Entrants's Name: Emanuel Buckle

Country: United Kingdom

Field: Health Care Delivery

Innovation - idea: Drug/alcohol awareness for the parents fo drug/alcohol misusers Teaching coping strategies to enable parents to cope more effectively Information on recovery and relapse prevention which can enable and empower parents to deal with addiction in the family unit.

Innovation - why it is pioneering: Alternative View offers a wrap around support service and teaches parents to find a way forward. All parents of drug/alcohol misusers need to have the skills knowledge and the ability to know how to best support their family memberwww.alternativeview.eu

Strategy - how it achieves impact: Offering education, awareness and skills to deal with drug use within the familiy unit. This enables parents to feel empowered rather than not really knowing how to respond or what to do for the best. We do this by:

 Offering comprehensive accurate and appropriate information regarding drugs, alcohol misuse and the issues that are projected from this, one to one support, insight into coping strategies, effective communication and motivational concepts that are designed to support recovery and abstinence.

 Encouraging the sharing of experiences between participants in order to alleviate some of the feelings of isolation, shame and disempowerment.

 Assisting the participants to increase their sense of well being.

 Promoting healthier life style choices for parents, partners and carers and for the people they care for.

 Enabling parents, partners and carers to make significant positive changes in how they cope with addiction within the family unit.

 Raising awareness of treatment options available for drug and alcohol misusers.

 Promoting abstinence and encouraging participants to make healthy informed choices for the people they care for.

 Parents partners and carers having a more positive impact on treatment outcomes.

 Creating an action plan which offers information on agencies providing support in the participants local area, as part of an ongoing support strategy.

 Provide complimentary therapies (acupuncture and relaxation sessions) to participants on our breaks, to increase their sense of well being and health.

 Building an online community which allows parents, partners and carers to seek support, enabling them to problem solve and support each other on the issues of drug and alcohol misuse and related behaviour.

Strategy - growth plans: To build and develop various Therapeutic respite breaks in different areas for graeter access to effective support.

Impact to date: Support statements 11

The concept of a short break for carers is supported by a number of practitioners within the drug and alcohol field. A number of their comments are listed below.

.Angela Davies. Wirral Drug Service A short break or respite care should be a positive experience for a caregiver. It can improve the quality of life by providing an opportunity to have a break from usual routines. Often carers particularly parents of substance users have to cope with the trauma that long term dependency brings.

The new project of Alternative View will provide an environment where education, support, and respite can be offered to carers of clients who are substance users. The impact of substance misuse on the client but particularly of parents and carers is often unprecedented.

Parents and carers of substance users have often paid a high price due to the financial support of family members using drugs, they have made many sacrifices. The provision of respite care, in

Future impact: More families having awareness and coping strategies, therefore incresing the angels of support available, less sibling drug/alcohol use as families will have awareness in effectively communicating and education in harm reduction and drug prevention.

Sustainability - resource base: self funded

Major challenge for the field: Funding and recognition that there will be positive outcomes from parents attending therapeutic respite breaks Substance and alcohol misuse is indiscriminate in who it affects, we have a duty as a society to offer a support system to families which can help and assist in fighting the battle against substance misuse.

Contact Information:

Name: Mr Emanuel Buckle - Director
Country: United Kingdom
Website: www.alternativeview.eu

Bio: My wife and I have both worked within the drug and alcohol field for the last 15 years and have over 30 years experience both personally and professionally. We both possess a comprehensive, in-depth knowledge of drugs, alcohol and the related issues.

Having previously undertaken research for the European Commission regarding the impact of substance misuse on the family unit, coupled with the experiences we both have of working within the community and residential drug rehabilitation has inspired us to set up Alternative View.

We proactively work in a way which embraces diversity and supports equal opportunities. Due to our awareness of drug and alcohol misuse and the indiscriminate way in which it affects individuals, families and communities, we are able to provide a service which is available to all those who need to use it.

Emanuel Buckle My journey started in earnest in early 1990 when I accepted the professional help which was necessary for me to overcome my 14 year long drug addiction. I was fortunate enough to have an understanding drugs worker who supported me to gain entry into one of the leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres in the country. Once there I embarked upon a journey of self

discovery, identifying issues that had lead to my drug use and gained an increased awareness of the triggers that caused me to relapse time after time. I graduated in 1991. Since then I have worked within the drug and alcohol field, gaining an extensive knowledge and insight into addiction, treatment and recovery. I currently work in partnership with the criminal justice team, local drug agencies, social services and community based projects. I am a manager at Phoenix Futures Wirral, where I coordinate the therapeutic clinical team and facilitate the day to day running of the service. I regularly devise develop and implement seminars, workshops and training events educating both individuals and communities on drug prevention, education, coping strategies and empowerment in dealing with drug and alcohol issues. My work within the drug and alcohol field has enabled me to identify a the need for a comprehensive holistic support package for parents, partners and carers of drug and alcohol misusers; one which provides respite, and a tool kit to deal with the difficult and destructive problems that can arise. In addition to this I am also a qualified practitioner of Auricular Acupuncture which assists in alleviating stress and anxiety from body and mind.

Annie Lynn-Buckle My personal journey also involves recovery from substance misuse. After having a dependency for 10 years and attempting to detox numerous times, I eventually realised I had the power and control to make positive changes in my life. My recovery was filled with fear, insecurity, lack of confidence and self doubt. Support, encouragement and changing my

cognitive thought process was essential in my remaining drug-free. That, coupled with the love, support and honesty of my family, enabled me to develop the strength I needed to succeed. My professional experience began when I trained to be a Youth Worker. In this capacity I was approached by the Department of Education to help initiate a pilot scheme for drug education in schools. This has now become an integral part of schools, personal and social education for our children. I began working in drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and embarked upon my training to be a Counsellor, offering support on a one to one basis, devising and facilitating workshops on recovery, personal development, coping strategies, feelings management, stress and relaxation. I have also undertaken work within the community supporting families and assisting them to develop their parenting and life skills. In addition to this I currently work in a community supported housing scheme which promotes independent living for individuals who have experienced issues which have lead to homelessness. As a mother myself I fully understand the importance of a functioning family. This has created a desire in me to share my skills knowledge and experience with people, other parents, partners and carers assisting them to cope more effectively with drug and alcohol misuse within their family unit.