Iain McPhee PhD
Iain McPhee FRSA; PhD; M.Sc. BA (Hons) Pg Dip; Pg. Cert; Pg Cert Research, SFHEA
Qualifications
Iain has studied at University of Stirling, University of the West of Scotland, and Glasgow Caledonian University.
Work experience
Iain has worked in the area of homelessness and addictions for 30 years in various helping agencies and therapeutic communities in and around the Glasgow area. He was project Leader of National drugs and National AIDS help lines in the late 90’s. Iain is also a Consultant Expert Witness for High Court and Sheriff Court in Scotland.
Teaching
Since 1996, Iain has provided part time teaching to BSc Health Studies undergraduates; to nursing students and from 1996-2010 at Scottish Police College. From January 2000 -2022, Iain taught full time as a Senior Lecturer into the postgraduate (level 11) alcohol and drugs studies programme.
Research
His research focuses on non-treatment seeking users of illicit and illegal drugs. Most drug research targets easy to reach service users recruited from health and criminal justice agencies. Non service users narratives are largely absent from addictions and policy discourse. He believes that drug prohibition is a major casual factor in many of the negative consequences associated with drug taking, and believes in drug policy reform to prevent harms from prohibition, by decriminalising drugs. He publishes widely in addiction and education research, has published two academic books, and several peer reviewed academic papers on the use of controlled drugs.
Address: Paisley Campus
UWS
Qualifications
Iain has studied at University of Stirling, University of the West of Scotland, and Glasgow Caledonian University.
Work experience
Iain has worked in the area of homelessness and addictions for 30 years in various helping agencies and therapeutic communities in and around the Glasgow area. He was project Leader of National drugs and National AIDS help lines in the late 90’s. Iain is also a Consultant Expert Witness for High Court and Sheriff Court in Scotland.
Teaching
Since 1996, Iain has provided part time teaching to BSc Health Studies undergraduates; to nursing students and from 1996-2010 at Scottish Police College. From January 2000 -2022, Iain taught full time as a Senior Lecturer into the postgraduate (level 11) alcohol and drugs studies programme.
Research
His research focuses on non-treatment seeking users of illicit and illegal drugs. Most drug research targets easy to reach service users recruited from health and criminal justice agencies. Non service users narratives are largely absent from addictions and policy discourse. He believes that drug prohibition is a major casual factor in many of the negative consequences associated with drug taking, and believes in drug policy reform to prevent harms from prohibition, by decriminalising drugs. He publishes widely in addiction and education research, has published two academic books, and several peer reviewed academic papers on the use of controlled drugs.
Address: Paisley Campus
UWS
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Papers by Iain McPhee PhD
RA Ltd. has made a significant contribution to implementing a human rights-based approach to addressing drug harm and deaths in Scotland.
● The workshops and the Reach Advocacy Practice Award (RAPA) have successfully increased participants' knowledge of MAT Standards and human rights legislation.
● Over 600 participants were engaged in the workshops and 32 candidates completed the RAPA.
● Reach's work aligns with the Scottish Government's 'National Mission' to reduce drug-related deaths and has been cited in several publications for promoting culture and systems change.
● The main themes revolve around the importance of human rights in healthcare, particularly in the context of substance use treatment services in Scotland.
● The evaluation aimed to assess the impact of MAT Standards and HRBA awareness workshops and the RAPA across Scotland.
● The mixed-methods research approach revealed significant gaps in knowledge regarding substance use disorder, clinical guidelines, and human rights legislation among workshop participants.
● The workshops successfully raised awareness and educated participants on MAT Standards, HRBA, and the importance of a trauma-informed approach to care.
● Despite challenges, including a lack of urgency from the government for advocacy workers' training and no mandate for quality assured qualifications like the RAPA, Reach has made progress in several areas.
● The evaluation recommends that the Scottish Government urgently direct resources to Reach Advocacy Ltd. to meet care standards and human rights obligations.
● Public bodies should undertake funded workshops and training from Reach to ensure rights-based workforce development.
● Services should be periodically evaluated for quality assurance, rights holders should be made aware of their rights, and the Scottish Government should enforce strategies requiring knowledge and implementation of a human rights-based approach.
● The document discusses the implementation of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards and the Reach Advocacy Practice Award (RAPA) in Scotland, aiming to address drug harm and deaths using a human rights-based approach (HRbA).
● The evaluation reveals workforce unfamiliarity with UK human rights legislation and varying views on addiction and recovery, affecting the implementation of MAT Standards.
● The findings emphasizes the need for systemic and cultural change, rights-based workforce development, and public awareness of human rights to address health inequalities.
● The World Health Organization (WHO) commits countries to develop rights-compliant, effective, integrated, and accountable health systems and implement other public health measures that improve the underlying social determinants of health.
● The systemic practice of discrete services, each with their own eligibility criteria, hinders a human rights-based approach being implemented as it raises the potential of reintroducing trauma.
● The language and terminology used within bureaucratic 'systems' changes over time influenced by what organisation or department or service or organisation can deliver, creating differing and often competing expectations of meeting the rights of people accessing services.
● The Reach workshop data indicates a lack of consistency in understanding in the workforce as duty bearers being able to inform service users as rights holders what is being planned for them in relation to their care, and how to facilitate choice in relation to their treatment and care.
● Participant data and Reach staff feedback indicates a lack of workforce awareness of existing legislation in relation to the rights of patients, the NHS charter of rights, and the right to independent advocacy and social support.
The evaluation of the work of Reach Advocacy Ltd highlights the importance of acknowledging and integrating human rights in health and social care services, particularly for individuals affected by substance use. It also underscores the need for systemic and cultural change to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights within service delivery. A lack of understanding and awareness of existing human rights legislation among the workforce is a significant barrier to meeting the rights of people accessing services. It calls for more resources to be directed towards training and workforce development to improve service quality assurance and compliance with human rights legislation.
Purpose ‐ This paper aims to critically explore the consequences of how Scotland interprets the UK Misuse of Drugs Act (1971). Scotland prosecutes 24 per cent of people found in possession of illegal drugs for drug dealing compared to less than 15 per cent in England and Wales and less than 16 per cent in Northern Ireland.
Design/methodology/approach ‐ The paper provides a narrative review in the context of the background of the economic and social costs of illegal drugs in Scotland and compares this with the UK and Northern Ireland.
Findings ‐ The explanation for such a wide disparity in numbers of dealers between these countries proposed is that the Scottish Police force is comparatively more successful at persuading courts that small quantities of drugs rather than for personal use are in fact for onward sale or supply to others.
Practical implications ‐ The police in Scotland have a network of specialist drug units in which officers make decisions in the absence of benchmarks against which to judge quantities of repossessed drugs. Taking this approach, a devolved Scotland's commitment to drug prohibition has resulted in some very curious differences in classifications of prosecutions compared to other countries.
Originality/value ‐ The paper explores the consequences of how Scotland deals with the use of illegal drugs and the economic and social costs.
Purpose
This study aims to provide data on substance use amongst young people in Scotland to inform policy and practice for an age group who generally do not access specialist alcohol and drug services. The main objectives of the study were to assess the problem severity scores of items from a modified version of the DAST-10 brief screening instrument among respondents; examine correlations between a range of variables in relation to DAST-10 problem severity scores; and explore respondent knowledge of how and where to seek help.
Design/methodology/approach
A fixed quantitative design methodology recruited a non-probability sample of 4,501 respondents from an online survey made available by “We are With you” Scotland.
The survey was ethically approved by the School of Education and Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland. It consisted of 32 questions exploring substances used within the past 12 months, and 12 weeks, and included the DAST-10. We further explored help seeking, and knowledge of support available to respondents.
Findings
Substance use patterns were markedly different from people currently known to specialist alcohol and drug services. Over half of respondents were under 25, and 62% report being employed. The most commonly used substances were cannabis and cocaine. One third of respondents recorded substantial or severe problem severity scores and reside in Scottish Local Authorities with high concentrations of socio-economic inequality.
Secure accommodation, stable relationships and being employed are protective factors in relation to reported negative health consequences associated with problem substance use.
Just under one third (27%) of respondents report knowing where to seek help for substance use problems; however, they are unwilling to attend existing specialist alcohol and drug services.
Research limitations/implications
A non-probability sample of the Scottish population has a potential for response bias due to how and what way the survey was made available to respondents. It is acknowledged that while useful as a method of generating drug use data, there are limitations in how recently the substance use occurred, and in relation to the types of substances reported (cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy).
Practical implications
The study provides data to inform wider public health measures in relation to accessing support and addressing societal discrimination associated with the use of substances. The study provides data on service design for young people who do not access specialist alcohol and drug services.
Social implications
The study informs substance use policy in the Scottish context in relation to a population of young people who use licit and illicit substances. Data contributes to evidence supporting correlations between problematic substance use and socio-economic inequality. Data indicates that existing specialist services require redesign.
Originality/value
The study is the first to be conducted within a Scottish context.
RA Ltd. has made a significant contribution to implementing a human rights-based approach to addressing drug harm and deaths in Scotland.
● The workshops and the Reach Advocacy Practice Award (RAPA) have successfully increased participants' knowledge of MAT Standards and human rights legislation.
● Over 600 participants were engaged in the workshops and 32 candidates completed the RAPA.
● Reach's work aligns with the Scottish Government's 'National Mission' to reduce drug-related deaths and has been cited in several publications for promoting culture and systems change.
● The main themes revolve around the importance of human rights in healthcare, particularly in the context of substance use treatment services in Scotland.
● The evaluation aimed to assess the impact of MAT Standards and HRBA awareness workshops and the RAPA across Scotland.
● The mixed-methods research approach revealed significant gaps in knowledge regarding substance use disorder, clinical guidelines, and human rights legislation among workshop participants.
● The workshops successfully raised awareness and educated participants on MAT Standards, HRBA, and the importance of a trauma-informed approach to care.
● Despite challenges, including a lack of urgency from the government for advocacy workers' training and no mandate for quality assured qualifications like the RAPA, Reach has made progress in several areas.
● The evaluation recommends that the Scottish Government urgently direct resources to Reach Advocacy Ltd. to meet care standards and human rights obligations.
● Public bodies should undertake funded workshops and training from Reach to ensure rights-based workforce development.
● Services should be periodically evaluated for quality assurance, rights holders should be made aware of their rights, and the Scottish Government should enforce strategies requiring knowledge and implementation of a human rights-based approach.
● The document discusses the implementation of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Standards and the Reach Advocacy Practice Award (RAPA) in Scotland, aiming to address drug harm and deaths using a human rights-based approach (HRbA).
● The evaluation reveals workforce unfamiliarity with UK human rights legislation and varying views on addiction and recovery, affecting the implementation of MAT Standards.
● The findings emphasizes the need for systemic and cultural change, rights-based workforce development, and public awareness of human rights to address health inequalities.
● The World Health Organization (WHO) commits countries to develop rights-compliant, effective, integrated, and accountable health systems and implement other public health measures that improve the underlying social determinants of health.
● The systemic practice of discrete services, each with their own eligibility criteria, hinders a human rights-based approach being implemented as it raises the potential of reintroducing trauma.
● The language and terminology used within bureaucratic 'systems' changes over time influenced by what organisation or department or service or organisation can deliver, creating differing and often competing expectations of meeting the rights of people accessing services.
● The Reach workshop data indicates a lack of consistency in understanding in the workforce as duty bearers being able to inform service users as rights holders what is being planned for them in relation to their care, and how to facilitate choice in relation to their treatment and care.
● Participant data and Reach staff feedback indicates a lack of workforce awareness of existing legislation in relation to the rights of patients, the NHS charter of rights, and the right to independent advocacy and social support.
The evaluation of the work of Reach Advocacy Ltd highlights the importance of acknowledging and integrating human rights in health and social care services, particularly for individuals affected by substance use. It also underscores the need for systemic and cultural change to ensure the protection and promotion of human rights within service delivery. A lack of understanding and awareness of existing human rights legislation among the workforce is a significant barrier to meeting the rights of people accessing services. It calls for more resources to be directed towards training and workforce development to improve service quality assurance and compliance with human rights legislation.
Purpose ‐ This paper aims to critically explore the consequences of how Scotland interprets the UK Misuse of Drugs Act (1971). Scotland prosecutes 24 per cent of people found in possession of illegal drugs for drug dealing compared to less than 15 per cent in England and Wales and less than 16 per cent in Northern Ireland.
Design/methodology/approach ‐ The paper provides a narrative review in the context of the background of the economic and social costs of illegal drugs in Scotland and compares this with the UK and Northern Ireland.
Findings ‐ The explanation for such a wide disparity in numbers of dealers between these countries proposed is that the Scottish Police force is comparatively more successful at persuading courts that small quantities of drugs rather than for personal use are in fact for onward sale or supply to others.
Practical implications ‐ The police in Scotland have a network of specialist drug units in which officers make decisions in the absence of benchmarks against which to judge quantities of repossessed drugs. Taking this approach, a devolved Scotland's commitment to drug prohibition has resulted in some very curious differences in classifications of prosecutions compared to other countries.
Originality/value ‐ The paper explores the consequences of how Scotland deals with the use of illegal drugs and the economic and social costs.
Purpose
This study aims to provide data on substance use amongst young people in Scotland to inform policy and practice for an age group who generally do not access specialist alcohol and drug services. The main objectives of the study were to assess the problem severity scores of items from a modified version of the DAST-10 brief screening instrument among respondents; examine correlations between a range of variables in relation to DAST-10 problem severity scores; and explore respondent knowledge of how and where to seek help.
Design/methodology/approach
A fixed quantitative design methodology recruited a non-probability sample of 4,501 respondents from an online survey made available by “We are With you” Scotland.
The survey was ethically approved by the School of Education and Social Sciences, University of the West of Scotland. It consisted of 32 questions exploring substances used within the past 12 months, and 12 weeks, and included the DAST-10. We further explored help seeking, and knowledge of support available to respondents.
Findings
Substance use patterns were markedly different from people currently known to specialist alcohol and drug services. Over half of respondents were under 25, and 62% report being employed. The most commonly used substances were cannabis and cocaine. One third of respondents recorded substantial or severe problem severity scores and reside in Scottish Local Authorities with high concentrations of socio-economic inequality.
Secure accommodation, stable relationships and being employed are protective factors in relation to reported negative health consequences associated with problem substance use.
Just under one third (27%) of respondents report knowing where to seek help for substance use problems; however, they are unwilling to attend existing specialist alcohol and drug services.
Research limitations/implications
A non-probability sample of the Scottish population has a potential for response bias due to how and what way the survey was made available to respondents. It is acknowledged that while useful as a method of generating drug use data, there are limitations in how recently the substance use occurred, and in relation to the types of substances reported (cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy).
Practical implications
The study provides data to inform wider public health measures in relation to accessing support and addressing societal discrimination associated with the use of substances. The study provides data on service design for young people who do not access specialist alcohol and drug services.
Social implications
The study informs substance use policy in the Scottish context in relation to a population of young people who use licit and illicit substances. Data contributes to evidence supporting correlations between problematic substance use and socio-economic inequality. Data indicates that existing specialist services require redesign.
Originality/value
The study is the first to be conducted within a Scottish context.