This blog discusses the published case study from Hep C U Later‘s harm reduction series, illustrating how peers from Inclusion’s One Recovery Bucks service are distributing life-saving naloxone throughout Buckinghamshire.
Introduction:
Peer-to-peer naloxone is a newly implemented project by Inclusion’s One Recovery Bucks (ORB) community drug and alcohol treatment services, located in High Wycombe and Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. It was introduced to help reduce the risk of drug-related deaths by addressing increasing concerns about synthetic opioids and improving awareness of the safest uses of drugs to decrease harm.
How does it work?
The Naloxone Awareness Recovery Crew (NARC) is the name of the peer’s team, currently consisting of four peers with a variety of lived and living experience using drugs. The team at ORB supports the team of peers through team chats, one-on-one supervision, and group supervision.
Ronnie Morrell, Communities Lead at ORB, speaks of the peers’ commitment and passion, and how “they feel like they’re part of something; they’re really excited about what they’re doing”. He says they look after each other, encouraging a sense of community, and highlights how being part of something has impacted people’s recovery and personal growth.
The NARCs attend two static drop-ins, train and distribute naloxone to professionals and the community during outreach, therefore reaching people who might not otherwise be able to access drug and alcohol treatment services. One of the drop-ins they attend every three weeks hosts food, health checks, housing advice, citizen advice and other key health and wellbeing interventions all in one place. Some of the professionals they have trained have included hostel staff, fire stations, and night shelters.
There are twice-yearly steering group meeting to review the progress, reach, and impact of the project with police commissioners in attendance and maintaining communication with them is essential to future-proofing this essential work.
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Education is the way forward. People will always use drugs – that’s a fact. If we can educate them around the possible risks/harms with their drug of choice, then hopefully by showing/advising them on the safest way possible to use the drugs, we can hopefully reduce some of those risks/harms to them and others.
- Ronnie Morrell
The impact on communities
Since the NARC team have been in place they have trained and distributed kits to 287 people. Additionally, over 240 police officers in the area have been trained and dispensed nasal naloxone kits which continue to be replaced as they are used or expire.
Ronnie recalled how it was reported to him that last year, 700 nasal naloxone kits were administered by the police across England, and he will soon be going to Staffordshire to support further with training.
The team receives lots of good feedback and generally, everyone is happy to be provided with the training and the ability to save a life, “It was great teaching people how to save lives” says Kelly, from the NARC team.
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I like to think we’ve flooded Bucks with naloxone
- Ronnie Morrell
The impact on staff
As well as the important benefit to people who are at risk of overdose, the NARC team has also commented on how the project has affected them personally, including their own sense of feeling worthwhile and being part of something good.
“It’s helped my self-confidence and self-esteem, I enjoy doing the drop-in and meeting other professionals and people in the community. I enjoy being able to teach people something I feel the training also helps to change people’s opinions of people who use drugs as well, they all tell me how well I’m doing and how good the training was hopefully this helps to change some of the misconceptions and stigma attached.”
“It’s been very good for me it has helped me to see what I want to do with my life. I used to walk everywhere just with my head down looking at the floor, I don’t anymore. I look up and look around and that feels good. I slip up sometimes, but I get back on track.”
Future goals
Ronnie Morrell stated that the next step for the NARC team is exploring how they can distribute needle exchange and complete dried blood spot testing for blood-borne viruses in the future. Ronnie and the team are also keen to see ‘naloxone is kept here’ stickers for pubs and shops in case naloxone is needed in local areas.
Ronnie is currently working with pub staff to train them, especially in areas where a person has overdosed in the past. Ronnie envisages a future where an outreach van can deliver multiple interventions and support in rural areas where public transport doesn’t operate fully, as well as the use of drug consumption rooms in services.
The NARC team would also like to see more resources for people when they leave rehab to improve aftercare in the community.
Achievements
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Inclusion One Recovery Bucks reached hepatitis C micro-elimination in August 2023.
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287 naloxone kits were dispensed by the NARC team in the last year.
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240 police officers trained to use nasal naloxone in Buckinghamshire.