Motion for Darlington to become an Inclusive Recovery City (IRC)
Preamble
a) Addictions to alcohol, illicit and prescribed drugs and gambling exacts a huge social and emotional toll on the people of Darlington;
b) Addiction costs lives, destroys families and communities and undermines neighbourhoods and communities;
c) People can and do recover although the real rate of recovery (at around 60%) is not widely known or understood;
d) What helps people to recover is being a part of social networks that are supportive of recovery change;
e) Fundamentally, the secret to addiction recovery can be characterised as Jobs, Friends and Houses or ‘somewhere to live, someone to love and something to do’.
The North-East of England has been at the forefront of innovation in addiction recovery and Darlington has the potential to be at the heart of this movement, based on the supports and services that already exist in the town.
Recovery is increasingly recognised as a peer-driven social movement that is most clearly articulated within a public health model based on social contagion where visibility is essential for the effective transmission of recovery.
Across the UK – and increasingly globally – the Inclusive Recovery Cities movement has articulated the following goals:
a) To increase the visibility of recovery through public-facing events that showcase the talents of the recovery community;
b) These events also provide opportunities for volunteering for people in recovery and their families;
c) They are targeted at the general public as an act of citizenship to challenge stigma and exclusion;
d) Overall, the goal is to increase social cohesion and improve community involvement inspired by people previously stigmatised and marginalised.
Ultimately the aim of this movement is to increase the capacity of individuals and families in recovery to access education, housing and employment and to increase active citizenship and community participation.
This Council recognises that:
a) Supporting addiction recovery is beneficial not only to people in recovery and their families, but to the whole community;
b) Darlington has strong foundations for social inclusion and to promote addiction recovery as a social movement;
c) The commitment to social inclusion will improve active citizenship and community participation right across the community;
d) There is a need for a strategic and coherent approach to coordinating recovery support across the council area and to build a visible recovery community.
This Council resolves:
To endorse Darlington as an Inclusive Recovery City by:
a) Adopting the Mission, Vision and Values;
b) Signing the IRC Charter;
c) Championing and supporting co-ordinated visible recovery across Darlington;
d) Support the public health team to deliver the full implementation of the IRC model in Darlington;
e) Play an active role in the evaluation of IRC implementation in Darlington after one year.
Minutes:
The following Motion submitted by Councillor Toms and seconded by Councillor Roche:
Preamble
a) Addictions to alcohol, illicit and prescribed drugs and gambling exacts a huge social and emotional toll on the people of Darlington;
b) Addiction costs lives, destroys families and communities and undermines neighbourhoods and communities;
c) People can and do recover although the real rate of recovery (at around 60%) is not widely known or understood;
d) What helps people to recover is being a part of social networks that are supportive of recovery change;
e) Fundamentally, the secret to addiction recovery can be characterised as Jobs, Friends and Houses or ‘somewhere to live, someone to love and something to do’.
The North-East of England has been at the forefront of innovation in addiction recovery and Darlington has the potential to be at the heart of this movement, based on the supports and services that already exist in the town.
Recovery is increasingly recognised as a peer-driven social movement that is most clearly articulated within a public health model based on social contagion where visibility is essential for the effective transmission of recovery.
Across the UK – and increasingly globally – the Inclusive Recovery Cities movement has articulated the following goals:
a) To increase the visibility of recovery through public-facing events that showcase the talents of the recovery community;
b) These events also provide opportunities for volunteering for people in recovery and their families;
c) They are targeted at the general public as an act of citizenship to challenge stigma and exclusion;
d) Overall, the goal is to increase social cohesion and improve community involvement inspired by people previously stigmatised and marginalised.
Ultimately the aim of this movement is to increase the capacity of individuals and families in recovery to access education, housing and employment and to increase active citizenship and community participation.
This Council recognises that:
a) Supporting addiction recovery is beneficial not only to people in recovery and their families, but to the whole community;
b) Darlington has strong foundations for social inclusion and to promote addiction recovery as a social movement;
c) The commitment to social inclusion will improve active citizenship and community participation right across the community;
d) There is a need for a strategic and coherent approach to coordinating recovery support across the council area and to build a visible recovery community.
This Council resolves:
To endorse Darlington as an Inclusive Recovery City by:
a) Adopting the Mission, Vision and Values;
b) Signing the IRC Charter;
c) Championing and supporting co-ordinated visible recovery across Darlington;
d) Support the public health team to deliver the full implementation of the IRC model in Darlington;
e) Play an active role in the evaluation of IRC implementation in Darlington after one year.
Councillor Toms and Roche both spoke to the motion, and a vote was subsequently taken.
Resolved – The Motion was carried.