Policy and Research

ADS has 37 years of experience in the substance misuse field. We are committed to service user engagement, and believe that wherever possible service users and their families should be involved in the planning, design and delivery of our service provision.

We carry out research into drug and alcohol related issues, using the findings both to inform the development of our own services and to lobby for change at local and national government levels.

We evaluate our services to find out what works well and what needs to be changed in order to meet the needs of our service users. These evaluations also provide learning for others who are running, or planning to run similar interventions.

We produce position statements setting out our organisational stance on a range of issues concerning individuals and families affected by drug and alcohol use. These draw on our research and evaluation work, and call for policy change locally and nationally where relevant.

We aim to influence public policy and promote a greater understanding of drug and alcohol issues by responding to local and national consultations within the field. Our responses are based on the experiences of the individuals who use our services, and the staff who deliver them.

We undertake environmental scanning to ensure that we are up-to-date with the latest research and remain at the forefront of developments within drug and alcohol services. This also informs the information and advice services we offer.

We are keen to hear from researchers looking for collaborators in the field, and from like-minded organisations interested in joining forces to lobby for local and national policy change on drug and alcohol related issues.
Please contact Ali Watson, Head of Policy and Research – mailto:ali.watson@adsolutions.org.uk