1. Service user involvement in a User Led Organisation

2. Changes – a User Led Recovery Organisation
Changes CARE SERVICES
A ULO is an organisation that is run and controlled by people who use support services ….(SCIE, 2009)
Founder & CEO needed services that didn’t exist so created them!
Care model created by service users, enhanced by ‘professionals’
75% front line staff are in recovery – 85% volunteers in recovery
Care plans co-created
Feedback on outcomes used to inform care model improvements
Star rating on exit – usually 5 stars!

3. Social Enterprises – user led businesses
Changes Social Enterprises Recovery Social Enterprises
Changes Gardening
Quest Recovery
Building Changes
Shoots Of Recovery
Friends Kitchen
Transfurniture
Changes Coffee
Beam
Active Changes
2 Enterprise Incubators – Nail Bar & Printshop

4. A word from our service users…
“If it wasn't for Changes I certainly wouldn't be where I am today!! support Changes, support recovery communities. give back to the people & organisations that helped you”
I've battled with alcoholism all my life but I never gave up. I owe so much to Changes, who have loved me when I couldn't love myself”
“I came to Changes battered, broken. I had lost touch with reality, my family, and myself. I felt hopeless. I went into detox and was mentored through it by people that had been through the process and were clean and happy. I found hope”

5. Supporting academic research
Academic researchers (JMU) commented that Changes was an easy organisation to work with, both in terms of the organisations welcoming approach to ‘fresh eyes and ideas’ – we strive to learn how to do it better every day;  service users, because of their frequent/daily experience of expressing thoughts, feelings, ideas, make excellent participants in research studies.
We have recently had three independent academic studies that have been carried out by Kings College London, Birmingham University and Liverpool John Moores University. All have concluded that the peer to peer model is highly effective and is the common theme that makes Changes outcomes so strong.

6. Social media Twitter Facebook Changes UK – 2’333 Likes
Small Changes – 904 Likes
Friends Kitchen – 220 Likes
Changes Gardening – 404 Likes
Twitter
884 Followers

7. Challenges Strong Personalities Lone Voice
Ensuring Effective Communication
Valuing Su Input
SUF – Autonomy Vs Structure
Good Idea One Day, Not Needed The Next
Engagement Moving Towards Humility & Open Mindedness
Stigma – Shame Vs Empowerment

8. Support Team & Volunteers
COMMUNICATION SU
Support Team & Volunteers
SU Forum
Care Services Manager
CEO
SU Lead
BM (SU Rep)
Board of Trustees

9. In summary
Our service is only effective if it is providing the need of our service users
Service user forum – effective communication
Board member – proactive ex service user is crucial to effective communication
Celebrating Achievements with family/community involvement
Feedback wherever possible to be clear and concise
The stigma associated with substance misuse silences service users.  They usually come to us with no dialogue other than guilt, shame and trauma.  Having immediate access to peer mentors/staff themselves in recovery, gives them hope and concrete evidence that everyone in Changes can have a valued and effective voice.