18 months of training with a group of 10 very motivated and hard working runners. All from disadvantaged backgrounds. One fantastic trainer, ex-professional international rugby player, Damian Gibson (DG Ozfit), who was actually one of this year’s local heroes. As a team, we were privileged enough to represent the “Home Run Project” team in the promotional video which was partly aired on the BBC.
Every day, 20 people die as a result of their drinking. But alcohol harm is not inevitable. This Alcohol Awareness Week communities across the country call for change. Find us at Halifax market all week and at Todmorden market on Thursday.
…this was an enduring but enjoyable and memorable experience. And all for a very worthy cause, The Hull and West Yorkshire Interstitial Lung Disease Service where my dad is being treated. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of CIR and a big thanks to Michelle Hanley for the use of the Basement Project’s van!
If you have been watching Grayson Perry’s ‘Rites of Passage’ on Channel 4, you may have seen Allen featured in episode 4 ‘Coming of Age’. The programme didn’t have time to explore why people ended up at The Basement Recovery Project and focused on the celebration of recovery. Allen’s account of his relationship with alcohol is raw, unedited and told in his own words. Thank you, Allen, for allowing us to share your story with the wider community.
Grayson Perry explores coming of age which starts with his visit to the Amazon where he witnesses the Tikuna people celebrate the transition of two girls to adulthood. Thankfully, we don’t do that here and he’s not suggesting we do, but he does think we can take something from it. He’s even more convinced after talking to London teens and people in recovery at The Basement Project (who he describes as “kidults”) – older people who can’t take responsibility for themselves or their lives. He sees both groups as reaching the end of one stage of their life and beginning another and wants to mark that in a celebration, something we don’t do enough of in recovery circles.
If you have been watching Grayson Perry’s ‘Rites of Passage’ on Channel 4, you may have seen Fiona featured in episode 4 ‘Coming of Age’.
In this episode, Grayson explores coming of age which starts with his visit to the Amazon where he witnesses the Tikuna people celebrate the transition of two girls to adulthood. Thankfully, we don’t do that here and he’s not suggesting we do, but he does think we can take something from it. He’s even more convinced after talking to London teens and people in recovery at The Basement Project (who he describes as “kidults”) – older people who can’t take responsibility for themselves or their lives. He sees both groups as reaching the end of one stage of their life and beginning another and wants to mark that in a celebration, something we don’t do enough of in recovery circles.
Fiona’s story briefly touches on the struggles and consequences of addiction and you’ll see why we need to celebrate when we ‘come out the other side’.
A Big, Big Thank you from us, David and Brenda for our enjoyable day trip to Whitby.
Despite the delays on our outbound journey, we had an amazing, non-eventful and fast journey home.
We cannot ever remember seeing as many people in a resort before, quite a contrast to our time there in January! The fact it was annual Regatta Day and the weather was good compensated.
Embarrassing to say negotiating the wall to wall people and the cobbles made us really recognise our ages, Darby and Joan! Our Boat Trip outside the Harbour was recorded on camera, thank you, Gina. Over lunchtime, we found a fishery recommended by Trip Advisor. Both of us voted they were the best fish and chips we’d eaten in years.
We cannot thank the Basement staff enough for the amazing help and the funding which gives such hope to those who have almost lost hope for recovery in Halifax, Huddersfield and Dewsbury, and for everything they have done and do for the families.
David & Brenda
Hi, I’m a volunteer/client with The Basement Recovery Project and have been for two months now. When I first moved into Halifax and started getting help from TBRP, I was broken. I was broken physically, emotionally and financially and I’d been a huge problem to my community for many years, sucking the life out of the system and services.
Going through the TBRP programme, something had “clicked”. Something has changed this time. I no longer wanted to be a leech to society and wanted to give back. I was quickly introduced to Kev, one of the Basement Recovery Builders and I have to say, what an inspiration he is. We are now really good friends. Kev talked about volunteering with an organisation called Slow the Flow, which helps slow the waters of mother nature. Last year, if you remember, many areas around Rochdale, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden etc suffered life-changing floods due to heavy rain. Their plan was to build fashionable but purposeful means to slow the flow of rainwater into the local drainage systems and came up with such a great idea (rain garden planters) that I wanted to help.
Me, Kev and two other friends went down and got stuck in. Following a few firsts, like working hard and working for free, I had the opportunity to meet the Mayor of Hebden Royd Town Council, Councillor Carol Stow who officially ‘opened’ the planters with a bit of a party and ceremony. It was the first time in my life that I had met a public figure not only for the right reasons, but to be recognised for all the hard work we did, as a team, together.
I explained what the idea was and how we quickly got down to business. I told Councillor Stow about the sense of pride and happiness felt by a man that, months earlier, couldn’t stop stealing and taking drugs to now being clean and doing stuff for nothing. Getting involved in a project like this not only helps to stop the rainwater, but it helps to stop the madness surrounding active addiction, it’s beyond priceless and I look forward to getting involved in more volunteering work.
Sincerely,
Joe D.
It is easy to feel complacent in this beautiful summer of hot, dry weather – but heavy rainfall now could easily result in surface water flooding, as hard, dry ground sheds water more easily to the drains. For inspiration on the many ways to help Slow The Flow in urban areas, please visit our ‘You Can Slow The Flow’ pages: http://slowtheflow.net/you-can-slow-the-flow/
Over the last 12 months, The Basement Recovery Project has been developing a pilot therapeutic treatment model for a 24/7, peer-led, sober living house in Kirklees, called Freedom House. The house is now fully occupied and has delivered some outstanding outcomes. We have achieved our main objective of offering a comprehensive programme of recovery support for individuals (for whom no housing would be a barrier) to continue their recovery journey in their natural community surroundings. The last 12 months have seen Freedom House offer all of the predicted interventions listed below, plus an assortment of unexpected outcomes:
At the beginning of the pilot project, we had identified a gap in the provision of female-specific recovery housing in Kirklees. Initially, three local women came forward who were at the beginning of their recovery journey and were currently living in unstable housing.
It took weeks to identify the right building which was in keeping with our values. We set about renovating the property to meet our high standards for residential sober living accommodation before developing a typical programme of activities for potential residents. With positions advertised for Residential Support Worker, we were fortunate that one of the successful applicants was a female WY-FI navigator, who had previously come through our recovery programme some years ago and was looking to move back to the area. In addition, regular meetings were convened with Emma Hanley, Contracts Manager for Kirklees Council. With Emma’s support, we quickly managed to acquire enhanced housing benefit rates for residents, making the project sustainable into year two.
Freedom House has now been continuously and fully occupied for the past twelve months. All residents have been referred into the WI-FI peer mentoring training programmes and have benefited greatly from the support offered by our partner service, for example, a successful application for funding was made to the WY-FI personalisation fund to enable the residents to take themselves and their children to Flamingo Land in Warrington. Due to the success of the pilot, we now have a waiting list for stage one accommodation which we feel further evidences the need for abstinent based therapeutic housing locally.
The new financial year will see TBRP coproduce our therapeutic community living model alongside Fusion Housing. They will help to add some local knowledge and experience of housing related issues, ensuring the model has an opportunity to embed itself within the Kirklees community, allowing for further growth and continued sustainability.
We have worked closely with the WY-FI team and as a result, we have seen the original assessment process modified and adapted to address some of the initial issues that we first encountered during the early stages of delivery. The end product is a coproduced, client centred, responsive referral and assessment process that responds effectively to the needs of our client group.
All residents of Freedom House attend or have completed, TBRP’s recovery programme which consists of group activities, held in our town centre hub, every day. In addition, all residents have proactively volunteered across both our Huddersfield and Dewsbury recovery hubs adding an element of continuity, structure and warmth to the environment.
Freedom House residents have passionately engaged in their own self-written, person-centred support plans, achieving many planned and unplanned personal goals along the way. An average support plan includes, but is not exclusive to, some of the below:
All clients are assigned their own key worker. Each resident is expected to work towards agreed goals and show motivation and commitment to their recovery and tenancy with us. Staff devise individually tailored plans in agreement with clients. These meet their needs as agreed in 1-1 sessions. Staff focus on following this plan as a structure for client support and as a guide to evaluating progress made. It is important that residents participate in planning their support and that they can involve other people in this should they wish to do so, for example, a family member or another worker they are confident with.
Key working sessions are conducted once per week but there is support 24/7 to assist with client’s needs. All key workers are in long-term recovery which clients, past and present, have found to be of great benefit. Key working sessions are an opportunity for the client and their key worker to discuss matters which underlie their drug and/or alcohol problems. Matters relating to welfare, resettlement, health, family, indeed anything at all can also be flagged up for action. Clients are encouraged to develop a rapport with their key worker and vice versa.
Freedom House has a living room, kitchen, bathroom and each individual has their own bedroom. The house is fully furnished and equipped, and residents can bring their own belongings to personalise their room. We prohibit television viewing in an individual’s room to avoid ‘isolating’ behaviour. All residents are encouraged to cook and eat communally in the evenings during their stay.
By working alongside the local navigators, all clients are also part of the system that is supported through the Multi-Agency Review Board (MARB), made up of representatives from Mental Health, Substance Misuse, Housing and Probation services. At the time of producing this report, seven individuals have currently benefited from the support the pilot project provides.
Many of the early issues surrounding the implementation of processes and pathways were ironed out in the first 6 months of the pilot. Initially, there were a few teething problems with regards to procedures around assessment and case-finding between TBRP’s staff team and the WY-FI team needing to be more robust. In a project of this nature, this is perhaps to be expected as working practices often differ. Through improved communication, this issue was dealt with swiftly and protocols put in place for going forward. Changes made include a joint assessment approach from WY-FI and TBRP, a more thorough case-finding process and confirmed discharge address to be documented at the point of assessment. In terms of learning, it is our belief that the above teething problems and issues could have been avoided if these protocols had been initiated at an earlier time.
In terms of housing benefits, it became apparent that this is a ‘postcode lottery’ in terms of grace periods (grace periods being an overlap of housing benefit across two properties. i.e. When an individual is in prison or rehab). To give up a property to move into sober living accommodation can be a huge decision in an individual’s journey and a potential barrier to accessing the most appropriate care. At the start of this project it appeared that grace periods were subjective but for this specific scheme, we have now attained a 12-week overlap for individuals meaning they have security and choice. However, this overlap is subject to a separate discretionary payment application and we are informed that the discretionary payments budget is not exhaustive. This has been absolutely priceless for those we work with and has allowed clients to try before committing, meaning there is a safety net for those that don’t feel the service is for them.
TBRP are currently in discussions with the Kirklees housing service Fusion Housing to help create a viable and safe alternative in the event that overlap housing benefit is refused. The hope is that Fusion will offer suitable temporary accommodation close by to our current property, so clients can initiate the therapeutic programmes on offer alongside the current residents of Freedom House, regardless of their entitlement to benefits.
The right structures are now in place to support the project and we have created a solid foundation on which to build its future. The project will be sustainable by utilising a peer lead in the house, supported by a part-time housing support worker.
The project has been well received by the local council and the housing team are keen to support us in our next stage of development. Within our first six months, the project was gifted a vehicle which is now attached to the sober living scheme. Alongside this, our current landlord is a qualified driving instructor and has promised to offer subsidised driving lessons to the residents of Freedom House to help them obtain a driving licence. This is a real asset to the project and its residents, offering access to more opportunities around mutual aid and social integration more widely as well as improving future employment prospects and confidence.
After discussions with the housing benefit department at Kirklees Council, they agreed to pay a higher rate of housing benefit to TBRP whilst also paying the rent for a client’s current property for a period of up to 12 weeks. This process would allow clients that have current tenancies to access our programmes of support while maintaining their current home. This will open the door to more Kirklees female clients being able to access the support available at Freedom House. Four of the beneficiaries were originally aiming for inpatient rehabilitation but opted to attend our community model when it became available. This represents a £32,000 saving from an already overstretched mental health budget that funds all inpatient rehabilitation episodes. This has been recognised by local commissioners who have expressed an interest in utilising our approach to release monies, previously spent outside of the Kirklees area, by investing it with ourselves, helping towards the sustainability of the project.
As with any project of this nature the most difficult part is to create traction and gain buy-in from local providers. In the middle of the year, one unfortunate piece of news was the incumbent drug and alcohol provider in Kirklees went into sudden liquidation bringing large-scale disruption to the local system. We are happy to report that after a period of remodelling we have worked alongside our colleagues at CGL to find a way forward and they have shown a real interest in our housing model being expanded.
Due to the risks associated with sustainability, we decided against taking on a second property as local landlords’ costs were prohibitive. More sensibly, we have now started to compile a waiting list and plan to use supported properties at Fusion Housing as a feeder into our sober living model. Fusion Housing will also support the long-term sustainability of the model by offering and taking over the management of more affordable multiple occupancy housing in and around the Huddersfield recovery hub. Clients on the therapeutic community living programme will also be able to access the bond bank scheme run by Fusion Housing which has been identified as a barrier to individuals obtaining suitable housing. This will enable our residents to move into independent living, while still receiving low-level support in the Huddersfield area. Hopefully, it will prevent them from feeling isolated and keep them around their newfound recovery community and friends.
With the advances made in developing a peer-led model, strong working relationships with the local authority and the inclusion of Fusion Housing, the next 12 months promise to be as buoyant and productive as our first year. The added social value of Freedom House cannot be underestimated and finding a more effective way to measure this added value presents a challenge. We plan to work alongside the Kirklees WY-FI and wider DISC (now Humankind) service for a solution. Special recognition needs to go to Michelle Monkman (lead navigator WY-FI) for her tireless support in helping to achieve the absolute best outcomes for our residents. Michelle’s warm approach and extensive knowledge of local provision have further enhanced client experience promoting more choices and opportunities for all.
TBRP would like to personally thank all at WY-FI including Mark Crowe, firstly for the opportunity to work alongside such a dynamic and client-focused organisation as DISC and secondly, for helping to launch and design a friendly, caring, safe and responsive model of hosing support that promises to serve the citizens of Kirklees long into the future.
TBRP’s therapeutic community living programme in conjunction with WY-FI continues to go from strength to strength, supporting women to achieve and maintain abstinence-based recovery in their own community. Alongside WY-FI, the previous twelve months have seen TBRP successfully deliver on and complete a 12-month pilot scheme to support the provision of abstinent based therapeutic community living for females in Kirklees.
Freedom House has been fully occupied for the past twelve months with four female residents currently engaging fully in their respective support plans and achieving individual recovery focused goals. All residents to date have been referred into the WY-FI peer mentoring training programmes and have benefited greatly from the support offered by our partner service.
The introduction of a ‘stage two’ house in partnership with Fusion Housing has allowed us to expand our offer to even more individuals whilst creating a safe ‘move through’ process that will support our tenants to acquire and maintain their own tenancies in affordable and appropriate local housing. Our new partners will support our clients to further enhance their budgeting skills whilst engaging them in back to work focused training, education and employment opportunities. The stage two house has been fully decorated and equipped to the same high specification as our stage one and further work will be carried out on the garden and patio area to help make the stage two house a home to be proud of.
In the last 8 weeks, two of our stage one residents graduated to the new stage two house and for the first week, all was well. During the second week, one of the ladies disclosed to our housing worker that alongside some family problems and the change in routine she had used alcohol whilst in the stage two house. A prearranged contingency plan was actioned that saw Fusion Housing provide our resident with safe accommodation until such a time as she was ready to move back into an abstinent environment. In less than 48 hours alongside the support from peers and staff, the lady in question was completely abstinent and back in the stage one house, fully engaging in recovery activities and mutual aid groups.
Some lessons were learnt during this process including the need for a pre-agreed contingency plan that manages the accumulated risk of relapse and the potential for homelessness for residents living in an abstinent environment. It was noted that the recovery community played a significant role (out of hours contact etc) in the reengagement of our resident and this factor will be implemented into all future risk management plans. This episode has also highlighted the need for a “Safe Bed” to be available at short notice to provide safe accommodation for any future resident that may have relapsed back to substance use. With this in mind, we are now in talks with our partners at Fusion about creating this safe space and making it available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Early conversations have highlighted that a void room could be created at a cost of £50 each week and having this available 24/7 would generate an annual cost of £2600.
The past 12 months working alongside WY-FI have proven to be beneficial for all, none more so than the 8 ladies that have spent time at Freedom House. The 12-month pilot scheme achieved all its aims (including some unexpected ones) and now sits ready to become part of the therapeutic pathway for women entering treatment for substance misuse in Kirklees. The first year has helped to save over £32,000 from the Tier4 budget for residential rehabilitation treatment, currently being held with the mental health commissioning team at Kirklees Public Health. We have approached the commissioner for mental health and it’s hoped that a percentage of the savings made in the coming year will be forwarded on to support the Freedom House project to expand further.
WY-FI supports people who are not engaging effectively with services and are experiencing entrenched needs in at least three of the following HARM area:
Our ethos is that these individuals:
And that by 2020 adults with multiple needs in West Yorkshire should have the opportunity of:
Fusion Housing is a non-profit making charity working to help individuals who are experiencing housing related problems and need support with learning and employment.
Services include:
Last year I wasn’t confident enough to do the colour run but went and watched everyone having a great time.
Seeing it made me realise you didn’t have to be a great runner, just up for a laugh.
Soooo…… I signed up for it this year and was so glad that I did as it was fab.
There were even more people running, jogging or walking this time. 30+ of us from recovery alone, including the Huddersfield Ladies (KiR) (sending them big hugs and sure we’ll up to something again soon).
From meeting up to looking like we’d been in a paint factory explosion and departing, there were laughs and, of course, the usual banter.
Not forgetting, of course, what we were doing it for, such a wonderful cause ‘Overgate Hospice‘
I’m hoping I’ll be around and free for next years shenanigans
Thank you, Calderdale in Recovery
Gina
Posted on behalf of Incredible Edible to share these great events:
We kick off tomorrow (21st June 2018) with our birthday bash. 10 years of actions. Please share this post.
Celebrate the Summer Solstice with the Incredible Festival of Ideas! On 21st June why not join us for an exhibition at Todmorden Town Hall from 3 pm – Todmorden – the place we made, and the place that made us! Mary Clear, co-founder of IET is talking at 5.30pm in the Ballroom about Kindness – come and be inspired! She is followed by 3 Valleys Gospel Choir at 6.15pm – their songs are uplifting and joyous to welcome the Summer Solstice and then carry on with a Summer Celebration, meeting at Pollination Street at 6.45pm processing with the Oakenhoof Cloggers and the 3 Valleys Gospel Choir to the Unitarian Church for a Solstice ceremony followed by a picnic in the evening sun. At 7.30pm you could join the Philosophy Walk, leaving from outside the Unitarian Church doors and arriving sometime later in Todmorden for some Philosophy in The Pub. Or you could gather with walkers who are also singers (that means all of you) to Sing the Solstice from the Tops – meet at 9.00pm at the bottom of the Calderdale Way opposite Lumbutts chapel. Go early, on the T6 or T8 bus (leaving at 13 minutes past the hour from Todmorden Bus Station) and fit in a visit to the Top Brink Inn or The Incredible Farm or walk up from the Unitarian picnic if you are able. Wear something yellow or orange – and an animal, flower or sun mask if you like…..
it would be brilliant if you could join in with Friday’s conference, it’s about new ways of looking at places, you are most welcome to call in to the town hall for as little or as long as you like, starts at ten on Friday. Really great speakers are lined up, no need to book just turn up…
…good coffee and buns!
is with Andy Kershaw at the golden lion £7… Q and A plus African beats:
Saturday is a fabulous food day at the community college, very family friendly:
plus a healing day in the old coop:
Sunday we have the fabulous feast, Joe Cox’s sister and dad will come to feel the love. The venue is stunning and we have the most amazing line up of cooks, all is free, bring a bag as we have lots of food to take home. We will highlight the food system and share out intercepted food. Things for children, great music and dancers. We will take our new kindness sign 30 feet long because we are from Todmorden.
