Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Conference - Belfast 2009

For the first time the New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group (NDSAG) annual conference will leave the mainland. In 2009 Conference will be held in Belfast (Conference organising committee led by Professor Robin Davidson - contact through this blog)

Dates for the Diary: Thursday 23rd – Sunday 26th April 2009

NDSAG is able to hold costs to 2007 levels (@£475 inclusive of registration, accommodation, meals etc. with a discount (£395) for NDSAG members). This is an advance notice to get the dates in diaries, more information soon. The conference will be in a venue close to Belfast city centre.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

NDSAG Conference 2008, Salisbury

You’re not listening to me!
communication, effectiveness & appropriate delivery
service users, practitioners and management

NDSAG ANNUAL CONFERENCE
24–27 APRIL 2008
Sarum College, Salisbury


NDSAG CONFERENCE PROGRAMME


Thursday 24 April 2008
13.30 ARRIVAL AND REGISTRATION
14.00 NDSAG Chair’s Welcome & Introduction: Trevor McCarthy
14.05 Introduction to the Conference: Tim Leighton

Conference Opening Session: Chair: Nick Barton

14.15 Welcome presentation from a key local speaker speaker to be confirmed
Traditional session placing the nomadic New Directions
in the local context
14.45 Lessons from the Army Brenda Coldwell
Delivering treatment to a special population

15.15 Tea & Biscuits Break

Taking inspiration from the experience of being heard

15.45 Therapeutic listening Bill Reading
16.15 The Views of Children and other Family Members Lorna Templeton
16.45 Three Wise Men Tim Leighton
17.15 Putting it another way John Booth Davies
17.45 Street Encounters Doug Cameron

18.45 Conference Reception
The first evening reception is a traditional feature of the New Directions annual conference. The event is designed to welcome all delegates, including those who have been regular members of New Directions and particularly those attending for the first time. Complementary pre-dinner drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are available. The emphasis is on meeting informally with as many of the other delegates, including established members, committee members and speakers, early in the conference. New Directions has always sought to promote active participation, because this improves our experience of the conference and helps develop personal, professional networks.

19.30 Dinner



Friday 25 April 2008

Friday Morning Session: tales from the edge: you didn’t listen to me
Chair: Pip mason

9.00 Untreated Heavy Drinkers Alison Rolfe
9.30 Someone who chooses not to drink speaker to be confirmed
10.00 Children Wendy Robinson (tbc)
10.30 Implications of not listening Mandi Hodges

11.00 Coffee & Biscuits Break

11.30 Inebriety and sobriety – what do people really really want?
11.30 Marketing Inebriety Ross Gordon
12.00 Marketing Deception – Ideas of JBD, DC and I Robin Davidson
12.30 Sober reflections on inebriations
Facilitated discussion

13.00 Lunch

Friday Afternoon Session:

MARKET MAYHEM Tim Leighton
It’s Commissioning Jim – but not as we know it ….. or is it?
Each delegate takes on the role of commissioner exploring the alcohol treatment market place. In the market will be stallholders representing different aspects of treatment. Delegate commissioners are equipped with a supply of ‘beans’ - already counted – all you have to do is spend them, wisely and well. An exercise in exploring how and why treatments manage to get themselves heard about.

14.00 Impractical Commissioning
The Market exercise

15.30 Tea & Biscuits Break

16.00 Practical Commissioning
Reflections: key issues to improve the alcohol treatment marketplace:
Increasing choices and options; diversity of provision; getting the right balance; meeting changing needs; neglected treatment approaches; achieving the appropriate mix

18.15 NDSAG AGM
19.30 Dinner

Saturday 26th April 2008

Saturday Morning Session: Are you sitting comfortably? then we’ll begin

CHAIR: Wulf Livingston

9.00 The Tales People Tell Ron McKechnie
9.30 The Tales Social Workers Tell Sarah Galvani
10.00 Narratives of identity Anya Koski-Jannes

10.45 Coffee & Biscuits Break

11.15 New Directions Papers
The New Directions Papers slot offers opportunities for delegates to deliver a brief presentation. Papers are invited on issues relating to practice or research in the alcohol field. Delegates wishing to submit a New Directions Paper should approach the organisers in advance. Presentations may be delivered in parallel sessions. Details will be included in the final conference programme.

Saturday Morning Session: Chair: sally scriminger

11.15 Working with Families Zara McQueen
11.45 The International Clinics Foundation – listening to cultural diversity
Iqubal Hyare
12.15 A talk to try and make sense of the mess in my head Wulf Livingston

12.45 The Development and Early Experiences of a new Primary Health Care Alcohol Service Rod Hawker

13.15 Lunch

14.15 Saturday Afternoon

Self Directed Learning Opportunities
Conference delegates identify and pursue individual learning objectives in collaboration with colleagues with facilitation and support from the conference organisers as required.

19.30 Dinner


21.00 Quiz 2008 Doug Cameron &
A Team Event For All Delegates Trevor McCarthy



Sunday 27th April 2008

Sunday Morning Session: new blind alleys chair: trevor MCCARTHY

9.30 Who needs and doesn’t need treatment? Colin Drummond
10.00 Applying the drugs agenda to alcohol…… David Best
10.30 Critiquing the disease concept Nick Heather

11.30 Coffee & Biscuits Break

12.00 Commentary Richard Velleman

12.30 Planning the New Directions Conference 2009
Traditional end to a NDSAG conference: a planning session and wish list to inform the organisation of the next conference, which in 2009 will be held somewhere.

13.00 Conference Closes


The New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group (NDSAG) has provided a safe environment where alcohol practitioners, researchers & service managers have explored and debated contemporary challenges in the field since the mid 1970s.

This year our conference addresses key issues in communication: how particular groups of service users and stakeholders fail to get the hearing they deserve. The implications for service users, families and carers, and how the alcohol treatment field as a whole is marginalised will be addressed. Because this is New Directions it won’t – of course – just be a chance to moan – strategies for enabling the disenfranchised and excluded messages, individuals and groups to be heard will be explored and developed.

We welcome new and returning members & delegates to the NDSAG 2008 conference and we will do our best to ensure you enjoy yourselves.

New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group: Charity No: 281393


For latest conference booking details
go to

newdirections.org.uk