New Beginnings and name was born from client consultation and planning for a local service for the people of Doncaster. Currently in excess of 550 referrals.
New Beginnings Structured Day Programme has been running nearly 3 years.
New Beginnings is run by Doncaster PCT and funded through Pool treatment budget, New Deal in the communities, NRF, Supporting people and the PCT. The project is street drug and Alcohol free.
New Beginnings has three elements to it:
1) There is a social model treatment provision of 4 bed sits, offering a wide range of treatments to address illicit drug use.
2) A Structured day Programme. (CBT restructuring in a therapeutic environment)
3) 8-bed residential unit part funded through supporting people.
The SDP (Structured day programme) remains resourced by the PCT. The SDP has 6 full time staff and 3 admin and a project manager. Each key Worker can carry a max of 10 clients.
Though due to it being professional referrals project only this means overall care remains with the referring agent so the work here is an enhancement and not merely fire fighting e.g. scripts etc. Referrals can come from all tiers (models of care)
The strength in the project comes from all the multi agency work that takes place here offering a wide network of support each agency bringing their own expertise and resources, which are tied into the care plan. The philosophy here is an eclectic client centred therapeutic programme with CBT restructuring and life skills as well as psycho-social interventions and diversionary activities.
The SDP programme length is 12 week rolling programme broke down in to 3 phases foundation, Personal development and Transition. The programme can be extended to 18 weeks and all courses started can be completed in a step down aftercare. Graduation takes place and clients are encouraged to offer mentorship and buddying to new starters if they do not have a suitable exit strategy in place yet, like college, employment and volunteer work. Each gate way has a care plan review with the Key worker and client. The timetable is drawn up to meet the client’s needs accordingly with key elements such as community group, honesty group and business group being compulsory for clients. On average a client spends approx 19 hours a week here.
The programme consists of the following:-
Therapeutic – Community Group, Feelings Group, Gender Group, 1/1 counselling.
Other groups – Honesty Group, Business Group, Diversity group, Parenting group, Peer Support, relaxation group and relapse prevention.
Workshops – Relapse prevention, NLP, Health Promotion (topics from smoking cessation to sexual health), OCN basic food Hygiene, OCN Nutrition Skills.
Life Skills – I.T., Poetry/ creative writing, DJ’ing, Arts & Crafts, Music Tec., Healthier Eating, Digital camera work, Citizenship programme,
Drama, Motor vehicle technology, Guitar and drum work, basic English & Maths, Tia-Chi and a local allotment project.
Alternative therapies – auricular acupuncture, full body acupuncture, Shiatsu, reflexology, Hypnotherapy and herbal detox/relaxation teas.
Diversionary Activities – one a month rock climbing, zip wiring, abseil etc. and a weekend residential annually.
We also have dental provision with PCT, street law plus legal advice, Housing Advice, PG2W – employment advice, college course guidance and placement including funding, C.A.B. –citizen advice beaureau, Hep vaccination of A&B, Floating support work, Help line for parents and carers with a counsellor attached to that intervention. We also run Credit Union here, which enables people to save and budget inc.
Other interventions have been run through community adult learning have been, hanging baskets, table top xmas decorations, Cinema and Bowling – free tickets. Inner Child workshop.
Both bus passes, newspapers, fresh fruit and a lunch are provided. The clients run the Lunch Club and the peer support group has its own constitution as well as client representative who sits in on staff team meetings and offers support to peers, There are small ‘house’ duties for clients
We have student Counsellors, Social workers, Dentists, Police officers, Nurse and Law Students who do placements with us. An open morning is held once a month.
Currently we are rolling the programme out to include early intervention work for people at action stage and who need further work before the inpatient treatment programme here. The programme is also accredited through OCN with as personal development. The team is multi disciplinary and we have a very open transparent culture here which is client centred. Regular testing occurs weekly and if clients use Honesty Group then it allows us to work with lapse without strikes or exclusion.