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We applied for grants
everywhere and where
we were successful the
grant providers wanted
to see how we made a
difference. It was usually
down to numbers, so we
just made sure we
counted people – new
clients or family
members that were referred to us, or that came as self referrals (as most did).
As a service user involvement organisation we also assisted in writing the
service specification for Warwickshire’s new ‘integrated’ drug and alcohol services
– and we stressed that the service had to be integrated to stop the ‘baton
dropping’. We also suggested quite strongly that any service user involvement
and peer led support should be outside the mainstream to give it independence,
credibility and a separate voice. Winning a service user involvement contract gave
us a little more stability in terms of regular income, and we took on staff to
manage groups in four locations around the county.
F
our years ago we were approached by the Hepatitis C Trust who were
running a project locally, to see if we wanted to be involved with a
pilot support scheme assisting clients through hepatitis C treatment.
We had the local volunteer base to provide peer support and we
jumped at the opportunity.
As our peer support activity continued to grow, we had to demon -
strate that we were more than just a group of addicts helping each other. We
needed to show that we kept our volunteers safe, that we educated them and we
looked after them. We looked around and decided to set up a formal peer mentor -
ing programme based on the structured Mentoring and Befriending Foundation’s
approved provider scheme (APS). It took about six months of hard work to pass
the assessment, but we’ve been an approved provider for a few years now.
PHE provided a glimmer of hope in 2013 for our ‘bit of a dream’ of opening a
residential rehab facility when we won a capital grant to assist with the purchase
a ‘clean house’. We took out a commercial loan with the bank and funded half
ourselves, and we established the house alongside running our peer support
activities in Warwickshire. The way we operate in the community is with
structured day programmes in different locations around Warwickshire, including
the family support. The following year our user involvement contract was
extended and we were secure for another couple of years.
In 2015 things started to move even faster when we applied for another PHE
grant targeting residential peer-led rehab projects – an absolute hand in glove
situation for us. When we were advised we’d been successful, our dream of
opening a rehab wholly supported and managed by people in recovery started to
look real.
We’re now more than a year on from winning the grant and I’d like to say it’s
been a smooth and peaceful experience, but it hasn’t! But we’re now in the final
stages of preparation before opening our doors.
It’s been a mammoth task for the managers, staff, volun teers and mentors to
establish the facility, right from finding a suitable location in very expensive
Warwickshire. Instead of an off-the-shelf ex hotel or care home we went for a
property with potential that we could develop in the future.
W
hat’s been key to the whole project is that we’ve engaged
with all the key stakeholders – local drug and alcohol
commissioners, chief constable, police and crime
commissioner, head of public health in Warwickshire, all the
CCGs, and MPs. By selling the benefits to everyone we ’ve had
brilliant support from the great and good of Warwickshire.
Some of the obstacles were planning permission, the change of use for the
premises, and identifying that a new sewage treatment system was required. We
had the inevitable builder problems during renovation and extending the
property, giving us one or two sleepless nights. But all of these issues have been
overcome with the perseverance and dedication of staff volunteers and mentors.
There’s also been some brilliant support from external organisations who are
nothing to do with drug and alcohol support. As part of the funding drive, we
sent dozens of letters out to CEOs of major manufacturers and suppliers, with
mixed responses – but if you don’t ask you don’t get. We’ve had fantastic
contributions from Tesco, Carpetright, Bensons for Beds, and Renault (for the
minibus), all supporting the project with donations in kind or massive discounts.
Our staff, volunteers and mentors are now in the last stages of painting and
decorating, digging pathways, laying paving, fixing new gates, and setting up the
allotment. It’s been a hive of activity ready for the opening. We’re grateful to all
those who have played a part in our story, including the volunteers who’ve moved
on to other roles.
Our local MP Chris White was among those to support our organisation from
the start. Watching the dream come to life he commended ‘the passion,
commitment and hard work of the team’ and said ‘the wider definition of value is
a reality in the provision of their peer-led approach to recovery for addicts and
their families’.
Our structured programme now incorporates 12-step awareness, physical
activities, yoga, meditation, mindfulness, anger management and professional
counselling sessions. We have also developed a rolling family education and
awareness programme, which includes Adfam’s step approach.
Recovery is all about change for the person in addiction, and by assisting the
families to understand and deal with the client’s changing approach to life, we
will actually be supporting their sustained recovery. We’ve gone from starting as a
small peer-led support organisation to opening an 11-bed fully staffed and
supported residential rehab – all achieved with people in recovery.
Paul Urmston (pictured) is CEO of ESH Works
October 2017 | drinkanddrugsnews | 21