Scottish Recovery Consortium 2023-24

A programme of human rights capacity building was commissioned by the Scottish Recovery Consortium (SRC) with funding from the Scottish Government Development Project Fund. The programme was delivered by the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) from August 2023 to February 2024. The purpose of this programme was to equip people working in the recovery sector in Scotland with the knowledge and confidence to speak up for human rights, and to empower others to do so through their advocacy work, contributing to a longer-term aim of bringing about a shift in power and culture to improve the effectiveness of recovery services.

The Programme

The programme of work involved:

A joint review of the 2022 programme
Co-development and co-delivery of an in-depth 10-part human rights leadership programme with up to 15 participants
Creation of a comprehensive digital programme handbook

3.7/5

attendees rated their understanding of the Human Rights Act at 3/7/5 afterwards versus 2.6/5 before

4/5

attendees rated their confidence using the Human Rights Act at 4/5 afterwards versus 3.4/5 before

100%

of staff said they would recommend the sessions to colleagues

75%

said they were more likely to take action to uphold people's rights by supporting them to be involved in decisions about their lives

Participants said...

Interesting, well-presented, confidence boost, empowering.

Programme participant

I would highly recommend this programme. It excited me to learn more about human rights and gave me the motivation to join in active group discussions. The empowerment I now feel in having the correct language and information to support and advocate not only for myself but my peers too. Thank you.

Programme participant

An in-depth and very informative study into the rights of everyone, how they are upheld, and how we must fight to keep them.

Programme participant

We were lucky enough to get onto this course […] it’s courses like this that have helped a lot of people, it’s certainly helped me understand more about our human rights, and getting knowledge and understanding out to other people. If it’s courses like this that keep getting dropped off due to the lack of funding, I’m afraid that empowerment will be going out the window […] It’s courses like this that we need to get more people involved in […] If courses and services are getting closed down, we’re not going to be able to empower other people. We need as much courses and training like this to help other people.

Programme participant

Stories of change

One participant who often works in justice settings such as prisons and police stations shared an example of putting his new-found human rights knowledge into practice. He visited a man in a police station, who had been arrested outside a pharmacy on a Friday morning. The man was prescribed methadone, but when the participant visited him on Sunday morning he still hadn’t seen a doctor and hadn’t been given his methadone. The participant felt this was wrong, so he revisited his notes from the Rights in Recovery Leadership Programme, then contacted the police and challenged the lack of medical care. As a result, a doctor visited the man the next day.

One participant hoped to gain more knowledge and confidence from the Rights in Recovery Leadership Programme. Whilst the programme was underway, a housing decision was made which affected a man she was supporting in the recovery community. The man had spent time in prison, and a decision had been made for him to move to different accommodation due to concerns about him posing a risk to others. The participant considered the man’s right to autonomy and felt the risk to others in his current accommodation was low, and moving him would not be a proportionate interference with his rights. Attending the course enabled the participant to identify where the man’s human rights were relevant, and confidently advocate on his behalf.

Attending this programme enabled one participant to push for accountability following the death of her brother. He was struggling with addiction and had been admitted to hospital due to health issues relating to his liver which were causing him to be confused. He was discharged from hospital when he needed more care, and sadly passed away. Whilst the programme was underway, the participant put her knowledge of the Human Rights Act to use by challenging the NHS trust’s decision-making relating to her brother. She asked for a meeting and raised her brother’s right to life, and her family has since been offered a formal apology by the hospital.

Related information

Photo of three children playing together at a table.

Transforming Communities

Find out how we work with individuals and communities to support them to understand and access their rights.

Transforming Communities

Find out how we work with individuals and communities to support them to understand and access their rights.

Image of man in chequered shirt with caption saying Tom Bennett, Scottish Recovery Consortium

Why our Human Rights Act Matters...to people in recovery

Tom Bennett, Rights in Recovery Development Officer at Scottish Recovery Consortium, tells us why our Human Rights Act matters to him.

Why our Human Rights Act Matters...to people in recovery

Tom Bennett, Rights in Recovery Development Officer at Scottish Recovery Consortium, tells us why our Human Rights Act matters to him.

20 Sep 2022

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