Research and Consultations

Service user Voice

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Since the turn of the century, BAC-IN has been proactive in helping to amplify the authentic voices of BAME communities and championing the power of peer led recovery approaches and partnerships. Furthermore, the organisation has been participating in local and national research, public consultations, and health needs analyses to ensure that ‘BAME service user voice’ is heard to impact policy, decision-making, and commissioning structures.

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System reform is critical, we must all challenge roots of racial & commissioning inequalities in treatment and recovery, whilst addressing the ethnic balance of people involved in decision making at all levels drug and alcohol healthcare. BAME communities are not resistant to treatment nor are they naïve about treatment services.  The realities are closely linked to cultural barriers to access, lack of choice and poor experiences of engagement in available treatment services.  The impact of cultural shame, discrimination, and experience of racism, exacerbated with mistrust of services and language barriers, also prevent many from coming forward for help.

Greater level of commissioning investment is required across prevention, treatment, and recovery services to improve access to equitable, effective, and culturally appropriate healthcare for BAME people. The knowledge of lived realties, intersectionality and cultural issues are vital in supporting BAME people effectively. 

Research highlights that BAME communities would benefit from culturally responsive recovery models, but currently there is no incentives in the system for developing or investing in such services.  Research has further illustrated ‘that a number of factors work concurrently to support recovery. Of most significance is the value of peer-led services (for, with and by people with experience of addiction), coupled with cultural responses where people’s values, beliefs and experiences are widely understood from the point of initial contact’.

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BAC-IN team, along with their governance board and volunteers are passionate, committed and dedicated to improving outcomes for BAME people facing addiction and multiple disadvantage.

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The uptake of drug and alcohol services is low amongst BAME communities, they are not accessing drug and alcohol treatment services at the same level of their white counterparts.

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According to national treatment data from 2017-2018, 84% of people in treatment were white British, with 5% from other white groups, and no other ethnic group making up more than 1%. This growing evidence and stark numbers are further highlighted in 2021, by the All-Party Parliamentary Group ‘The Treatment of Addiction UK’ recognising that BAME people are underrepresented in treatment services.

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For further in-depth reading, please check out these reports and publications below, commenting on a wide range of challenges, including ethnic inequalities, tackling multiple disadvantage, experiences of severe and multiple disadvantage, BME health needs assessment, mental health for all, Drinking problems and interventions in black and minority ethnic communities, The Lammy Review- treatment of, and outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals in the Criminal Justice System, Theories of Change and perspectives of Lived Experience Leadership.

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