Service Users

Rehabilitation Goals

• Achieve alcohol and drug free lives
• Overcome the issues that resulted from drug/alcohol dependency
• Learn new social, parental and educational skills
• Achieve personal stability, health and independence
• Be given fresh hope for a better future and developing the skills to maintain it

The Premises

The premises are a large detached Victorian house near Cardiff City centre, converted for use as a rehabilitation centre.  It provides substantial well maintained accommodation on two floors.  It has the advantage of a large, secure enclosed garden that is available for use by mothers and as an outdoor children’s play area.

There are six large family rooms which can accommodate mothers and two/three children.  There are eight rooms that can accommodate a mother and one child.

Four single rooms and one family room are on the ground floor with one shared bathroom and three separate toilets.  Five family rooms and four single rooms are on the first floor with two bathrooms and two toilets.   The kitchen and dining room/lounge are on the ground floor.

Other rooms provide for counselling/group activities, children’s dayroom, nursery, kitchen, office and staff room and for staff sleeping-in.

Daily timetable

Mothers’ day begins at 7.30am Monday to Friday and they are responsible for their children being dressed, fed and ready for nursery or school by 9.00am.  Programme activities commence at 9.00am with cleaning duties followed by Group Sessions starting at 10.00am and continuing until lunch time.  The afternoon Programme activities are written up on an individual basis for each mother, involving one-to-one sessions with her counsellor, key worker and parenting worker.  Each mother has a personal care plan which is drawn up in conjunction with her key worker and placing agency.  Regular six weekly reviews take place between each mother, her key worker and Social Services/funding agency.  Mothers also meet on a six weekly basis with the Registered Manager to review their placement.  Programme activities end at 4pm when children are collected from the in-house nursery or from school.  Programme activities are compulsory and mothers are required to sign an agreement to this prior to admission.  Failure to comply with the Programme activity requirements or with House rules could result in a mother being discharged from the Rehabilitation Programme.

During evenings and weekends, mothers are encouraged to participate in organising and managing their children, social, domestic and leisure activities. Support Workers provide guidance and assistance as necessary.

Mothers are expected to learn the necessary life skills and coping strategies to care for themselves and their children with support and guidance from the staff. Personal care is provided to mothers whenever they may be unable to care for themselves through temporary illness or disablement. Children are offered personal care when cared for in the in-house nursery when their mothers attend the structured programme during the day (Monday – Friday), whilst being cared for by Ashcroft House staff outside the programme time, by special arrangement in exceptional circumstances (e.g. hospitalisation) or when mothers become unfit or unable to care for their children.

No nursing care is provided by staff employed at Ashcroft House.  Mothers and children receive health care advice and support from Health Visitors, District Nurses and Community Psychiatric Nurses as required and in conjunction with GP assessments of health care needs.