Lancaster University has helped create a training package aimed at researchers in order to help break stereotypes around addiction and recovery among families.

The Why Can’t You Be Normal training package was co-created with parents with lived experience and is an immersive audio story about a young woman called Hayley.

Hayley is a fictional character devised by parents in recovery, using their skills, imagination and lived experience as inspiration. Hayley is in early recovery and her children were removed from her a year ago to live with their grandparents. The story focuses on a big week for Hayley when her children return to live with her once more.

Paula Wheeler from Lancaster University’s Division of Health Research, working as part of the Applied Research Collaboration , North West Coast helped to develop the training package alongside colleagues from Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHR) and Lancashire and South Cumbria Foundation Trust (LSCFT).

They worked with women with substance misuse and addiction issues in Blackburn with Darwen.

The video and transcripts were produced by Made By Mortals, a participatory arts organisation which supports research teams by building a community around research projects made up of professional artists, health and social care practitioners, and members of the public with relevant lived experience.

Paula said: “Over the last year we have involved the women on sharing their lived experiences in with a number of different audiences and have recently finished co-producing an audio story working with Made by Mortals. The intention is to host a workshop in the new year to discuss possible implications for researchers and others of engaging with seldom heard groups in Lancashire and South Cumbria.”

The training package includes audio stories alongside transcripts, a blog, help numbers and signposting.

It aims to give researchers the tools to facilitate discussions with colleagues and run training events exploring this topic. Anyone interested in a research workshop delivered by one of Made By Mortals’ expert facilitators should contact admin@madebymortals.org