We ensure that people with experience of substance use can influence local and national policy and services.
SDF supports groups of people with current living experience of substance use and/or treatment services. SDF supports these groups to network and influence local, regional and national policy and service provision.
This work empowers people with a drug problem by connecting people who may use services to the people and processes that design, commission, and manage services. It also connects the people most affected by policy to policy-making processes.
Living Experience Engagement Groups
There are Living Experience Engagement Groups across Scotland. These meet regularly and provide an open, positive and safe environment which encourages people to engage, share their experience, insight and opinion and have their voices heard.
Group members raise the issues that affect and interest them and decide which issues should be prioritised. The Groups are networked locally so that people developing services and policy can be engaged when the group decides and on the Group’s terms.
Living Experience Engagement Groups are also networked with each other to share insight and learning.
Living Experience Engagement Group may be facilitated by a co-ordinator who works for SDF and a peer facilitator who is a member of the group. The aim is for members of the group to become empowered to facilitate the group.
Joining a Living Experience Engagement Group
Anyone with their own living experience of substance use is welcome to come along to sit and listen and participate more fully when they are comfortable.
Currently there are engagement groups in :
- Borders (Galashiels)
- Fife (Dunfermline)
- Perth City
- Glasgow City
- Dumbarton
- South Lanarkshire (Cambuslang)
- North Lanarkshire (Coatbridge)
- East Ayrshire (Kilmarnock)
*Note: SDF is striving to add new groups all the time.
For more information contact: jason@sdf.org.uk
Or contact the SDF Office on 0141 221 1175 or email– enquiries@sdf.org.uk
