Through conducting research Figure 8 is able to help services and commissioners to review the evidence about “What works” in a particular situation or environment.

One of the key outcomes set out in the new drug strategy action plan (The Road to Recovery, Scottish Government, May 2008) is to have a “Strengthened evidence base which improves policy and practice at national and local level”.
This policy direction emphasises our key mission statement of “Evidence into Practice”. Figure 8 believes that the policy and planning cycle of government and commissioning bodies requires to inform, and be informed by, the practice and audit cycle of service providers in a continuous figure 8.

Figure 8 is experienced in conducting a range of research projects including project managing national contracts.

Recent research projects that we have undertaken include:

• Reducing Drug Users’ Risk of Overdose (Scottish Government)
• Problem Drinking in Scotland: Estimating the size of the problem and charting service capacity (SAADAT)
• Evaluation of Lothians and Edinburgh Abstinence Programme (LEAP and NHS Lothian)
• Literature review of effective interventions for drugs, alcohol and tobacco use (West Lothian DAAT)

Providing an objective audit of current practice allows services to measure their activity against the evidence of good practice. These approaches help ensure that new and existing services are based on effective interventions.

We have assisted services to conduct, collate and analyse projects such as service user satisfaction and training needs analysis.