The Scottish Recovery Consortium (SRC) welcomes the publication of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2026-2031 and its continued commitment to reducing Scotland’s unacceptably high level of preventable drug and alcohol related deaths.
The Programme’s emphasis on prevention, early intervention, whole-family support, community empowerment, public service reform and tackling inequalities closely aligns with SRC’s vision of a Scotland where recovery is visible, accessible and sustainable for everyone.
However, while these commitments are welcome, there remains a real urgency to accelerate progress. Too many people are still being harmed or dying as a result of drug and alcohol use, too many families continue to experience the devastating impact of substance-related harm, and too many communities are living with the consequences of trauma, poverty, exclusion and loss. Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community whose lives have been changed forever. While important foundations have been put in place in recent years, Scotland cannot afford to be complacent. We must move from ambition to implementation at pace if we are to deliver the scale of change that people, families and communities need. SRC believes that we must move further and faster to ensure people can access the right support at the right time and for as long as they need it.
SRC is encouraged by the Government’s commitment to preventing harm and promoting recovery through joined-up services that connect treatment, housing, health, employment and justice support. However, recovery should not be viewed as the end point of treatment. Recovery is about more than addressing drug and alcohol harm; it is about rebuilding lives, restoring relationships, improving wellbeing and creating opportunities for people to participate fully in their families, communities and society. Achieving long-term recovery requires more than clinical intervention alone and must be supported by a coordinated system that enables people to grow, contribute and thrive.
The commitment to supporting recovery within communities and to ensuring they are connected to wider systems of support is especially welcome. Evidence demonstrates that people achieve their best outcomes when recovery communities, peer support, meaningful activity, employability opportunities, stable housing and social connection complement treatment pathways. The Programme’s focus on a preventative approach, community-based services and a “No Wrong Door” model provides a strong foundation for embedding recovery-oriented support across Scotland.
Long-term recovery is a key protective factor against relapse, reoffending, health inequalities, social exclusion and future demand on public services. Recovery communities and Lived Experience Recovery Organisations (LEROs) are delivering significant social value across Scotland, often reaching individuals who may not engage with traditional services. Continued investment in these community assets will be essential if Scotland is to achieve its ambitions for reducing alcohol and drug related harm over the lifetime of this Parliament.
SRC is particularly encouraged by the Programme’s commitment to partnership with the third sector and the proposed Partnership Agreement founded on trust, collaboration and mutual respect. Recovery communities and LEROs have a unique role in delivering hope, connection and practical support. People with lived and living experience bring expertise that strengthens policy, improves services and ensures responses remain focused on what matters most to those affected by drug and alcohol harm.
SRC also welcomes the Government’s wider ambitions around child poverty, community cohesion, public service reform and employability. Recovery does not happen in isolation and is profoundly influenced by the social determinants of health. Investment in housing, family support, education, employment and community development contributes directly to recovery outcomes and helps create the conditions in which people can thrive. The Programme’s commitment to prevention, human rights, participation and community empowerment reflects many of the principles already underpinning Scotland’s recovery movement.
Recovery as Prevention
SRC believes there is a significant opportunity to further strengthen the Programme’s prevention agenda by recognising recovery as a form of prevention in its own right. People who achieve sustained recovery experience improved health, reduced involvement with the justice system, stronger family relationships, increased participation in employment and education, and improved community wellbeing. Investment in recovery support therefore contributes directly to the Programme’s broader ambitions around public service reform, community justice, employment, child poverty prevention and health improvement.
Every person supported into sustained recovery represents a success in prevention. Recovery reduces future demand on health services, social care, housing, criminal justice and welfare systems while improving outcomes for families and communities. Investment in recovery is therefore both socially beneficial and economically impactful.
Recovery Communities as Community Assets
The Programme rightly highlights the importance of community empowerment, partnership working and strengthening the role of the third sector. Recovery communities are examples of successful, community-led assets already delivering on these ambitions across Scotland. They provide safe spaces, peer support, volunteering opportunities, leadership development and pathways to participation for some of Scotland’s most marginalised communities.
As Scotland advances its ambitions for prevention, public service reform, and community-based support, there should be greater recognition of the contributions that recovery communities and LEROs make to improving outcomes and reducing pressure on public services. Investing in recovery infrastructure is not simply an investment in alcohol and drug services; it is an investment in healthier communities, stronger families and stronger local economies.
What communities have told us
Over the past two years, SRC has worked alongside people with lived and living experience, families, recovery communities, local recovery organisations and partners across Scotland. Through engagement events, community visits, local conversations and partnership forums, we have heard a clear and consistent message: people want recovery to be recognised as a fundamental part of Scotland’s response to drug and alcohol-related harm. They want services and systems that are compassionate, connected and built around the realities of people’s lives.
Communities have told us that treatment is essential, but it is only one part of the journey. People need somewhere safe to live, meaningful opportunities, supportive relationships, access to education and employment, and strong recovery communities that help them build and sustain a life in recovery. They want services, communities and systems to work together so that people experience a seamless pathway of support rather than a series of disconnected interventions.
We have also heard a clear call for government and public services to work differently. People want to be involved as equal partners in shaping solutions, not simply consulted after decisions have been made. Communities want their knowledge, expertise and experience to influence policy, commissioning, funding and implementation. They want recovery communities and lived experience recovery organisations to be recognised as trusted partners in delivering positive change.
The priorities outlined in SRC’s Cross-Party Manifesto reflect what communities have consistently told us matters most: long-term investment in recovery alongside treatment, stronger community resilience, meaningful involvement of lived and living experience, support for women and families, and the development of recovery-oriented systems of care that connect housing, health, justice, education, employment and community support.
Perhaps the strongest message we have heard is that communities want to see action alongside ambition. They want recovery to be visible, valued and embedded within national policy and local delivery. Most importantly, they want to be involved in shaping, delivering and measuring the change that Scotland is seeking to achieve. Communities have repeatedly told us that they do not want solutions designed for them; they want solutions designed with them. We know that the expertise, innovation, leadership and solutions required already exist within communities across Scotland. The challenge now is not identifying what needs to change, but ensuring that people, families and communities are allowed to help lead that change.
Finally, SRC welcomes the Programme for Government’s commitment to ending drug and alcohol related deaths and harms. However, if Scotland is to realise these ambitions fully, there must be a stronger focus on the entire recovery journey, from early engagement and treatment through to long-term recovery, reintegration and community participation. Treatment saves lives, and recovery rebuilds lives. A balanced approach that invests in both treatment and sustained recovery support will deliver the greatest long-term benefits for individuals, families, communities and Scotland as a whole.
The Programme for Government presents an important opportunity to transform Scotland’s response to alcohol and drug harm. Achieving that ambition will require equal focus on preventing harm, saving lives and supporting long-term recovery. By investing in the whole recovery journey and recognising recovery communities and LERO’s as essential partners in delivery, Scotland can create a future where fewer people die, more people recover, and every community has the opportunity to thrive.
As the Scottish Government progresses this work, SRC will work to ensure the voices of people with lived and living experience, families and communities remain central to shaping and measuring progress. SRC is calling on the Scottish Government to engage directly with our recovery networks across Scotland to ensure that implementation is grounded in the realities of people’s lives, informed by their experiences, and responsive to the needs of communities. Meaningful engagement with those most affected will be essential to translating ambition into action and delivering sustainable change that makes a real difference across Scotland.
Tracey McFall
CEO, Scottish Recovery Consortium
September 2026
