The Quality Principles are central to the implementation of the Scottish Government’s Quality Improvement Framework for drug and alcohol treatment and support services.

The Quality Improvement Framework is made up of:
• a set of Quality Principles supported by the Recovery Philosophy – developed in collaboration with current service users, those in longer-term recovery and staff working within services;
• revised planning and reporting arrangements for Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs);
• a programme of development for the drug and alcohol workforce – that is anyone who has a role in improving outcomes for individuals, families or communities affected by problematic drug and alcohol use;
• the development of a single integrated data collection system for drugs and alcohol (DAISy); and
• support and guidance for ADPs – including commissioning guidance, supported self-evaluation and the Quality Principles Toolkit.

The Quality Improvement Framework should support and drive a culture of self-assessment whereby services are commissioned based on evidence of meeting these principles of care, which will be measured by a range of tools including an agreed set of quality indicators of recovery, and are open to being supported to make improvements to the quality of the service.