Alcohol and drugs: partnership delivery framework - 2026

Annex A: Self-Assessment Checklist (Complete / Consolidated)

This Annex consolidates all Self-Assessment Checklists embedded throughout the Partnership Delivery Framework (PDF). These reflective prompts are intended to support self-evaluation, governance assurance and continuous improvement. They do not create new statutory duties or override existing governance responsibilities.

1. Context and Induction

• Individuals and organisations noted as partners have a clear understanding of the historical development and policy context of current alcohol and drugs policy and this PDF, including recognition of underlying and evolving social, health, and systemic challenges impacting people’s recovery journeys.
• There are means in place locally and within the Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) to ensure that partners are appropriately inducted and informed of the context within which collective efforts are undertaken to deliver improved holistic support to people affected by problematic use of alcohol and drugs.

2. The ADP

• All key statutory and strategic partners have been invited to participate in the ADP in some form.
• The ADP comprises all representatives noted within the minimum expected cohort.
• The ADP has taken steps to incorporate meaningful engagement with people with lived and living experience of substance use, in line with the Charter of Rights and the principles of participation, dignity and co-production.
• There are processes in place to regularly review, strengthen, and potentially broaden partner involvement.

3. The ADP Support Team

• The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have the capacity and skills to support the ADP in setting a clear direction for local alcohol and drug strategies that align with the national Strategic Plan, relevant national frameworks and broader public health, justice, and social care priorities.
• The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have the capacity and skills to support and encourage multi-agency collaboration across statutory, third sector, and community partners, including people with lived experience.
• The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have the capacity and skills to support organised planning, project management and monitoring on behalf of the ADP.
• The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have the capacity and skills to encourage and support appropriate information and data management and exchange between partners.
• The ADP Coordinator / Support Team has on-going relevant training in collaborative leadership, trauma-informed practice, equality, diversity and inclusion, community engagement and co-production, data analysis and performance reporting, commissioning and financial oversight, safeguarding and risk management, and human rights-based approaches.
• The ADP Coordinator / Support Team have identified any gaps in knowledge or skills that require further training and pursued options to fill those gaps.
• The Integration Authority (IA) has provided support in sourcing corporate or other training to the ADP Coordinator / Support Team.

4. Flow of Finance

• The IA has provided specialist corporate finance support or training to allow prudent commissioning and disbursement of funding per the ADP Strategic Plan.
• The ADP has received its full allocation of Scottish Government (SG) national strategic funding, as detailed in the associated allocation letter, without the application of any top-slicing or efficiency savings.
• The ADP has not been asked or encouraged by any partner to divert SG national strategic funding towards services or initiatives that should otherwise be resourced through baselined or mainstream allocations.
• The ADP has received, or been provided control over, any additional funding from other sources beyond SG national strategic funding and this has been transparently accounted for in planning and reporting.
• The ADP has accounted for any decision to deviate from, or reallocate funds allocated to fulfil specific national objectives, supported by robust needs assessment and evidence.
• All partners on the ADP contribute transparently to strategic direction, disclosing accurate and timely financial and resource reporting.

5. Data Sharing

• The importance of data exchange is communicated to, and understood by, partners at all levels; and conditions of data compliance have been incorporated into commissioning agreements and contracts.
• Contributing partners support the expectation that all commissioned services contribute to national systems for information exchange and statistical analysis (e.g. Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response (RADAR) and Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy.)

6. Lived and Living Experience (LLE)

• People with lived and living experience (LLE) are recognised as rights-holders and their insights and perspectives are valued.
• LLE voices are involved early and throughout strategy, commissioning, service design, delivery and review.
• There is clarity about what can be influenced, what is fixed, and how decisions are made.
• Structured and transparent approaches to engagement are used.
• Engagement methods are accessible, trauma-informed and responsive to people’s circumstances.
• People with LLE are supported to participate meaningfully.
• LLE engagement reflects diverse experiences.
• There are clear routes for feedback, complaints and anonymous input.
• There is reporting back to people with LLE on what was heard, what changed, and what could not change and why.
• LLE involvement is embedded in governance, reporting and assurance and regularly reviewed.

7. National Transparency and Scrutiny

• A current high-level national strategy for alcohol and drugs services has been consulted upon and published.
• Proper regulations and procedures have been observed in commissioning and funding delivery partners.
• National progress against the strategy has been proactively reported.
• Relevant scrutiny and evaluation processes have been engaged with and responded to.
• A human rights-based approach including the PANEL Principles has been embedded within national strategy.

8. Local Transparency and Scrutiny

• The ADP has a Strategic Plan aligned with other strategic plans.
• Any deviation from national strategy is explicitly accounted for.
• A human rights-based approach is embedded in local strategic planning.
• The ADP can demonstrate appropriate governance and oversight.
• The IA and ADP work are aligned.
• Public money is demonstrably used to maximum benefit to deliver measurable outcomes.
• The ADP reports and publishes implementation and financial reports at least annually.

9. Service Level Transparency and Scrutiny

• The service has a delivery plan aligned with other strategic plans.
• Any deviation from national or local strategy is explicitly accounted for.
• The service can demonstrate appropriate governance and oversight.
• The ADP and service work are aligned with coordinated leadership and escalation.
• Public money is demonstrably used to maximum benefit.
• The service proactively publishes accessible information on commissioned activity and spend.

10. Self-Assessment Checklist: Queries and Complaints

• There is clarity from all partners in where to direct queries and complaints and the criteria and means for escalation, should remedy prove unsatisfactory.
• Trends, themes and learning from complaints and queries are periodically analysed and reported through appropriate governance routes.
• Evidence of learning from complaints and queries is used to inform service or system improvement.

11. Flagging, Learning and Improving from Experience

• Mechanisms are in place to identify, flag and share learning from adverse events or emerging risks.
• Learning informs improvement actions through governance forums.
• System-wide learning is shared locally and nationally where appropriate.
• The ADP can demonstrate quality improvement in delivery of outcomes.
• Deviation from this PDF or national strategy is rationalised and reported.
• There is a well-communicated mechanism for engagement between national and local partners.
• There is proactive communication to avoid unnecessary escalation of issues and complaints.