Report by the RECOVEU Consortium. RECOVEU: A participative approach to curriculum development for adults in addiction recovery across the European Union. Report for Deliverable 3.4: Final Policy and Practice Review. EU Lifelong Learning Project. Project No. 538955-LLP-1-2013-UK-GRUNDTVIG-GMP.

Abstract

The RECOVEU project brings together partners from the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Romania, Italy and Ireland with the aim of developing access to learning resources for people in recovery from addiction . This policy and practice review seeks to support project partners to develop a more nuanced understanding of the impact of drug policy and EU strategy in each of the partner countries, with a particular emphasis on how this influences practice in drug treatment. The aim was not to replicate the existing evidence base but use it as a foundation to develop a thematic approach to the overall project. With this in mind, RECOVEU partners have completed individual reviews of current drug policy and reflected on practice in their own country. In order to reflect on similar issues a structured questionnaire was developed which drew on the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) Structured Questionnaire 28 on Social Reintegration and Reduction of Social Exclusion of Drug Users (EMCDDA, 2012). The review draws, therefore, on both existing data (for example, National Focal Point data ) and the experiential knowledge of the partners working in the field of addiction. This process has facilitated the development of a thematic framework to inform future work and, most importantly, gain a shared understanding of some of the contextual and structural issues affecting each partner. As we complete this review (October 2014) the EU Commission on Narcotic Drugs (EUCND) met in Vienna to discuss their input into the United Nations General Assembly special session. The consensus was to support an increased focus on the international drug control framework . In the RECOVEU project the partner countries do not have forced labour in place of drug treatment or the death penalty but this is not the case around the world. As such, we are fortunate to be developing resources with people in recovery that aid their access to adult education and an opportunity to make positive changes in their lives