Our main purpose is to support existing local and Trust level service user groups, and to help develop new and emerging groups. We do this through building skills and capacity, and by continuing to develop links between groups, but also through supporting group members. Through the network, we aim to ensure that people with experience of substance use are involved in all levels of decision making, service planning and delivery.
OUR AIMS AND VISION
WHO’S IT FOR?
rsun is for anyone with experience / interest in substance use issues.
One thing we all have in common is a shared interest in how substance use services are planned and delivered, and we want to ensure that we are actively involved in this.
rsun gives you more control and say over what kind of service you want. Like we say, ‘nowt about us, without us’.
So, if you want to get involved & have your say - either with an existing group, or by starting a new group, get in touch.
CONTACT US
Since 2013, CHNI (Council for the Homeless NI) has managed the rsun project. CHNI employs two co-ordinators to help develop rsun and local groups, and support the individuals who use them.
That people with experience of substance use are meaningfully involved in planning & developing policy and services.
This means that they are represented on key decision making bodies, and that their views are reflected in the design, delivery, and review of substance use related policy and services across N. Ireland.
OUR MISSION
To create a network which will engage and support the wide diversity of people across Northern Ireland with experience of / interest in substance use issues, in order to strengthen the user voice in shaping policy and practice.
OUR AIMS
To develop strong, active links between service user groups and the individuals who are part of these;
build capacity for these groups; and
to improve access to decision making bodies for those with substance use experience, so that they can better inform policy-makers and service planners.
CO-ORDINATORS
Council for the Homeless NI (CHNI) currently employ two coordinators - Anna Carlin and Sherlyn Logue - to help develop and support rsun and local groups, as well as those who use them.
Anna and Sherlyn will support existing service user and Trust level groups, as well as providing assistance to new and developing groups. Both staff work closely together to support the network, whilst providing specific geographical support, ensuring that support is provided across Northern Ireland.
GROUPS
There are a number of local and regional groups. These are across the country, including in Ballymena, Belfast, Derry area, Downpatrick, Enniskillen, Larne, Lisnaskea, and Omagh amongst others. For an up to date list click here.
MEANINGFUL INVOLVEMENT
WHAT YOU’VE SAID ABOUT RSUN*
94% of those who responded ‘strongly agreed’ that being involved with rsun was useful & meaningful
PERSONAL
SUPPORT
88% felt personally supported
within the network
HAD THEIR SAY
82% felt that they had their
say about services and
policies that affect them…
POSITIVELY
INVOLVED
88% felt actively involved, and felt listened to
HARM REDUCTION ADVICE AND RESOURCES
HARM REDUCTION ADVICE: ‘HERBAL’
14 ways to reduce your risk from synthetic cannabinoids. CHNI Publication.
HARM REDUCTION ADVICE: ‘STIMULANTS’
19 ways to reduce your risk
from stimulants. CHNI publication
NPS RESOURCE PACK
GOV.UK publication: ‘New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) Resource pack for informal educators and practitioners’.
NPS IN PRISONS TOOLKIT
Public Health England resource: ‘New psychoactive substances (NPS) in prisons
A toolkit for prison staff’
NUTRITION FOR ALCOHOL USERS
Aimed at staff working with heavy drinkers who would like to help their clients eat better. CHNI Publication.
NUTRITION FOR SUBSTANCE USERS
Designed to help people who use alcohol or drugs who are thinking about changing how they eat to help improve their health or wellbeing.
NALOXONE SAVES LIVES
Basic info about steps to take, (inc. Naloxone administration), when someone accidentally overdoses. Designed to accompany CHNI’s naloxone administration training.
ONE NEW DRUG A WEEK
Why NPS and club drugs
need a different response
from UK treatment providers. Royal College of Psychiatrists report (2014).
HARM REDUCTION: DRUG USERS
Basic information (not any specific drug), produced by CHNI & PHA and informed by the experiences of drug users (April 2014).
DON’T GET THE BLUES
Advice poster aimed at Benzo (benzodiazepines) users. CHNI publication, in conjunction with HIT.
INFO FOR MEPHEDRONE USERS
Advice for those who use mephedrone, written by Council for the Homeless NI.
UK DRUG SITUATION 2014
UK Focal Point On Drugs most recent annual report to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
HARM REDUCTION ADVICE
General advice, not specific to any type of drug, informed by the experiences of drug users.
‘TRACHY’ O.D. PROTOCOL
Opioid overdose response protocol for a person with a 'trachy' in place. (Produced by CHNI, 2014, Word doc)
ANNUAL RSUN MEMBERS’ SURVEY
Results of annual satisfaction survey - service users and those who use service user network 2013-14. (pdf)
HOMELESSNESS AND
SUBSTANCE MISUSE NI
Deloitte MCS Ltd 2004 study, commissioned by the Drug and Alcohol Information and Research Unit, DHSSPS.
05 March 2018: Alcoholics Anonymous works for some people. A new study suggests the alternatives do too.
See also “Don't smoke it with tobacco: scientists suggest ways to make cannabis safer: Guardian online
05 March 2016: Cannabis use is soaring so let’s focus on reducing harm instead, say experts
21 March 2016: 'Wide awake drunk' on energy drinks & alcohol mix
Mixing energy drinks with alcohol could be a risky combination, leading to a greater risk of accidents and injuries, research from Canada suggests. BBC site. Article
20 March 2016: 4th rsun service user led conference: date set.
This year’s theme is ‘promoting service user involvement’. Friday 16 June @ Grovesnor House. More details to follow
20 March 2016: rsun annual evaluation.
If you’ve been involved with rsun over the last year, we’d love to hear your feedback. You can complete the short survey online here.
See also “Don't smoke it with tobacco: scientists suggest ways to make cannabis safer: Guardian online
05 March 2016: Cannabis use is soaring so let’s focus on reducing harm instead, say experts
21 March 2016: 'Wide awake drunk' on energy drinks & alcohol mix
Mixing energy drinks with alcohol could be a risky combination, leading to a greater risk of accidents and injuries, research from Canada suggests. BBC site. Article
20 March 2016: 4th rsun service user led conference: date set.
This year’s theme is ‘promoting service user involvement’. Friday 16 June @ Grovesnor House. More details to follow
16 SEPT 2016: ‘MY THERAPIST GAVE ME A PILL’: CAN MDMA HELP CURE TRAUMA?
01 OCT 2016: DRUGS & DRINK NEWS (DDN) NEWSLETTER - OCTOBER 2016
6 OCT 2016: RSUN OCT-DEC TRAINING CALENDAR
We have listened to what you told us and prioritised training that you feel would help you and your groups. Click here to download the training calendar for Oct - Dec 2016.
05 OCT 2016: CAN YOU LEGALLY BE DRUG TESTED AT WORK? THESE ARE YOUR RIGHTS
15 MAR 2016: UK PRISONS ARE DECAYING ON A DIET OF ‘LEGAL HIGHS’
24 MAR 2016: HARM REDUCTION ‘HERBAL’ LEAFLET LAUNCHED
Advice booklet on how to reduce risk from synthetic cannabinoids launched at this year’s service user conference. See resources section for pdf version.
24 MAR 2016: HARM REDUCTION ‘STIMULANTS’ LEAFLET LAUNCHED
Advice booklet on how to reduce risk from stimulants launched at this year’s service user conference. See resources section for pdf version.
08 MAR 2016: JURY OUT ON WORTH OF LEGAL HIGH CONTROLS
Substance use & palliative care researchers are joining forces with five charities to explore end-of-life care for people with drink or drug issues through a comprehensive new study.
new drugs and risk podcasts from our ESRC Belfast seminar on NPS and risk here. Session summary here.
RSUN MEMBERS ATTEND TRAINING AT CHNI
15 Feb 2016. Pictured: a few of the rsun crew, with their certificates in hand, received for training (‘Homelessness & the Housing Selection Scheme Points System’). Keep up the good work!
NEWS AND VIEWS
THE WORK WE’VE DONE SO FAR
The rsun Coordinators have established a regional network of service users and service providers that meet regularly throughout Northern Ireland (more about local groups here).
This is an opportunity for those with an interest in substance use issues to share information, feed into to policy (for example by contributing to consultations), and provide each other with mutual support.
The co-ordinators are also on hand to support those who use the groups, identifying training, development and support needs, and helping them get as much as they can from their involvement with the network.
To date, the rsun project workers have ensured service user representation on a number of regional decision making fora, including:
Naloxone Steering Group,
Needle Exchange Forum,
Substitute Prescribing Steering Grp,
Bamford Drug & Alcohol Subgroup,
Alcohol Advisory Group,
‘New Direction for Alcohol and Drugs Strategy’ Steering Group,
Prescription Drug Misuse Group,
Drug & Alcohol Co-ordination Teams,
as well as strengthening involvement with universities.
During the year, a number of training sessions were provided to network members. The aim of the training was to improve individual skills and help develop group skills. Training sessions included ‘finance for groups’, ‘fundraising for groups’,
‘sitting on decision making bodies’, and ‘how to form a service user group’.
The network has organised two annual conferences (the first focused on service user involvement, and the second on harm reduction approaches). These service user led conferenceswere well received, and well attended with over 100 people present at both!
Policy work, and particularly responding to consultations, have featured heavily throughout the year. The network has worked hard to ensure that their views, and the views of those with experience of substance use, have been included in decision making processes. For example, the network responded to consultations on Tier 4 detox facilities; the proposal to allow wider access to Naloxone for use in emergencies; needle exchange; changes to Clinical Guidelines, and the PHA consultation on the Lifeline Crisis Response Service. In doing this, the network has ensured that the views and needs of those with experience of substance use are included in policy and service development.
Members of the network have also had the opportunity to meet up with like minded groups across the UK. For example, some network members attended the 2014 and 2015 DDN National Service User Involvement Conferences (Birmingham and Bolton respectively).
Similarly, network members organised and attended a number of harm reduction cafes. These were the first events of their kind in the country, and were well attended, including representation from UK based substance use groups.
GET IN TOUCH
CONTACT US BY EMAIL, TELEPHONE, OR POST
If you have a query abour rsun, about getting involved with local groups, or about starting up a group in your area, please get in touch.
Our co-coordinators work together to cover all of Northern Ireland, while providing specific geographical support. If you are in Belfast, South Eastern, and Southern Trust areas, contact Sherlyn. If you are in Northern and Western Trust areas, contact Anna.
CHNI Belfast office, 4th Floor, Andras House, 60 Great Victoria St, Belfast, BT2 7BB | Tel: 02890 246440 | CHNI North West office: Unit 15, Rath Mór Centre, Bligh’s Lane, Derry, BT48 0LZ | Tel: 02871 366363. This site is kindly hosted by tsohost.
Sherlyn, based in CHNI’s Derry office, covers Northern and Western HSC Trust areas.
If you have any questions about rsun, about the roles of the rsun project co-ordinators, about starting up a group or how to get involved with rsun / local groups in another way, get in touch.
