Positive Living Outreach Service

Dundee is in the grip of a drug crisis. In 2018 there were 78 drug related deaths in Tayside, earning it the unwelcome title of “Drug Death Capital of Europe.” Prior non-fatal overdose is a significant risk factor for drug related death. Proactively identifying and providing intervention to individuals who have had or are a high risk of overdose represents a key opportunity for reducing drug related deaths.

Positive Steps believe that with the right, immediate support, the negative experience of an overdose can serve as an opportunity for individuals for to make changes to their drug use, and be the starting point for a more positive, healthy life.

Our Positive Living Assertive Outreach Service provides an innovative approach to reducing drug related harm in Dundee. Our team of experienced outreach practitioners provide real time, person-centred responses to individuals who have experienced, or who are at risk of overdose. They provide tailored harm reduction advice, and actively support individuals to access appropriate services.

Individuals are referred to the service via the Dundee Non-fatal Overdose Pathway. This initiative brings together Police, NHS, Criminal Justice, Social Work, and third sector agencies on a daily basis to review all recent drug overdoses attended by emergency services and agree a co-ordinated action plan. Our outreach service offers rapid outreach support to individuals not in contact with treatment services, and those who are but struggle to engage. We are an entirely outreach based service, taking support to individuals where they are. Where possible, we aim to make contact within one working day of referral.

In addition to responding to individuals identified following a non-fatal overdose, the service also proactively identifies individuals at high risk of overdose through street outreach and weekly presence within hostels and community drop-ins.

We welcome self-referral and referrals from other services including hospital discharge teams, GPs and pharmacies.

What we provide

· Personalised harm reduction and overdose awareness advice
· Supply of Take Home Naloxone and associated training
· Advocacy
· Assistance to arrange and attend appointments
· Health literacy support
· Issue of Green Health Prescriptions
· Food Bank referrals
· Onward referral to other services including ISMS, Housing Options, SMART Recovery, Needle Exchange, We Are With You.
· Help to access immediate temporary accommodation
· Personal supply of essential items including toiletries and clothing (subject to limited funding)
· A friendly, listening ear!

Our Journey

Dundee branded “Drug Death Capital of Europe”

August 7, 2017

Dundee records the highest rate of drug related deaths in Europe Positive Steps engage with service users with lived experience to consider how we can help tackle this crisis. Read more

Launch of the Dundee Drug Commission

May 7, 2018

An independent commission of experts are tasked with investigating the causes and consequences of drug deaths in Dundee Read more

Positive Steps apply to the Challenge Fund

February 4, 2019

Corra Foundation launch The Challenge Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government The fund is to support activities and approaches that contribute to making systemic changes to support people who use alcohol and drugs. Find out more HERE. Positive Steps apply for the Getting Ready... Read more

Funding success for assertive outreach pilot

April 2, 2019

Positive Steps receive one of 25 grants awarded in the first round of The Challenge Fund. Our pilot project aimed to ““see if an assertive outreach approach from a specialist worker would improve outcomes for people in crisis experiencing chaotic substance use.” We recognised that... Read more

Our pilot starts

June 3, 2019

Our outreach nurse commences post Due to challenges associated with GDPR we are initially unable to obtain information about individuals who have experienced a recent overdose. From June-November we proactively identify those at risk of overdose through conducting outreach to begging hotspots, homeless hostels, and... Read more

Publication of the Dundee Drug Commission Report

August 16, 2019

The Dundee Drug Commission Report is published. The report contains 16 recommendations, including improved responses to NFODs and increased capacity for assertive outreach. Our pilot project is commended in the report as, “exactly the type of response where current resources need to be expanded.” Read more

We mark National Overdose Awareness Day

August 31, 2019

To mark Overdose Awareness Day Positive Steps host an information stall at Overgate Shopping Centre. This is featured in the local press. Read more

Challenge Fund event

October 21, 2019

Positive Steps present at the Challenge Fund event, hosted by Corra Foundation. A link to our presentation can be found HERE. Read more

Responding to the Drug Commission

October 23, 2019

The Dundee Partnership host a launch for “Responding to the Commission”. The action plan includes a test of change co-ordinated multi-service response to Non-fatal Overdoses, and increased assertive outreach. Read more

Multi-agency response to non-fatal overdoses begins and additional funding from The Robertson Trust

November 1, 2019

A test of change delivering co-ordinated multiagency responses to non-fatal overdoses begins. This involves gathering of agencies including Police, NHS Tayside, Criminal Justice and Positive Steps on a daily basis to share information about individuals who have experienced an overdose in the previous 72 hours... Read more

Winter Warmers Initiative

December 2, 2019

Positive Steps successfully secure funding from ScotMid for our outreach nurse to distribute warm winter clothing. The Challenge Fund Round 2 is launched. Positive Steps apply for the Implementing Change stream to expand our assertive outreach service. Read more

Language Matters

January 1, 2020

Given the success of the test of change, the daily non-fatal overdose meeting is continued. Positive Steps join the working group for “Language Matters”. The focus of this is to eliminate the use of stigmatising language to describe individuals who use drugs. Read more

The Scottish Drug Deaths Task Force calls for non-fatal overdose pathways nationally

February 3, 2020

The Scottish Drug Death Task Force publishes, “Preventing Drug Related Deaths in Scotland: Emergency Response Strategies (LINK). This calls for all local authority areas to implement an immediate response pathway to non-fatal overdoses. Read more

Challenge Fund Round 2 funding success!

March 2, 2020

We are successfully awarded funding for the Implementing Change stream of The Challenge Fund. Read more

Outreach services continues during Covid 19

April 1, 2020

We continue to provide vital outreach services to those at risk of drug related harm during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more

Life-saving Take Home Naloxone kits distributed by Positive Steps

May 4, 2020

Positive Steps begin distributing Take Home Naloxone Kits. In response to the coronavirus pandemic the Scottish Government has made a temporary change to the legislation, allowing non-drug services such as Positive Steps to increase distribution of this life saving drug. Positive Steps are accepted as... Read more

External evaluation concludes Positive Living has made “substantial contribution” to emergency responses to drug harm in Dundee

June 1, 2020

An external evaluation of our one year pilot project concludes, “It has clearly made a substantial contribution to the emergency responses being rolled out in Dundee to combat the current drugs deaths emergency in the city.” The full report can be found here. We receive... Read more

Welcoming our new team!

July 13, 2020

Our welcome our three new outreach practitioners to the Positive Living Assertive Outreach Service! Read more