The Charter of Rights for People Affected by Substance Use marks a fundamental shift in how Scotland approaches substance use, moving away from stigma and criminalisation towards a public health and human rights-based approach. It was developed by the Scottish Government’s National Collaborative, drawing on international law and the Human Rights Act 1998, to create a clear framework for dignity and respect.
What it actually does. The Charter supports Rights-Holders to claim what they’re entitled to, and Duty-Bearers, the organisations and services responsible for providing support, to understand their legal obligations.
What that means day to day. Having this information can support you and the people who use your organisation or group to access the support they need, or to know how to raise issues and challenge decisions when things go wrong.
Funders are starting to ask about it. Many new funders now ask how organisations are embedding the Charter of Rights into their work. In practice, that means taking a human rights-based approach using tools like the PANEL Principles and the FAIR approach, and it can also support meaningful involvement of people with lived and living experience in how services are designed and delivered.
SRC’s role. SRC hosts and distributes Charter of Rights materials and coordinates their dissemination to recovery community organisations across Scotland. SRC didn’t create the Charter, that’s the work of the Scottish Government’s National Collaborative, but we can help get the materials, and practical support for embedding the Charter’s principles, into your hands.
🔗 Request literature for your organisation: https://wkf.ms/4uPsHRu
🔗 Read more about the Charter: https://scottishrecoveryconsortium.org/charter-of-rights/
