The NTA wants to build an equal partnership with treatment service users and drug users because it is recognised that those in treatment and those who have identified a need for treatment have the right to become involved in activities that affect their health and well-being. The NTA values the unique expertise and experiences of users and understands the health, self-esteem and other personal benefits which involvement can bring.

The North East Regional Service User Forum has been running for over 5 years. The overall purpose of the Forum is to:

• allow members to take a lead role in developing strategic user involvement throughout the North East for the benefit of potential, current and ex service users
and
• provide an arena for networking and sharing best practice.

The Forum is Chaired by an ex Service User, organised and facilitated by the National Treatment Agency and supported and assisted by Partnerships. Meetings take place on a quarterly basis and are held around the region.

The North East Regional Service User Steering Group is made up of the Chair and Vice Chairs of the Regional Service User Forum and the NTA Service User Lead.  The Steering Group is a task orientated, solution focused group which monitors the regional work plan and allocates tasks accordingly; agree individual input and support into specific regional or partnership project work; and draft the agendas for Regional Service User Forums.

For further information on user involvement and future meetings, please contact Michelle Mancini, NTA North East Regional Office.

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As with service users, the NTA wants to build effective partnerships with the carers and family members of users. This involvement recognises the different needs and issues of importance to carers and families. Having worked with carers, the NTA has put in place similar processes and structures in the North East that exist for users, namely a regional forum and regional representatives onto other NTA-developed groups.

The North East Regional Carers' Forum meetings take place on a quarterly basis and rotate around the 12 Partnership areas. The overall role of the meeting is to give carers the opportunity to:

• voice their views about user and carer services and how they can be improved
• take part in regional carer led projects and the NTA treatment planning process
• raise awareness of and feed comments into local and national priorities and policies
• network with other carers and carer involvement workers.

The Regional Carers' Forum is structured to include a general business meeting in the morning and the afternoon session is dedicated to sharing best practice and local carer organisations are invited to showcase their services and network with carers.

For further information on carer involvement and future meetings please contact Michelle Mancini, NTA North East Regional Office.

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For further information, please contact Michelle Mancini, NTA North East Regional Office.

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The aim for young people's specialist treatment services is to ensure that high quality specialist substance misuse treatment interventions able to meet young people's needs are readily accessible throughout the North East.

Regular meetings of the young people service providers and commissioners are now well established. The aim is to provide a forum where providers and commissioners can exchange ideas, advice and information regarding day-to-day service delivery, develop polices and procedures, address areas for development, improve practice and raise standards.

For further information please contact, Julie Daneshyar, Deputy Regional Manager and NE Young People specialist treatment lead.

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For further information, please contact Michelle Mancini, NTA North East Regional Office.

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