Using social media to reduce alcohol misuse - Birmingham City Council
1. Using Social Media to reduce Alcohol misuse
Birmingham City Council
19th March 2012
Steven Rose – Head of Strategic Research
&
Ravinder Bains – Customer Segment Manager
2. The Journey to date….
• Previous work through Total Place Pilot on Drugs &
Alcohol –supported by CLG Customer Led Transformation
fund identified:
– Service users to design recovery pathway.
– Using advocates / Champions
– Encouraging service user leadership and self support
– One size doesn’t fit all
• Raised questions on:
– Why are we very heavy skew towards tier 3
– Does system drive dependency?
3. Review of Services-
Could Social Media assist ?
• Researched into the level of SM accessibility?
• Consultation & Focus Groups
• Champions & Peer Support
– 87% trust a friends recommendation over a critics review
- Marketing Sherpa
– 3 times more likely to trust peer opinions over advertising for
purchasing decisions- Jupiter Research
– 1 word of mouth conversation has impact of 200 TV ads-
BuzzAgent
4. Appetite Social Media Support Network
Prevent Detect (incl. CJS) Treatment Positive Outcomes
Present
• Alcohol misusers develop dependency on Tier 3 service consumption
• Long term clients absorbing too much resource
Commissioning on Outcomes Social Media Self-Help
e.g. Mutual support network for the
• Bonus for anniversary of positive outcomes alcohol mis-user community
• Reducing payments for very long term
clients
Future
Benefits
Reduced dependency
based service cost
Effort
6. Phase 2
• Birmingham City Council in partnership with BDAAT were
successful in November 2011 to secure funding for the
development of a social media platform (phase 2)
• Raising awareness of treatment provision and encouraging
movement throughout the system
• Providing an alternative for those who may not want to
access treatment but still want information and support via
the peer support networks in place in Birmingham
7. Aims
• To seek to improve outcomes for substance misusers
and carers through increased support through social
media as an additional option for individuals
• To encourage those who may never have accessed
treatment to find out further information including harm
reduction advice etc
• To raise awareness of services and peer support
networks to encourage the recovery message to
spread far and wide
Recovery is contagious
8. Tools to assist
• Breaking Free Online licenses and training
• Website development raise the profile of recovery,
• Development of a Naloxone DVD
• “Truth about detox” DVD real life examples of
people who have been through detox and rehab
dispelling myths
• Enhancement and/or development of a text
network initiative
• Creation of a social media ‘brand’
11. Expected Outcomes
• That a minimum of 360 substance misusers will
start on their recovery journey
• That a minimum of 60 substance misusers will be
tracked through the Breaking Free Online system
• Increase support networks for those who are
presently or have previously misused substances
• Increased user group awareness of social media
as a support mechanism for peer group supports
• Return on Investment :estimated savings of
£650,000 per annum
12. ,
There is a proverb which says
“If you’ve told someone a 1000
times to do something and they
don’t do it…it isn’t the person
that is a slow learner.”
13. Insanity
“The definition of
insanity is doing the
same thing over and
over again and
expecting different
results”.
- Albert Einstein
14. In other words….
If you always do what you’ve always done
your always gonna get what you always
get.
And let’s face it
17. Thank You
Steven Rose
Head of Strategic Research
0121 675 9566 / 07776 014 046
steven.rose@birmingham.gov.uk
Ravinder Bains
Customer Segment Manager
0121 303 4054
ravinder.bains@birmingham.gov.uk