CAVUHB
VAC attended 'CAU's Engagement Day' event on Thursday 19th September 2024.
Community Addictions Unit (CAU)
This was organised through CAU’s Co-production Advisory Group which includes members from Caniad, VAC, CAU and the APB. Throughout the day, CAU gave us an outline of their different teams, some of the challenges they’re facing and plans for the future. In the afternoon, we took part in an activity which involved writing and discussing areas for improvement. The feedback was collated by VAC and was shared back to the CAU.
The feedback included key themes such as;
- What does good look like for staff and service users?
- What does good look like for someone’s journey through services?
- What does good look like for the digital side of the service?
- What does good look like for valuing lived experience and co-production?
- What does good look like for education and training around substance use?
- What does good look like for partnership working?
- What does good look like when there are co-occurring issues for someone?
EDiR (Early Days in Recovery)
Following CAU’s Engagement Day Event, we have collaborated in creating the Early Days in Recovery (EDiR) programme, a newly developed and dedicated component of the Cardiff and Vale substance use system. EDiR represents a strategic collaboration between statutory and third sector organisations, designed to streamline engagement and stabilisation for individuals seeking support for substance use.
Rather than being an extension of existing services such as CAU or CAVDAS, EDiR functions as a coordinated entry point into treatment, offering a structured, trauma-informed, and person-centred pathway during the critical first 90 days of recovery. It is built on the principle that early engagement must be consistent, compassionate, and well-integrated to reduce fragmentation and improve outcomes. Key innovations include:
- A single assessment process shared across agencies
- Daily allocation meetings for rapid triage and case assignment
- Peer support embedded throughout the recovery journey
- Use of the PARIS system for integrated documentation and care planning
We are currently reviewing the standard operating procedure (SOP) for EDIR. The SOP has been amended every week following various comments from the team. Whilst this process continues, there have been lots of other areas for discussion such as the screening assessment, resource and capacity etc. The group are currently tasked with looking at roles and responsibilities for the new service before we consult with wider staff. Training workshops have also began for frontline staff in CAVDAS.