“Recovery communities, Lived Experience Recovery Organisations and mutual aid play a distinct and complementary role alongside medical treatment and other more formal forms of support.
Peer support is fundamental within these settings – the relationships, trust and shared experience offered by peer workers and volunteers can provide a powerful form of support.
To help us understand more about recovery communities, we partnered with Harbour Ayrshire. Harbour Ayrshire is a recovery community based in Ayrshire, recognised for its peer‑driven support and holistic recovery opportunities for individuals, families, and local communities affected by alcohol and drug use.
Through a range of engagements with groups such as men, women and families the partnership has provided helpful insight into what supports recovery, how people engage with recovery communities and identified some of the outcomes that people may experience when engaging with this approach.
Please send us an email at his.alcoholanddrugs@nhs.scot if you:
- have a question about our programme or resources
- would like to speak to a member of our team about our work
Key Learning Points
- Recovery is shaped by relationships, non‑linear, and rooted in safety
- People described recovery as a long‑term process. Feeling safe and having kind, trusted people around helps. Safe and familiar spaces close to home helped people to join the service.
- People were more likely to stay involved when they felt safe and supported. This was especially important for those who had experienced trauma or had bad experiences with services in the past.
- Recovery communities can help quickly
- Support can be informal, often at moments of crisis or readiness and build up over time. People found it easier to get help when recovery groups were easy to find in the community and when they were connected to people they already knew. It helped that the service offered different ways to stay in touch such as through peer support workers or social media. This helped people get support more quickly and overcome barriers to getting help.
- Peer support can be one of the most helpful parts of recovery
- Support from someone with similar experiences can help people feel understood, trusted, and accepted. This can make them feel less alone and give them hope for the future. Peer relationships also enabled early intervention when someone was struggling, helping prevent crises.
- Giving back helps recovery grow stronger
- People said their recovery improved when they moved from getting help to helping others. Volunteering, mentoring, or becoming a peer supporter gave people a sense of purpose. It built confidence and helped them feel better about themselves.
- Having a routine and feeling part of a group can help people stay well
- Regular groups can help people build good daily habits, feel less lonely, and make connections. Sharing a meal, having a laugh, and chatting together can be just as important as the activities or lessons in helping people recover.
- Choice and flexibility are essential
- No single recovery pathway works for everyone. People valued having different types of support. These included groups, one-to-one support, family activities, learning programmes, and fellowship options. Recovery worked best when people could choose how and when to take part, and when support could change to meet their needs.
- Learning reduces stigma and reshapes identity
- Learning helped people and families see alcohol and drug problems as illnesses rather than something to be ashamed of. This helped people feel less guilty, build their confidence, and improve their relationships. It also helped them see themselves in a more positive way. For families, learning supported healthier boundaries and improved wellbeing.
- Recovery communities help people build the things they need for recovery (also known as recovery capital)
- Recovery communities help people build confidence, develop new skills and cope with challenges. It can also give people opportunities to volunteer or move towards a job. These assets supported longer‑term recovery and reduced reliance on crisis services. These experiences help people stay strong in their recovery and become more independent.
- Recovery communities improve relationships with wider services
- When people are part of a trusted recovery community, other services often understand and support them better. It can lead to more respectful interactions and better communication. It can also help services work together to provide support.
Who this report is for
For individuals and families seeking recovery
This report can help people and families understand recovery and the different ways it can happen. It shows that recovery looks different for everyone and highlights things that can support health, wellbeing and a good quality life over time.
For treatment professionals and treatment system
This report helps professionals understand recovery from the viewpoint of people and families who have lived experience. It shows the importance of peer support, understanding trauma, and focusing on people’s strengths, not just their alcohol or drug use.
For policy makers and service designers
This report shows how involving people with lived and living experience can improve recovery and help services work better. It highlights the important role recovery communities play in supporting people and families. The findings can help guide decisions about funding and planning services by showing the value of community support, peer workers, family recovery, and treatment services working together.