Service users, families and carers

The NTA wants to build an equal partnership with treatment service users and drug users, because we recognise 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.

We respect the unique expertise and experiences of users and understand the health, esteem and other personal benefits that involvement can bring.

Having worked with users and user groups we have put in place processes and a structure for involving users at regional and national level.

Each NTA region has a regional users’ forum that involves users from each local area.

The regional forums offer users the chance to get involved in making sure that the NTA and local partnerships have up-to-date, accurate views of what is happening in each area. Local users can also get involved in reviewing the local partnership’s treatment plan and through the forum have the chance to learn from and support each other.

As with 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, we have put in place similar processes and structures that we have for users.

The NTA is working with carers, treatment providers and local partnerships to develop carer involvement at local, regional and national level.

Each NTA region already has or is in the processes of setting up a regional carer's forum.

The regional forums offer carers the chance to get involved in making sure that the NTA and local partnerships have up-to-date, accurate views of what is happening in each area. Local carers can also get involved in reviewing the local partnership's treatment plan and through the forum have the chance to learn from and support each other.

At a national level the National Users Network may be useful in gaining an understanding about how the network can help yourself and others – and how you can help drug treatment.

Other resources which might be helpful include:

• Being heard - some notable examples of user and carer organisations
• Making a difference to drug treatment services - notable examples of user and carer involvement
• Methodone Alliance - Service users' charter
• Home Office - Delivering services to hard-to-reach users in on track areas: definition, consultation and needs assessment,