recovery – Humankind

Tag: recovery

Humankind’s London Regional Roadshow celebration

Jasmine Rocks

90% of our London workforce recently came together to celebrate their work at Humankind’s London Regional Roadshow.

The first of the 2024 series of our Being Human Regional Roadshows took place in London on Tuesday 16 January and was attended by 90% of the organisation’s workforce from across the capital.

The day featured a series of speakers, including our CEO, Paul Townsley, who looked ahead to the future of the organisation as well as our Executive Medical Director, Dr. Roya Vaziri, who spoke about some of the great work happening across Humankind nationally.

There was also a focus on regional excellence and pride as the Director of London and South, Lyndsey Morris, celebrated the region’s progress and other people shared their proudest moments from the previous year.

The purpose of the event was to bring together professionals from the region to share ideas, celebrate the successes and look forward to the future.

Tom Colley from the Pier Road Project spoke about his experiences working with the innovative Ketamine Project in Bexley. There were other presentations from Liz Legge and Anita Leslie about the work of Lewisham Primary Care Recovery Service (PCRS) and Alison Beeton-Hilder who talked about some of the work which is taking place in our Better Lives Family Service in Islington.

As part of the celebrations, Lee Wilson, Regional Director, and Dr. Roya Vaziri gave out individual awards to colleagues who received the most recognition over the last year. Collective awards for team performances in the region were also handed out.

The day featured a number of interactive sessions for people to meet their colleagues and share learning from across Humankind’s services.

Director for London and South, Lyndsey Morris, said:

“It was great to see our staff from across the region come together to receive recognition and celebrate the great work that we do. Having some of the services showcase what they do reminds us of our impact on the people accessing our services and how we can best support them to have the best possible chance in life.”

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Paul Townsley responds to drug-related deaths in 2022

Jack Keery

The Office for National Statistics today released new figures on the number of people who died from drug related causes in England and Wales during 2022.

In England and Wales during 2022, 4,907 people died as a result of drugs.

Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind, said:

“Along with everyone at Humankind, my thoughts and deepest sympathies are with anyone who has lost a loved one. Their deaths will devastate families and communities up and down the country. Those 4,907 sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, friends and partners have gone far too soon.

“Reducing this tragic loss of life is a long-term, generational challenge. Funding from the Government’s drug strategy has enabled us to start rebuilding our treatment and recovery system after a decade of disinvestment but there’s a huge amount more to do.

“We know it is people facing multiple disadvantage who are most likely to die. As charities we have the flexibility to wrap around those challenges and provide the housing, employment and mental health support which buttresses recovery and reduces harm. Our upcoming merger with Richmond Fellowship will enable us to do that here at Humankind.

“But as a society, we can only reduce deaths and the health inequalities that drive them through targeted, sustained and ring-fenced investment for the full ten years of the drug strategy and in the places those disparities are felt the most. These include the North East, the North West and Yorkshire – all of which Humankind is proud to serve.

“As a field we must continue to collaborate on established and emerging challenges, such as the worrying rise of synthetic opioids or support for people with both mental health and drug/alcohol support needs.”

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Humankind and Richmond Fellowship to merge to better support people facing multiple disadvantage

Jack Keery

An image containing the Humankind logo on the left and the Richmond Fellowship logo on the right

Richmond Fellowship and Humankind have announced that they are merging to form a single charity to better support even more people facing multiple disadvantage. 

This exciting development builds on the rich heritage of two charities that share values, ambitions and decades of experience supporting people with substance use, mental health, housing and associated needs.  

Derek Caren, CEO of Richmond Fellowship, said:

“Our organisations have a lot in common. We share a heartfelt belief that everyone should have a fair chance to live a life they value, and since our inception in 1959, Richmond Fellowship has worked hard to make recovery a reality for all.  

“Joining forces with Humankind will allow us to break down some of the barriers that stop people getting the support they need and allow us to offer innovative, integrated services to more people across England.” 

Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind, said:

“From the very start of my career it’s been clear that drug and alcohol, housing and mental health support need to be brought closer together and work better for the communities we support. That’s why I am so excited about this new chapter for both organisations.  

“This merger creates a unique opportunity to develop new, broader service models, invest more in our people, and use our shared experience and insights to influence policy and practice across the sector.”  

Further information on next steps of the merger will be shared in the new year.

 

  • Derek Caren, CEO of Richmond Fellowship, is retiring in early 2024 and Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind, will become CEO of the new organisation and oversee the merger.
  • Carolyn Regan, current Chair of Recovery Focus will become the Chair of the new organisation, whilst Caroline Gitsham, current Chair of Humankind will become the Vice Chair.
  • Aquarius (currently a subsidiary of Richmond Fellowship) will become a subsidiary of the new organisation.
For all media enquiries contact:

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Northumberland Recovery Partnership joins Humankind

Jasmine Rocks

We are delighted to welcome the Northumberland Recovery Partnership (NRP) service into Humankind from 1 October 2023. Northumberland Recovery Partnership is a dedicated service for anyone in Northumberland aged 18+ who is experiencing problems with drugs and/or alcohol.

The service offers a range of support provided by medical staff, nurses, and dedicated Recovery Navigators. This includes community-based recovery programmes, help to stay physically healthy, and support with people’s next steps into employment, housing and better health. Twenty three staff and 4 volunteers are transferring to Humankind.

The lead provider for the Northumberland Recovery Partnership continues to be the Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) which, from October onwards will be working in partnership with Humankind.

Christine Hutchinson, Director of Community Substance Misuse Services with Humankind said “We are really looking forward to working with CNTW to deliver high quality services to the people of Northumberland”

The service will continue to provide the same range of effective, evidence-based support and wherever possible, people will continue to be supported by the same staff. The main change is to the non-residential rehabilitation service, currently the Oaktrees program / building. Going forward, this will be delivered using Humankind’s Recovery Academy, a bespoke recovery programme tailored to offer a range of recovery options. This will build on the existing recovery services, ensuring recovery is open and accessible to all from the start of peoples’ recovery journey.

Find out more about the Northumberland Recovery Partnership

 

 

Likewise launches to support people in Sheffield with drug and alcohol issues

Jack Keery

Two people talk to each other. The Likewise logo is placed on top of the image in dark red colour
A new service aiming to support people who have issues with alcohol and other drugs across the city of Sheffield will open its doors on 1 August 2023.

Likewise, which has been commissioned by Sheffield City Council, is a partnership between national charity Humankind and Project 6. The service will provide free, confidential, and non-judgemental support to people who need it.

Likewise is the second service Humankind has launched in partnership with Project 6, after New Vision Bradford opened its doors across the Bradford District in April 2023. Project 6 has been providing support to individuals and families affected by substance use and experiencing multiple disadvantage in Sheffield for over 40 years.

The newly established Likewise and New Vision Bradford represent a significant extension to the support Humankind has been providing to people across Yorkshire for many years, through other services like Barnsley Recovery Steps, Calderdale Recovery Steps, Forward Leeds, North Yorkshire Horizons and The Greens.

Every Humankind service across the country that has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has been rated either ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’, including its services across Yorkshire.

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health, Sheffield City Council said: “Sheffield City Council are delighted to be working alongside Humankind to deliver the new service Likewise, which will play a vital role in supporting individuals and communities in Sheffield impacted by drug and alcohol use.

We have seen the impact Humankind have had regionally and nationally and are very excited to be in partnership with them to deliver the goals set out in the National Drug Strategy ‘From Harm to Hope’.”

Emily Todd, Humankind Regional Director, said: “We are proud to be increasing the support Humankind offers to people across the country and in Yorkshire.

“With the local expertise of Project 6, feedback received from people we will be supporting and our workforce, and the extensive preparation that has been put in to launching the new service, we know we are in a strong position to make an incredibly positive impact on the overall health, wellbeing and safety of the Sheffield community.”

Vicki Beere, Project 6 CEO, said: “We are very pleased to be working alongside a partner in Humankind, with a track record of delivering exceptional services across our region. We look forward to this opportunity to build upon our years of experience developing community-rooted projects to ensure more people across our city have access to support and recovery services when they need them.”

Likewise will offer a range of support including harm reduction, recovery navigation, clinical and therapeutic interventions. The service will also provide support for family members and continue to work with people in longer term recovery to help them create a healthy and meaningful life.

From 1 August, you can contact Likewise for free and confidential support or advice about your drug or alcohol use, call 0114 308 7000, email info@likewisesheffield.org.uk or visit www.likewisesheffield.org.uk.

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Dame Carol Black welcomes new approach to mental health and substance use treatment

Jack Keery

Dame Carol Black poses for a picture with the Staffordshire ICoN team

A new initiative to support people with both mental health and drug and alcohol issues has been welcomed by Dame Carol Black, who led a landmark national review on drugs.

Dame Carol visited Staffordshire to find out more about our new ICoN (Integrated Co-occurring Needs) initiative, which brings together local authority, NHS, voluntary and community sectors in a single approach.

She also commented on her hope that other areas would find out more about the Staffordshire initiative to see if elements could be replicated to help better meet local priorities.

Dame Carol Black said: “In my review presented to Government, I said it was essential that we looked at mental health when it comes to problems with substance use, so I think it is excellent that Staffordshire has linked this support together.

“I hope that other areas will now find out more about ICoN and think about how they could borrow it, follow it or perhaps adjust it to best meet the needs of their local communities and the people who need their support.”

Funded by Staffordshire County Council and the NHS, ICoN has been formed as a partnership between Humankind and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) to support people in the county.

Julia Jessel, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Care, said: “Mental health issues and drug or alcohol use often come hand in hand and there needs to be more focus on addressing the root cause of problems.

“We were delighted to get to share our new partnership with Dame Carol and look forward to the approach making so much more of an impact on the lives of Staffordshire residents.”

ICoN has a dedicated team of professionals including, psychologists, mental health practitioners, and substance use coordinators. This team will use phases of intervention to offer the right support, to the right people, at the right time.

The ICoN pathway will support people for at least six months, coordinating any transitions into local services whilst offering a follow-up review to provide an opportunity to reflect on progress and any challenges.

The service is viewed as a model of best practice, directly responding to issues with current drug and alcohol treatment provision outlined by Dame Carol’s landmark independent review of drugs and the Government’s subsequent 10-year drugs plan.

Emma Cormack, Service Manager from Humankind, said: “We know from experience that the vast majority of people with substance use issues are also living with mental health challenges so our team will help make sure people don’t fall through gaps between services and can in fact make positive life changes with the correct integrated support and specialist interventions.”

Dr Nina Vass, Consultant Clinical Psychologist with MPFT said: “With a shared commitment to trauma-informed care, this new approach has brought together mental health and substance use treatment to help meet the needs of people more effectively and efficiently.”

Watch the video below to hear from the ICoN team and experts within the service on their trailblazing approach, as well as leading expert Dame Carol Black.

The video was produced by John Paul Chapman of Chase Recovery and The Detox Factor.

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Humankind set to offer drug and alcohol support and treatment to people in Sheffield

Jasmine Rocks

Picture of Sheffield Town Hall at dusk.

We are thrilled to announce that we will soon be offering drug and alcohol support and treatment to people in Sheffield, having been funded by Sheffield City Council.

The new contract starts on 1 August 2023 and will be run in partnership with Project 6, a local voluntary sector drug and alcohol charity who have been working in the area since 1978. 

Greg Fell, Director of Public Health, said: “Sheffield City Council welcomes Humankind as our new provider of substance use support services in the city. It is important people in Sheffield can access the support they need to live happy and healthy lives. Humankind’s services will prove invaluable to individuals and communities in Sheffield.” 

Ted Haughey, Executive Director of Operations at Humankind, said: “We are delighted to expand our services in South Yorkshire and partner with Project 6. We have many years’ experience providing integrated drug and alcohol treatment services across the country and are looking forward to bringing this expertise to the people in Sheffield.   

“We’ll be working closely with commissioners and other partners across the city as well as listening to the people we will be supporting to continually develop and improve the service for the communities across Sheffield.” 

Vicki Beere, CEO of Project 6, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Humankind to deliver services in Sheffield. We have many years’ experience of supporting people in Sheffield to make and sustain positive changes to their alcohol and drug use. We look forward to being able to develop and expand this work, to afford more people in Sheffield the support to access recovery services and improve their wellbeing.” 

The new service will include a range of support including harm reduction, care coordination, clinical and therapeutic interventions. As part of our aftercare support we will continue to work with people who become abstinent to develop and reach their goals.

The service will also provide support for family members. 

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Being Human: our new five-year strategy

Jack Keery

Our new five-year strategy, Being Human, is centered on people: the people who use our services, their families, and the communities they are part of.  

Our ambition is to drive radical change, so people impacted by drugs, alcohol and related issues experience fairer chances to flourish in their communities. 

Read Being Human: a strategy for everyone.

A message from Paul Townsley, Humankind CEO:  

I am extremely excited about Being Human and what the future holds for the people we support. When developing our strategy we kept at the forefront of our minds our vision – that we want to see a world where everyone has a fair chance to be safe, build ambitions for the future and reach their full potential.  

We wanted this strategy to stretch us and to increase our impact. It is focused on the communities and people we work with, and I am confident that we will support more people through local services embedded in their communities and partnerships that challenge the status quo. We are proud to be a national charity made up of local services. We will develop the necessary partnerships to work with communities to make sure that local needs are met and that we are there for the long term.   

When we launched Being Human internally our ambition of driving radical change really struck a chord and started some interesting conversations. Everyone got behind the vision to make a real difference to the people we work with and recognised that we must continue to develop and grow as an organisation to do that.   

An image which describes the three goals in Humankind's new 5 year strategy. People: we will support more poeple at different points of need, from prevention, to impactful services, to have fair chances for a home, a job and purpose. Place: we will deliver local services that become embedded as assets to help build stronger, more confident communities. Partnerships: we will build partnerships that challenge the status quo to bring positive change for the people we support.

To shape our strategy, we listened to over 3,300 people: the people we support, our colleagues and our valued delivery partners. We learnt a lot, and the strategy has genuinely been based on listening to that feedback. Thank you to everyone that contributed, we couldn’t have done it without you.   

We want to keep listening and in the coming months will be collecting feedback on what people think about the strategy.   

Having joined DISC in July 2015 as Chief Executive, I am hugely proud of the success of our previous five-year strategy, which helped us evolve into Humankind, grow and support over 90,000 people last year. Being Human builds on these solid foundations and I’m looking forward to working with our expert and committed teams and the people we support to deliver it.

Read Being Human: a strategy for everyone.

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EDP to fully merge into parent charity Humankind

Jack Keery

The logos of two charities that are merging, Humankind and EDP

EDP has proudly supported people in the South West since 1984, and as a subsidiary of Humankind since April 2020. Our two charities have worked closely together, with EDP drawing on Humankind’s national scale and expertise. As closely aligned charities, EDP will now take the next step in integration by merging fully into its parent charity on 1 July of this year.

Uniting the organisations will make us stronger and more sustainable. EDP’s Reach Dorset, Together Devon and wider services will become Humankind’s South West operational region, enabling us to serve the people of the South West even better, reaching a greater amount of people. There is no anticipated reduction in the overall number of roles.

As a national provider of support Humankind has services across England. We are proud to have supported over 90,000 people last year and that all our Care Quality Commission inspected services are assessed as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’. The new South West operational region will be supported by Humankind’s core functions and will be able to draw on good practice, new models and resources from our other operational regions.

Paul Townsley, CEO of Humankind, said: “After three years of close partnership work, I’m delighted that Humankind will be welcoming EDP staff and services in July. I know both charities pride themselves on their partnership approach as well as their focus on, and belief in, the people they serve. We will ensure these values continue as part of EDP’s proud legacy in the South West.”

Penny Blackmore, CEO of EDP, said “Working with Humankind as a subsidiary over the last three years has brought many benefits to EDP, so taking this next step feels very natural. Being able to deliver life changing recovery services with our trademark care and professionalism to more people in the South West is an exciting prospect, and one that we are now ready to take.”

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‘Outstanding’ Forward Leeds has its contract renewed

Mark Hindwell

Staff at Forward Leeds pose for a photo outside of their Armley Park Court office

Following a Leeds City Council procurement process, Forward Leeds has been successful in winning the contract to provide the city’s alcohol and drug support service for at least another five years.

The service, with sites in Armley, Seacroft and the city centre, will begin its new contract on 1 April 2023. The initial contract will run until 31 March 2028 with Leeds Council having an option to extend after that date for up to five years potentially taking it up to April 2033.

Forward Leeds, who recently won Leeds City Council’s Partner of the Year, is a consortium between three charities: Humankind, St Anne’s Community Services and BARCA-Leeds along with the Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LYPFT).

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Public Health and Active Lifestyles, said: “As a Care Quality Commission outstanding rated service, it is really pleasing that Forward Leeds have been awarded this contract for the next few years. The service plays a vital role in addressing the challenges posed by drug and alcohol use to individuals and communities in Leeds, ensuring that anyone in the city struggling with drug and alcohol issues is able to get support.

“For some years now, Forward Leeds has consistently been one of the highest performing drug and alcohol treatment services in the country, and it is one of only a few services in the country that is rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC)”.

Victoria Eaton, Director of Public Health at Leeds City Council, said: “It is fantastic news that Forward Leeds will continue to provide the Leeds City Council Public Health commissioned drug and alcohol service, which offers support for anyone affected by drug and alcohol use. The service has gone from strength to strength, to become one of just a few drug and alcohol services to be rated as outstanding, by the Care Quality Commission, in the country.”

Operations Director of Forward Leeds Helen Cook said: “To be awarded the contract for at least another five years is fantastic. It reflects the quality and the hard work of the staff across our partnership and the commitment that they show in working with people who come to us for support.

“We have had to prove that we are able to continue to offer the high-quality service we have been doing and that we can develop and evolve our service to meet the ever-changing needs of the city.”

Humankind Regional Director Lee Wilson said: “Having our contract renewed is a testament to the dedication of our staff and volunteers who provide the highest quality of care and support to everyone who comes to us needing help.

“The service has had to meet significant quality thresholds in the bidding process along with due diligence checks on safeguarding, health and safety, finance, and insurance. These were all completed successfully with no issues identified. Our social value response was even given the top score possible by the council.”

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