WCADA Annual Recovery Event 2018

Although I have had dealings with the Welsh Centre for Action on Dependency and Addiction (WCADA) before when I was an Assembly Member, that was some years ago.

In those days WCADA were exclusively an abstinence organisation, practising the 12 steps to help their clients give up drugs and alcohol. Although that remains the main part of their business, they now also offer some harm reduction programmes, a philosophical change that only occurred after some debate and soul-searching.

Today's afternoon of presentations by staff, volunteers and other workers at their Annual Recovery Event in Baglan was an eye-opener in terms of the work that the organisation does and the huge number of people they help - 19,000 this year, we were told.

According to the annual review distributed at the event, WCADA had over 1,100 referrals to their adult treatment services and delivered more than 600 group sessions last year. They run a needle and syringe programme, and we were told how many of the users of this service are on steroids, an issue that is becoming more prevalent in the work being carried out by the organisation. Indeed they have a dedicated training programme for this area of work.

Switch, their young persons service, supports young people who are using substances on a regular basis or are at risk of doing so, and also those young people affected by a loved ones substance use. This service is also part of the first Kicks project in Wales, which works in partnership with the Swansea City AFC Community Trust, the Premier League and central Kicks team to engage young people who have previously proven difficult to reach and guide them towards a range of healthy and constructive activities.

Family Services provide interventions of one-to-one support and group work to support family members in understanding substance misuse and associated behaviours. Whilst the Domino Project, which has recently lost its funding, but carries on in another guise, seeks to engage people in meaningful activities such as walks, gardening, litter-picks etc to improve health and well-being. It also helps them learn new skills through education and training and provides access to opportunities for volunteering that can improve employment prospects.

There is a peer mentoring service for military veterans, and an out-of-work peer mentoring service called Cyfle Cymru to help people with substance misuse issues and/or mental health conditions into work.

Many of the workers start as volunteers and the organisation relies on this team of dedicated helpers at all levels to keep going. Some of those doing the counselling and providing support have had substance misuse issues themselves and are in recovery.

That is just a snapshot of the work carried out by WCADA and of the presentations we received today. I was delighted to be there, representing Swansea Council alongside the Mayors of Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend  to support them.