Our Alcohol and Other Drugs staff recently came together at The Social Hub for an inspiring staff event, built around the theme “Empowering Our Unique Practice.” The day provided an opportunity to connect, reflect, and celebrate the skills that make our people valuable.

Through a lively speed networking session to start, colleagues learned about the other Alcohol and Other Drugs services offered and built new connections across teams.

The Position Statements session offered a welcome opportunity to meet with the policy team and learn how these statements can support frontline work while also highlighting the organisation’s plans in the lead up to the upcoming election. The session concluded with everyone receiving a copy of Buzz magazine that includes a section on how to vote, providing a helpful resource to the people we support.

An energiser that focused on the Alcohol and Other Drugs Competency Framework allowed staff to share their experiences on how specific competencies have been put into action and learn from one another. Following this, service managers worked together to share the latest developments on cocaine use across residential services, oral health importance, and drop-ins. Staff were invited to join in on the conversation and contribute their ideas and insights.

A particularly powerful focus of the day was recognising and valuing employees with lived experience and how our Lived Experience Guidance was developed to ensure we celebrate and value lived and living experience of our colleagues and what it means across our services.  Service managers worked together to share the latest developments on cocaine use across residential services, oral health importance, and drop-ins. Staff were invited to join in on the conversation and contribute their ideas and insights.

Patricia Tracey, Head of Alcohol and Other Drugs, says, “This event was a wonderful opportunity for our Alcohol and Other Drugs staff at all levels to come together, feel valued, and deepen their understanding of our shared approach across services. The Speed Networking session was a particular highlight, giving a sense of how diverse our different services are and that each service has an innovative project that isn’t being done anywhere else. Although the services are different, what they have in common is dedicated staff with a person-cantered approach and shared organisational values. Overall, the day was a great success and achieved exactly what we set out to do.”

The event created space for learning, collaboration, and renewed energy, reinforcing our shared commitment to delivering high-quality, informed care. It was a day of connection and empowerment to celebrate our unique practice, ensuring staff are equipped to provide the highest possible standard of care.