Presentations

Events

Presentations
SdF Events
Other events

Powerpoint presentations from SdF conferences in 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003 can be accessed under Presentations in the Archives section of this website.

2009

Drugs, alcohol, housing and homelessness – developing good practice - A one day Training and Seminar event

Aberdeen: 19 March 2009
Glasgow: 23 March 2009
Edinburgh: 31 March 2009

Scottish Drugs Forum hosted these free events in association with Scottish Government Homelessness and Substance Misuse Advisory Group and Scottish Council for Single Homeless.

THE SCOTTISH Government has pledged to reduce the inequalities between the least advantaged and the rest of society by ensuring that support reaches those who need it most. Among the key strands of action to achieve this are:

all unintentionally homeless people will be entitled to settled accommodation by 2012
provision of a holistic individually-tailored approach to drugs treatment, with wider social support and a strong focus on recovery
increased emphasis on tackling problematic alcohol use.

Effective joint working in the linked areas of drug and alcohol treatment, housing access and supply and preventing homelessness is crucial to successfully achieving this ambitious objective. This event aims to encourage the development of a co-ordinated approach and good quality partnership working to enable agencies and staff to meet the challenges of effectively delivering on these cross-cutting issues.

A morning training event took take place prior to the seminar, with the choice of three practical sessions:

preventing and responding to drugs overdose
drugs – what you need to know
housing and homelessness issues – what drug workers need to know

The afternoon seminar session featured:

recent Scottish Government–commissioned research on substance use problems and homelessness
an opportunity to hear what service users want from services
workshops to explore issues, views and ideas for practice development

Click to download PowerPoint presentations:

Link opens in new window SDF User Involvement Group
Sue Irving, Independent Consultant

Scottish Drug Trends Seminar

27 March
Stirling Royal Infirmary

Scottish Drugs Forum hosted this seminar in partnership with Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Alcohol and Drug Misuse Group; The Information and Statistics Division, Health Protection Scotland and Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams in order to present the most up-to-date picture of drug problems in Scotland.

Aimed at frontline practitioners and policymakers, this event covered:

Trends from frontline services in Scotland
Latest evidence on injecting behaviour
New and emerging issues among users not in services – including a focus on the cocaine/alcohol mix
The police perspective on what’s happening
Drugs and Alcohol in the Emergency Department
Trends among drug users engaged with the criminal justice system – in community and prison settings.

This event, chaired by former Scottish Drugs Minister, Richard Simpson, MSP, brought together a range of experts to provide invaluable insight on the latest evidence for professionals as they rise to the challenge of the new Scottish Drugs Strategy – and its focus on placing the needs of problem drug users at the heart of service planning and delivery.

Click to download speakers' PowerPoint presentations:

Link opens in new window Richard Simpson, MSP, Chair - Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Alcohol and Drug Misuse
April Shaw, Scottish Drugs Forum
Anthea Springbett, Substance Misuse Team, ISD Scotland
Supt. Willie MacColl, Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency
Sam Perry, A & E Consultant, Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board
Link opens in new window Norah Palmateer, Health Protection Scotland
John Campbell, Scottish Drugs Forum
Lorna Murray, Aberdeen Criminal Justice Drug Services
Stephen Heller-Murphy, Scottish Prison Service
Meg Wright, Glasgow Council on Alcohol
John Arthur, CREW

2008

Drug Users and stigma: a one-day conference

30 September
Glasgow

Stigma: a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's ‘reputation’

Scottish Drugs Forum hosted this one day conference to explore the nature and impact of stigma as it affects people who have a drugs problem.

The effects of stigma are a daily reality for many people closely affected by a drug problem in Scotland. Drug users, their families and friends are frequently marginalised and blamed by large sections of society for a range of social ills.

This can pave the way for the proposal and development of policies and practice which would not be tolerated for other disadvantaged groups.

With recovery a central plank of the Scottish Government’s new drug strategy, it is vital that we address stigma on many levels which result in, for example:

• Institutional stigma - policies, culture and ways of working that impede recovery
• Language and public debate which reduce a person to ‘the addict’
• Continuing damage to neighbourhood cohesion.

Key topics for discussion included:

• How does stigma manifest itself?
• How do policies, services and wider attitudes reduce or exacerbate it?
• The impact on people and their families
• What steps can be taken to remove or lessen stigma?

Click to download speakers' PowerPoint presentations:

Link opens in new window Professor Julian Buchanan, Social Inclusion Research Unit, University of Wales (6502kb)
Dr Oliver Aldridge, Drug Treatment & Testing Order (Edinburgh, Mid & East Lothian) (2939kb)
User Involvement Groups, Scottish Drugs Forum (150kb)
Stephanie Morrison, Parent (257kb)
Link opens in new window Elizabeth Allan, Institute of Applied Social & Health Research, University of the West of Scotland (271kb)
Austin Smith, Glasgow Homelessness Network (28kb)
Irene Campbell, Ayrshire and Arran Drug and Alcohol Action Team (174kb)