Charities must rise to the challenge
I have been asked several times how some of the changes that are happening in the public sector affect what CRI is doing. CRI was created to pursue its charitable [...]
‘Legal highs’: another temptation for young people
Many young people experiment with alcohol, cannabis and/or drugs at some point and there has been a lot of discussion recently around the use of so called ‘legal highs’. We [...]
Learnings from an A&E visit
I recently found myself spending some time in A&E. It was difficult not to eavesdrop and totally impossible to switch off the ‘CRI radar’.
Young people defy stereotypes
Since the summer there has been a lot of negative comment about young people; more specifically, that young people are the source of a social malaise that has apparently taken [...]
Payment by Results makes information sharing critical
I was recently invited to address an audience of commissioners in the drug sector gathered together by the UK Drug Policy Commission. The subject was “Commissioning for Recovery” and I [...]
Charities must grow to meet need
I have recently been challenged by another charity’s Chief Executive, someone I respect and admire who chided me for always talking about CRI in terms of business numbers and growth. [...]
From ‘legal alien’ to belonging
I was listening to a New York correspondent reflecting on his feelings during the week following the attack on the World Trade Centre on 9/11. It was a powerful 15 minutes [...]
Assertive engagement could prevent future riots
The riots reminded me that one of the (many) things that CRI has done differently over the years has been to initiate the concept of ‘assertive outreach’ for those on [...]
Service user involvement key to CRI
I was at a service user council meeting recently. No matter how many times it happens, I come away reminded of my sense of vocation and sense of purpose.