For Staff Working for Drug and Alcohol Services in Luton

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1 Luton Drug & Alcohol Partnership For Staff Working for Drug and Alcohol Services in Luton All the partnership agencies, both statutory and voluntary, are committed to providing the best possible care and treatment for drug and alcohol clients. The way we do things in Luton gives a very important message to clients about how we value them as people as they use our services.

2 People with drug and alcohol issues want to find the right place to go for the information, advice, support or treatment they are looking for quickly. Whether it is about reducing harm and keeping safe or long term recovery, finding what works for each individual is our priority. The core partnership principles To reduce harm to individuals and the diverse communities of Luton To provide choice and diversity of treatment options which meet clients needs To provide services in a flexible, non-judgemental and kind manner To support clients and carers to realise their full potential To contribute to improving community safety and reducing health inequalities Everyone is unique There are no hard to reach clients just hard to reach services Every client and every carer knows a lot about their issues and they are experts by experience Every telephone call, brief conversation or in-depth discussion has an impact Be compassionate, show respect and interest at all times Be non-judgemental especially to people who are nervous, anxious, depressed or frustrated Acknowledge small positive steps, be honest and reliable about the support you can offer Treat clients as you would like to be treated if you needed a service Language Avoid the jargon and the complicated words which leave clients feeling confused, for example drug and alcohol is so much clearer than substance misuse and is non-judgemental Remember people are individuals and avoid the use of stereotypes Be kind - avoid the mysterious medical words and use positive language

3 Other partner agencies - know about other drug and alcohol services as well as the one you work for and talk about all the different treatment choices for clients. Promote their activity with pride and confidence in the same way that you would want others to describe your service. Be responsible about discussing any concerns with the managers rather than not referring or not talking up the other services - there is no competition between agencies as each is commissioned to provide a unique service in a system of care. Explain confidentiality and information sharing at assessment and care planning sessions. Being proactive - every moment is an opportunity to promote harm reduction and to support clients in making choices - don't let day to day pressures impact on your expertise - talk about the different ways of starting to sort drug or alcohol use without giving personal views about what's best - give information without sounding as if you know it all - question assumptions, dispel myths and challenge judgements made about clients and learn from clients - respect their knowledge. Why all this is so important - clients and carers who experience being truly valued and cared for respond positively, start to believe in themselves, learn to challenge their own negative thinking and can plan to move on in their own time towards independence and self reliance. What can you support clients to achieve? There are seven important steps that clients can aspire to and achieve in their own time - these are: Improved health and emotional well-being Improved quality of life Improved positive contribution to family, friends and/or their community Increased choice and control over their lives Freedom from discrimination and harassment Improved economic well-being Ensuring they maintain their personal dignity and are respected

4 Luton Services for Adults Heads Together - service user involvement group Addaction - for advice, information, needle exchange and support James Kingham Project (JKP) - for support and advice about alcohol NOAH - day centre for homeless CAN - for day care, counselling and lifestyle activities Family & Friends - support worker Shared Care - for substitute prescribing and crack care LDASS - for drug, alcohol and mental health care Stonham Hope House - residential rehab and Move On Service Stepping Stones - free childcare 2 mornings a week Respite House - referral via Shared Care Talking Therapies - referral via above agencies Stonham Drug & Alcohol Floating Housing Support - referral via above agencies Pharmacy Needle Exchanges Westbourne Pharmacy, 198b Dunstable Road 7 days a week 9am - 9pm Sai Chemist, 100 Dunstable Road Mon - Fri 9am - 7pm, Sat 9am - 12pm P & I Smith, 3 St Dominic Square Mon - Fri 9am - 6pm, Sat 9am - 1pm Lloyds Pharmacy, Purley Centre Mon - Fri 9am - 6:30pm, Sat 9am - 2pm Luton Services for Young People PUKE - help, advice and information about alcohol use ADIBOP - information and support about drugs for young people and families SNAP - creative arts for those not in work The Luton Underground - young persons drug service Support for parents, families and friends Stepping Stones - free childcare 2 mornings a week Confidential Help telephone numbers Luton 24/7 Helpline Samaritans Release Legal Helpline FRANK - national helpline 24 hours confidential and free NHS Direct

5 Service Users Charter on Rights and Responsibilities A service user has both rights and responsibilities. The services in Luton will make sure all new clients know about them and what they mean. A service user has the right to: Assessment of individual need within a specified number of working days Access to specialist services within a maximum waiting time and immediate access on release from prison Full information about treatment options and informed involvement in making decisions concerning treatment An individual care plan and participation in the writing and reviewing of that care plan Respect for privacy, dignity and confidentiality, and an explanation of any (exceptional) circumstances in which information will be divulged to others The development of a service user agreement, clearly specifying the type of service to be delivered and the expected quality standards Advocacy support An effective complaints system Information about self-help groups and user advocacy groups A service user s responsibilities include: Taking ownership and responsibility of their care/treatment journey Informing services of any changes that may affect their treatment outcomes Observing house rules and behavioural rules, as defined by the service (eg not using alcohol or drugs on the premises or being aggressive) Specific responsibilities within the framework of a care plan or treatment contract (eg keeping appointment times and observing medication regimes) Concerns or Complaints If their care/treatment does not meet these expectations they can talk to their key worker, book an appointment to talk to the service manager or talk to a representative of the Heads Together service user involvement group on

6 What s available in Luton? Harm reduction advice - all staff can talk about ways to keep safe Needle exchange and safer injecting advice - clean injecting equipment, a safe place to return used works and injecting advice Talking about treatment choices - all staff can talk about other drug and alcohol agencies in Luton and what they offer Key worker support - key worker support at all agencies Free childcare - 2 mornings a week for parents who use drugs and/or alcohol Nurse support - full health checks and help with injecting sites Blood borne virus testing - testing, vaccinations and treatment Complementary care - auricular acupuncture, reiki and EST Leisure, learning & job club - support to access adult education, other activities, job applications, practice interviews and planning to come off benefits Housing support - staff can offer assistance and supporting letters Benefits support - staff can help with forms and sorting out any problems Friends and family support - individual support for friends and families Day care - several services have different activities during the day Medication - treatment choices are available Support with drugs/alcohol and mental health - specialist service offering psychological therapies for those with more complex prescribing needs Self help groups - there are a number of self help groups Detox - in-patient and community detox available Respite - 10 and 14 day stays for drug and alcohol users Residential rehab - talk to the community care assessor for more information After treatment care & preventing relapse - key workers will talk about what is available Referral to other services - if support is required from other agencies the key worker will put the client in touch and make a referral Copy of care plan - all service users will be offered a copy of their care plan Service User Involvement - there are a number of different ways to get involved