2021 Non-Profit Organisation Awards

8 Acquisition International - 2021 Non-Profit Organisations Awards May21362 Best Specialist Drug & Alcohol Recovery Support Service - UK With access to culturally appropriate, equitable, and effective healthcare for BAME people still being a systemic issue in need of address, BAC-IN CIC is a non-profit catalysing the necessary change in this area – specifically in improving access to drug and alcohol addiction recovery. However, in order to continue growing and helping more service users, it needs the support of local businesses, both vocally and financially, with which it will be able to achieve so many more great things for those who need it. AC-IN CIC is an organisation that specialises in the rehabilitation and recovery of those struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction. Operating in and around Nottingham, it focuses on giving support to service user themselves, including their families and friends. Primarily, it works with individuals and young adults across a wide range of diverse ethnic minority communities and backgrounds, offering empathy and cultural sensitivity required to be able to approach the subject of addiction from a place of understanding, knowledge and expertise. The grassroots service was founded in 2003, inspired by those in recovery, who had turned their lives around and wanted to help their communities. Fundamentally, it has been created on a foundation of cultural awareness, personal change and lived realities of addiction recovery and multiple disadvantage. In addition, underpinning all of its work are the concepts of holistic services and adaptability. It knows that no two people will benefit from exactly the same treatment, and that it must enable individuals to access support that will keep them motivated to continue recovering, and engaging in mental health support and additional wellbeing services. Thus, when working with service users, it seeks to initiate a practical action plan for sustainable recovery that includes making responsible lifestyle changes and building positive relationships, through 1:1 support, group support, counselling, leadership mentoring and personal development workshops, all of which will enhance their path to picking up their lives again and moving on. Whatever their aspirations, the service helps them to fulfil that, they are with them all the way. The team are passionate, motivated, and dedicated, they are committed to improving outcomes for BAME (Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic) people facing addiction, having witnessed the inequity that this community experiences when trying to access help from mainstream treatment providers. The inequity, gaps in treatment services and trauma linked to mental health and an enduring agony caused to their families drove the development of BAC-IN (Black & Asian Cultural identification of Narcotics) in early 2000. Despite mainstream services being available for those in addiction, the uptake of services is low amongst BAME communities, they are B not accessing drug and alcohol treatment services at the same level of their white counterparts. From 2017-2018 national treatment data records show that, 84% of people in treatment were white British, with 5% from other white groups, and no other ethnic group making up more than 1%. In 2021, the All Party Parliamentary Group ‘The Treatment of Addiction UK’ also identified this growing body of evidence highlighting that BAME people underrepresented in treatment services.