RSA engaging ‘users’
Current and former drug users are to help with research for an RSA project aimed at producing an innovative range of new end-to-end drug services. The RSA’s new research director, Steve Broome, will oversee a detailed survey conducted by, and of, current and former drug users.
The project approach came out of recommendations drawn from the
RSA’s Commission into Illegal Drugs, Communities and Public Policy in 2007.
Having secured funding support from the Wates Foundation and the Tudor Trust, the RSA will be working with the West Sussex Drug and Alcohol Action Team and the drug treatment charity Addaction to pilot new approaches to delivering the complex services drug users often require.
“Drug users will be trained and supported in undertaking much of the primary research for the project,” said Broome, who joined the RSA in October last year. “We believe this approach has two advantages: it empowers those conducting the research and enables us to get the kind of feedback and access that traditional research methods would struggle to secure. Our researchers will also form the basis of a user reference group that will provide ongoing advice to the project.
“The fieldwork will explore drivers and barriers to services, particularly for problem drug users,” continued Broome. “It will also investigate the potential for individual budgets for drug users to buy bespoke packages of treatment and support, in line with the government’s approach to providing more personalised provision across public-sector services.” In general, RSA projects strive to engage a broad range of people, both Fellows as well as those most affected by the changes they are exploring. The Prison Learning Network, which will wrap up this year, has brought together key players within the criminal justice system with the aim of improving the quality of prison learning.
“We also undertook a series of focus groups with women, adult male and young offenders,” said Rebecca Daddow, the project’s co-ordinator. “This helped to test and add to some of our emerging findings and has enabled us to prioritise for the future.” In addition, Tezira O’Lalobo joined the RSA project team as an intern while she was still servicing her prison sentence. O’Lalobo has worked on researching and writing up case studies which will be used in the final report, due out this spring.
For more information, visit the Drugs Commission and Prison Learning Network pages.
The project approach came out of recommendations drawn from the
RSA’s Commission into Illegal Drugs, Communities and Public Policy in 2007.
Having secured funding support from the Wates Foundation and the Tudor Trust, the RSA will be working with the West Sussex Drug and Alcohol Action Team and the drug treatment charity Addaction to pilot new approaches to delivering the complex services drug users often require.
“Drug users will be trained and supported in undertaking much of the primary research for the project,” said Broome, who joined the RSA in October last year. “We believe this approach has two advantages: it empowers those conducting the research and enables us to get the kind of feedback and access that traditional research methods would struggle to secure. Our researchers will also form the basis of a user reference group that will provide ongoing advice to the project.
“The fieldwork will explore drivers and barriers to services, particularly for problem drug users,” continued Broome. “It will also investigate the potential for individual budgets for drug users to buy bespoke packages of treatment and support, in line with the government’s approach to providing more personalised provision across public-sector services.” In general, RSA projects strive to engage a broad range of people, both Fellows as well as those most affected by the changes they are exploring. The Prison Learning Network, which will wrap up this year, has brought together key players within the criminal justice system with the aim of improving the quality of prison learning.
“We also undertook a series of focus groups with women, adult male and young offenders,” said Rebecca Daddow, the project’s co-ordinator. “This helped to test and add to some of our emerging findings and has enabled us to prioritise for the future.” In addition, Tezira O’Lalobo joined the RSA project team as an intern while she was still servicing her prison sentence. O’Lalobo has worked on researching and writing up case studies which will be used in the final report, due out this spring.
For more information, visit the Drugs Commission and Prison Learning Network pages.
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