Our Reflections: Borders Recovery Conversation Cafe.
25th November 2014
First things First
A huge apology to all those who wanted to see our reflections on this event sooner, due to many different challenges I have only been able to look at this now. However it does not stop me from Reflecting on the wonderful experience in the Borders with a huge smile
Into Action
I was invited to speak at the Substance Misuse Conference on 28th May about Recovery and therefore my First meeting with Fiona Doig was full of anticipation. We agreed that a conversation café was the way forward and having discussed the outline of this process the working group and first meeting was set up. I was really looking forward to connect with the Borders and meet with my working group.
I was not disappointed the first meeting held in Kelso was well attended with lots of willing, motivated people and what a backdrop, right next to Kelso Abbey. Magnificent .
Kelso Abbey
Our aim
Our aim for the café was to have dialogue with intention throughout the day, and contribute to recovery in Borders by inviting all the key assets to the event. To make Recovery more visible in the Borders A huge thank you to all to gave up their time and made the café so successful
Event Planning
Our first meeting was very focused despite it being so near Christmas and discussions around a Working Groups Commitment and responsibility on the day. The date agreed we looked to where would be a suitable venue to host this. Eildon Mill, Tweedbank Industrial Estate, Tweedbank, Galashiels was the final choice we just needed to move on with our invites and designing the event, most importantly choosing the right questions to ask on the day.
I invited a Recovery Activist to the café to do our first seed, as he came from the Borders area at the start of his recovery journey and had could make a meaningful contribution to make to the day.
We also invited MSP Paul Wheelhouse, newly in post to our Café as he comes from Eyemouth and has a huge interest in the recovery agenda. Unfortunately he was unable to come but it did not take away from the day which was amazing.,
The Host Team
A huge thank you to all members of the café host team who really got their sleeves rolled up on the day making sure everyone had refreshments and kept the tables cleared. No mean task when as all the Crockery was hired and the cups, just kept appearing washed, dried and ready for more coffee.
The Event Programme
10am Arrive for Tea and Coffee
10.15 Introduction & Etiquette
10:30 Seeds One – Lived Experience
10:45 Question One
11.15am Tea Break
11:45 Seeds Two - Services
12.10 Question Two
12:40 Cafe News & Themes
1:00 Lunch
1:45 Welcome Back
1.55 Seed Three – Better than Well
2:05 Question Three
2.35 Tea Break
2:50 Whole Group Conversation
3:30 Commitment
4pm Close
The Community Circle at the end shows
the relaxed mood of the participants.
The café in Action
Were we successful in achieving our aim?
Yes…… From our survey monkey 35.29% of people who attended had never attended a ‘World style’ conversation café before and……..78.57% of participants said they left with new ideas.
Borders now have a trained Lead Host Facilitator, there is a new Recovery Group in Eyemouth.
Who came to the event?
A total of 59 people came to the event. Invitations were allocated to each member of the working group, who in turn invited key assets with an interest in Recovery, in the community, in services, with a lived experience of Recovery and from Mutual Aid and treatment services.
Feedback
Feedback was received informally on the day and then a survey monkey sent out. All feedback given on the day in response to the dialogue questions has been typed and will be available to interested parties in a separate document. . A special mention to Vickie for the very creative and beautiful way all the feedback on the day was typed up. The responses were Made up from 23.8 % Treatment Provider, 53.85% Other Staff and 19.23% Person in recovery. A selection of these below:-
We asked - What was your overall experience of the Borders Conversation Café?
“one of those days where I felt my time at this event was well spent”
“Excellent all round. The conversation cafe had a good mix of service providers, partners and people in recovery. The whole ethos/atmosphere was engaging - congratulations on a 21st Century experience!”
“It was an informative enlightening day in which many came together to discuss the road to recovery and how best to make it happen”
We asked - What themes emerged in the conversations that you took part in at the event?
“the sense of hope that recovery is attainable, a huge genuine commitment to helping the Borders become a recovery community”
“That services in the borders are good, however they could be better and there could be better linked up working between services”
“Geographical and getting services to those who need it, when they need it. Ensuring that recovery was the start of something not the end product”
We asked – Did you leave the event with any new ideas? 76% said yes
“Hearing about research which suggests that five years into recovery people tend to be more positively engaged and contributing to community life than their peers who'd never experienced addiction. A real paradigm shift!”
“The day left me with the feeling that other people had travelled longer and harder roads than I had. - Not so much an idea, more a positivity to succeed.”
“we need to make a start on building a Borders recovery community.”
We asked – for any final comments for the SRC that related to your experience at the café.
“The day - especially people's stories of recovery - provided a huge injection of hope, which will sustain me, and others who were present, for a long time. Please note, however, that NONE of the options in question 1 apply to my situation (church volunteer and concerned friend of someone who tragically didn't succeed in her recovery). In future surveys perhaps the choices in this question could be less restricted?”
“Fantastic day, totally worthwhile. I felt motivated and more informed. Also really appreciate how hard it must have been for others to share their story and would especially say thank you to them”
“Don't think I can comment on the above as I was one of the organisers. I'm hoping that the event will jump start the idea of recovery in the Borders and will generate a move away from treatment focused practice. I'm hoping that gradually in the Borders we can change people’s perceptions of drug and alcohol dependence and recovery. “
Visibility of recovery - initial impact
10 recovery commitments were made
© Contact projects in the Borders to my services as a holistic Therapist. I would like to commit to my own recovery by increasing my work, but also offering my services to clients who I believe need it the most. What a wonderful day. Thanks© I've got time, enthusiasm and would like to help. Give me some guidance and shove me in the right direction. Use me!
© To get involved in SRC
© Improving the transition from custody to community with the assistance of more joined up working
© Ensure my team invites a bigger opportunity to engage in a different way than what appears to the presenting issue.
© To become more aware of the different services available in the Borders and have an understanding what they offer. I would share this information amongst my team.
© To continue to develop my knowledge and experience and keep updated in changes in services so I can support and point/guide people in the right direction
© To provide a peer led support network of telephone support for families across Scotland.
© That I will strive to foster harmony among service providers, hope in people using this service and my energy/enthusiasm to pursue the cause of recovery actions across mental health and substance use.
There were 24 Recovery Wishes made, which were hung on our Recovery Trees which lit up the room with hope and inspiration. Some of these were:-
- Wish for a family, a community, a world where there is wellness, healing from recovery. Hope and love.
- I wish for more people to find the help they need quicker & easier
- Share information between services / better communication between services
- I wish for more people in sustained recovery all over the Scottish Borders especially in more rural areas
- I wish for a huge commitment from statutory services to instil recovery by language and deed before supporting a transition to 3rd sector / communities for ongoing recovery
- My hope is that my son and daughter would find the courage to break away from the drug world
- Wish for a family, a community, a world where there is wellness, healing from recovery. Hope and love.
- My wish is that recovery is a viable option
Visibility of recovery; developing impact (recovery bounce)
ü A participant from Perth & Kinross Recovery Service made a commitment to hold a recovery conversation café in her area.
ü One of our “seeds” for the day disclosed for the first time publicly that she was in long term recovery and this was incredibly powerful on the day. Thank you so much for your contribution
ü Me, Myself, Aye Recovery group set up in Eyemouth
ü 1 Lead Host Facilitator in the Borders
ü Representatives from the Borders visited East Dunbartonshire Recovery Café and plans further fact finding/networking meetins.
ü A fabulous representation and the Recovery Walk and the Borders Flag flew proudly….
The café tables
What did we learn?
I for one have learned not to overcommit myself and the with the rural geographic (pre train station opening) is a huge commitment.
To put value on the de-brief session for the working group in January 2015 I chose Floors Castle (below) for Coffee and cake and to appreciate the success of the first café in the Borders.
Anne-Marie
Scottish Recovery Consortium – Dec 2015
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