The Companion Guide helps Health and Social Care Partnerships and Alcohol and Drug Partnerships work with people who have lived experience of alcohol and/or drug use. It supports safe, trauma-informed and meaningful involvement when planning, designing and delivering services.
The Companion Guide should be read alongside Planning with People: community engagement and participation guidance to:
- Promote a human rights approach which is person centred and considers the needs of people who have experience of alcohol and/or drug use, as well as their family members and loved ones.
- Provide guidance to embed in ADP and HSCP structures, the engagement of people to influence developments across alcohol and drug services.
The Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use underpins this guide and highlights the importance of a trauma informed and human rights-based approach to ensure people are safeguarded, before, during and after engagement activities which drive improvement.