On 28 January 2026, community and voluntary sector partners from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland gathered in Drogheda for the second SUMIT (Substance Use and Mental Health Interventions using Digital Technology) Community of Practice (CoP 2). The event was generously hosted by our community partner, The Red Door Project, and marked a step forward in turning shared ideas into practical action.

A positive mood and realistic conversations

The day began with reflection on progress since CoP 1. Partners shared what they were most looking forward to and what made them nervous. The overall mood was optimistic. There was a strong sense that momentum is building within organisations and that SUMIT is beginning to feel real and, more importantly, practical. 

However, services spoke honestly about challenges, including:

• Managing organisational change
• Navigating GDPR and governance concerns
• Responding to changing substance-use patterns
• Strengthening cultural competence
• Tackling social exclusion

These weren’t raised as barriers, but as realities that need thoughtful support.

Co-Design: Not reinventing the wheel

One of the most important mindset shifts discussed was around co-design.

Partners reflected that SUMIT is not about building entirely new digital systems from scratch. Instead, it is about strengthening what already works well in services. By looking at existing workflows and identifying where digital tools can enhance practice; organisations are feeling less overwhelmed 

This reframing has reduced anxiety around ‘digital transformation’. Rather than expensive or disruptive innovation, the focus is on adapting tools that already exist and making them work within current service cultures.

Crucially, partners valued the support available, and partnership provided, through SUMIT as they navigate this.

Trauma-Informed Practice: Beyond the Individual

A key session within CoP2 was led by Professor Anne Campbell, who encouraged services to think about trauma-informed practice not just at practitioner level, but at organisational level.

Discussions drew powerful parallels between communities in Northern Ireland living with the legacy of the Troubles and communities in Drogheda shaped by gang-related violence. While histories differ, both contexts are shaped by cumulative trauma that affects trust, engagement and service uptake.

Importantly, Anne invited direct input from services about what trauma-informed training would be most useful in practice. This wasn’t about imposing a model, it was about shaping something together 

Digital Readiness: Reducing anxiety, building capability

The digital readiness session was led by Aaron Slater from the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), using a case study to bring the issues to life. The focus was not compliance, but confidence. 

The case study highlighted missed opportunities in supporting service users in digital engagement, leading to conversations recognising the digital device is not the solution, rather a mechanism to facilitate delivery of this.

One important theme was moving beyond the idea of a single “digital champion.” Digital inclusion cannot sit with one person; it must be a shared responsibility across teams. As reflected by one of our partners ‘We should all be digital champions’. This discussion helped partners see digital readiness as something manageable and collective, rather than technical and intimidating.

Practical Concerns

GDPR and governance remain areas of concern. Services spoke openly about uncertainty around data ownership, consent and risk. These issues are real and they need careful navigation. At the same time, partners recognised that digital tools can reduce duplication and free up staff time, if implemented thoughtfully. The challenge is ensuring that digital systems work for people, not the other way around.

From Reflection to Action

CoP 2 wasn’t just about conversation. It generated:

• Clear practice insights
• Identified organisational support needs
• Further exploration of digital support offers 

Above all, one word stood out: Confidence. Confidence that co-design can be practical and proportionate. Confidence that digital change can align with trauma-informed values. Confidence that partnership and shared learning are productive routes forward.

SUMIT’s Community of Practice is becoming what it set out to be: a safe space for honest reflection, practical problem-solving and collective progress across our community and voluntary sector partners.