Project details

Summary

What is the study about?

Alcohol Assertive Outreach Teams (AAOT) are services that offer support to people with alcohol use problems, that have previously struggled to engage with traditional alcohol services (the kind that you have to reach out to attend appointments). 

People in this group often have complex needs (like mental health difficulties, housing, or employment issues) that do not allow them to fully benefit from traditional alcohol teams, and as a result, frequently attend A&E.

AAOT services try to overcome these challenges by using flexible and creative ways of working with people such as offering appointments and resources in their homes or neighbourhoods.

However, there has been little research into the experiences of people that use AAOT, whether they found them helpful and easy to use, how they impacted their lives, and how we can make them better.

What are you trying to find out?

This study aims to find out how Alcohol Assertive Outreach Teams (AAOT) services were first set up and how well they run. For this purpose, two experienced researchers will interview service users, staff, and other key people about their experiences with AAOT. 

What does taking part involve?

If you would like to take part, you can contact our researchers. We will then contact you to arrange a convenient time and location to meet and discuss what the study will involve. This meeting can be done in your home, or in a community venue. We may ask your key worker to join us for the first meeting. 

Following consent, you will be invited to an interview about your experiences of Alcohol Assertive Outreach Teams (AAOT). This will last between 60 to 90 minutes. We want to know if you found the service helpful, easy to access and use, and if there is anything that would help us improve it. We hope that this interview will be an informal and relaxed experience where you feel able to discuss your experiences freely. 

The study involves a semi-structured interview about your experiences of AAOT services. Please note that the interviews mentioned in this study will be audio-recorded and if conducted via an online platform (Microsoft Teams or Zoom) they will be video-recorded. We will ask for your consent before commencing recording, and audio tapes will be retained until interviews are transcribed and anonymised. 

Who is it for?

This study is no longer looking for new participants but is still ongoing. Our research team will interview service users, staff, and other key people about their experiences with Alcohol Assertive Outreach Teams (AAOT).

Service users who: 

• Are over the age of 18
• Used Alcohol Assertive Outreach Team services between 2018 and 2023 for more than one month

Members of staff who: 

• Were employed in an Alcohol Assertive Outreach Team service between 2018 and 2023.

Key organisational stakeholders who: 

• Involved in setting up and running an Alcohol Assertive Outreach Team service between 2018 and 2023

Why is it important? 

By taking part in this study, you will help contribute to knowledge of how these services function, and what can be done to improve the support offered to people that struggle with alcohol use. You will be contributing to an area of research that is currently under-studied and might help people access support more easily in the future. In addition to this, some people find it helpful to talk to someone about their experiences.

We hope to publish the results of this study in academic journals. We will also aim to share the study results with other parents, healthcare professionals, and researchers at conferences. The data collected might be used for future research; it will remain completely anonymous. It will not be possible to identify you from the information in any reports and publications.

We hope that sharing this research and data to support researchers and healthcare professionals will lead to better support for people with alcohol use problems.

How can I find out more?

This study is no longer looking for new participants but is still ongoing.

However, if you have questions for the research team, click the button below to email the research team:

Email the research team