People with lived and living experience of alcohol and drug use came together with local services and community organisations at a recent event convened by the South Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) to share insights into how services are experienced and where further improvement can be delivered.
The session created space for reflection and shared learning, forming part of wider ongoing work across South Lanarkshire to improve how alcohol and drug services respond to people’s needs. Discussions were grounded in evidence of what has been shown to support recovery, alongside the realities of people’s lives and communities.
Lesley McDonald, Vice Chair of the South Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board, said: “Bringing people together in this way really matters, particularly the contribution of those providing peer support, whose authenticity and accessibility help people feel heard, understood and supported. The scale of alcohol and drug harm in our communities remains a significant challenge, and listening to lived experience helps ensure that services continue to develop in ways that keep people, families and communities at the centre.”
The event also highlighted ongoing work across South Lanarkshire to embed the national Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use. This included hearing from members of the Beacons Lived Experience Engagement Panel (BLEEP) and LIVEDIt, the Lived Experience Panel, about how their work is supporting respectful engagement, challenging stigma and informing service improvement.
Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer for Health and Social Care in South Lanarkshire, added: “I am grateful to everyone who took part in the discussion and to those we continue to work alongside across our communities to address alcohol and drug harm.
“Evidence tells us a great deal about what can improve outcomes. Understanding how support is felt in practice helps us see what is working well, where barriers remain and where further effort is needed. Bringing these perspectives together strengthens how we plan and improve our responses together.”
