches and does not seek to be prescriptive.
4. Recovery involves the personal, cultural and structural recognition of the need for participative change and transformation.
5. Recovery involves a continual process of change and self-redefinition for individuals, communities and organisations.
6. Recovery challenges all discrimination and transcends shame and stigma.
7. Recovery lies within individuals and communities and is self directed and empowering.
8. Recovery emerges from hope, gratitude and service to others.
9. Recovery is supported by peers and allies within communities.
10. Recovery exists on a continuum of improved health and well-being.
11. Recovery is holistic and has many cultural dimensions.
12. Recovery is a reality.
The UKRF Aims to:
1. Enable Community-Led Emerging Recovery communities (CERO’s) and Recovery Networks to grow and expand across the UK.
2. Establish a membership organisation and a national network of individuals and organisations that will speak out and support local, regional, and national community-led recovery initiatives.
3. Establish an accreditation body that will enable the development of Community-led Emerging Recovery Organisations (CERO’s) and support the establishment of Recovery Oriented Integrated Systems (ROIS’s).
4. Support the development of Recovery advocates/champions in all UK regions
5. Organise events and promote all positive aspects of Recovery, celebrating the Recovery achievements of individuals, communities and organisations.
6. Provide support services and mobilise the thousands of UK citizens in long term Recovery, enabling them, their families, friends and allies to have a voice.
7. Develop and maintain a range of communication tools, change public perceptions of Recovery and support the promotion of effective public policy in the UK.
8. Support individuals, communities and organisations in putting a ‘face’ on Recovery.
9. Support the development and establishment of enhanced Recovery capital within communities and the provision of infrastructure support to Recovery networks, communities and organisations.
10. Support the development of new social enterprises and educational opportunities within Recovery Communities across the UK.
11. Assist Community-led Emerging Recovery Organisations (CERO’s) in the development and maintenance of Recovery focused consortium/partnership arrangements.
12. Support the development of Recovery-oriented guidelines and competency-based Recovery credentials and deliver training within Community-led Emerging Recovery Organisations (CERO’s) and Recovery Oriented Integrated Systems (ROIS’s).
UKRF Objectives:
1. Support a National Recovery event every year.
2. Promote and celebrate innovative community-led Recovery initiatives.
3. Establish the UKRF as a membership organisation and national rallying point for Recovery advocates and ensure individuals, organisations and groups are signposted to appropriate support agencies.
4. Ensure Recovery advocates and networks have access to organisational, training and funding support.
5. Assist Recovery community-led groups in the development of new social enterprise models.
6. Ensure Recovery advocates and networks have access to policy and research support.
7. Support access to Recovery training and consultancy services.
8. Support access to policy makers and the media.
9. Assist the NTA, Scottish Recovery Consortium, commissioners, providers and communities in the development of Recovery Oriented Integrated Systems (ROIS) and ensure that recovering individuals, families and communities are involved in the design and operation of ROIS.
10. Liaise with governmental agencies and advise on the development of innovative Recovery initiatives.
11. Support the development of a national Recovery evidence base and evaluation systems and work creatively with academics, researchers and communities to expand access for Recovery advocates and communities to new evidence and knowledge.
UKRF Structure:
The plan to establish a UKRF is currently supported by a large grassroots membership, the Scottish Recovery Consortium, NTA representatives, foundations, government agencies, Wired In, and many friends of recovery from across the UK.
A UKRF Community Interest Company (CIC) will be established before the end of February 2010. This company will have a Board of Directors that will eventually be made up of regional representatives from across the UK. The majority of Board members will have personal experience of Recovery. These representatives will link with Recovery advocates from within their region and, with them, build the UK Recovery Federation membership from the grassroots up.
RECOVERY IS A REALITY