27 September 2024
Dame Carol Black, author of the 2021 Independent Review of Drugs, recently attended a showcase of the STRIDE partnership in Darlington, a service run in collaboration between WithYou, Darlington Borough Council and Recovery Connections.
Along with Andrew Brown, Head of Drug & Alcohol Improvement Support at OHID, she was shown around both the Tubwell and Conscliffe Road sites by WithYou CEO, Simon Phillips and Dot Smith, CEO at Recovery Connections.
At the Tubwell site she visited the on-site dispensary, heard about the work in relation to harm reduction and met with several teams including the access team and assertive outreach. Then she walked to the Coniscliffe Road site for lunch with clients, staff and Darlington councillors, provided by Recovery Connections Fork on the Road van; a social enterprise which offers opportunities for those out of work to gain valuable skills and experience.
Both Dame Carol Black and Andrew Brown also met with the STRIDE partnership managers to discuss the current issues facing substance misuse services in 2024 and beyond. The final session, led by Recovery Connections, saw members of the recovery community share their powerful, unique journeys with all of those present.
We thank Dame Carol Black, those who shared their recovery journeys and everyone in attendance for joining us for the day and were encouraged by positive and robust discussions about the STRIDE service, the partnership approach, continuity of care and the young persons service.
