For Professionals

Regulatory Framework

Ashcroft House is registered as a care home under the provisions of Part II of the Care Standards Act (2000) for up to 11 women with substance misuse issues. Provisions of Part VI of The Care Homes (Wales) Regulations 2002 apply when children are accommodated in Ashcroft House. Regulation 33 of The Care Homes (Wales) Regulations 2002 requires that provisions of Regulations 12, 15 to 18, 23 and 29 of, and Schedule 5, of the Children's Homes (Wales) Regulations, have effect. Consequently the children accommodated in Ashcroft House have the same protection in law as "service users". Nursery provision in Ashcroft House is not registered under the Care Standards Act 2000 due to being exempted under the Schedule 9, paragraph 4(1) (d) of the Children Act 1989. Therefore the nursery provision is not directly inspected as a day nursery. The Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales does however monitor the nursery as part of their overall inspection process of the care home. The nursery is staffed by NNEB qualified nursery nurses and we undertake to comply with the staffing levels stipulated in the Children Act.

• Our Aims
• Our Objectives
• Staffing
• Staff support
• Care of children
• Arrangements for Children
• In-house Nursery
• School age children
• Detoxification
• Treatment programmes
• Assessment for Prospective Residents and their children
• Philosophy
• Medication/Drug Testing
• Enquiries and visits

Our Aims

Ashcroft House offers a safe haven near Cardiff City Centre, where women with alcohol and/or drug dependencies can have the opportunity to learn to live independent lives, free from substances.

Individual rehabilitation programmes are arranged to meet the assessed needs of residentsand their children (if applicable). These programmes are structured and purposeful whilst allowing for client choice and flexibility. They are determined in conjunction with residents on admission and encourage them to develop increasing responsibility for managing their own lives. The programme provides support without creating dependency on the House or its staff.

Residents are encouraged to contribute to and collaborate in the overall management of the House, with controls and regulations being kept to the minimum to maintain the environment necessary for their rehabilitation.

Daily programmes include social and leisure activities in addition to counselling, group activities and life skills training. The aim is to enable residents to develop self confidence and the abilities to cope successfully with daily life; and to deal with the kinds of situations that have caused crises for them previously and contributed to their alcohol or drug dependencies.

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Our Objectives

To provide the practical help and a safe environment in which women can build on existing life skills and overcome social and life difficulties. The overall aim is for residentsto be able to live independently, caring for themselves and their children and free of the dependencies that led to their admission to Ashcroft House.

To assist residents to learn specific coping strategies to deal with areas of difficulty in their lives including pressure from others to start using again.

To enable residents to become proficient enough in social and community skills to be able to live harmoniously with other people and with respect and dignity for themselves and for others, both at Ashcroft House and in the wider community.

To provide the skills and the environment that will enable residents to be able to learn to live more balanced, satisfying and successful lives through increased self esteem, confidence in themselves and a wider range of personal skills.

To offer help in ways that respect the individuality of each resident and their race, culture, religion, disability, personal circumstances and sexual orientation.

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Staffing

The Registered Manager has overall responsibility for the management and organisation of the House and the treatment programmes. The staff and residents are supported by the Nava Group with regard to the practical arrangements (premises, personnel, provisions, payments, registration requirements, transport, training etc.).

The House staff provide counselling and skills training programmes Monday to Friday between 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. Each resident has a nominated key worker who isresponsible for liaising and coordinating their care, treatment and move on arrangements.

This includes community liaison with the funding agency for resettlement, post - rehabilitation support and maintenance plans.

Nursery Nurses are responsible for the care and treatment activities for the children during the weekdays from 9.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. with a lunch break from 12.30 to 1.15 p.m.

Support Workers supervise the House and assist residents and children with social and recreational activities during evenings and weekends and carry out sleeping-in duties at night. They are not expected to provide care or treatment programmes.

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Staff support

The staff group has developed a strong network of links with professional colleagues and volunteers in other agencies with responsibilities for working with women with alcohol and drug dependencies. External support, guidance and supervision arrangements are provided for the rehabilitation team in order to assist and support them in the tasks of working with each resident to examine the reasons for her dependency and helping her to learn to live a life free of substance dependency. Specialist skills and services can be arranged as required to meet individually assessed needs.

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Arrangements for Children

Mothers have full responsibility for the care of their children whilst living at Ashcroft House. Individual flexible arrangements can be made within the programme timetable for mothers who are breast feeding. This is their home for the duration of their rehabilitation and apart from the times spent in treatment programmes, mothers carry out their usual parental and domestic responsibilities and tasks e.g. laundry, cleaning their personal rooms, assisting with the preparation of meals and washing up and entertaining their children.

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In-house Nursery

Nursery Nurses care for children under school age during the times that their mothers are engaged in treatment programmes which will normally be on week days from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The nursery nurses contribute to the treatment programmes for both children and their mothers according to individual need.

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School age children

For school age children, suitable arrangements must be agreed with the Education and Social Services Departments for school attendance, as part of the family treatment plan prior to admission. School age children are enrolled in the local schools.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing children's needs and providing an individual care plan for each child before they come to Ashcroft House. Ashcroft House keep them informed of all significant events and they are responsible for contributing to reviews of each child's progress while the child is living at Ashcroft House.

Some children living at Ashcroft House are on the Child Protection Register or are the subject of court orders. Close contact and liaison is important with each mother's Social Services Department and Ashcroft House. Children's Social Services are consulted if relatives or friends wish to visit children or make arrangements for children to stay away from Ashcroft House as children may be affected by restrictions made in court orders. Emergency contact numbers for Social Services and information on the legal status of each child is accessible at all times by Ashcroft House staff to facilitate prompt consultation in the event of a mother leaving or having to be discharged.

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Detoxification

Residents who are attempting detoxification from drugs or alcohol in the community (under medical supervision) may be accepted for admission to Ashcroft House provided that the same level of professional medical or nursing oversight is maintained after they are admitted. Ashcroft House is registered as a residential care home and there is no nursing staff cover and residents receive medical care from GPs as they would in their own homes. Arrangements for planned detoxification are carried out in full cooperation with all medical professionals involved. Arrangements can be made for an independent psychiatrist to prescribe and supervise detoxification on payment of the appropriate fees by the placing agency.

All medication is administered by Ashcroft House staff who undergo suitable in-house training and is kept in a locked medication room. Policies and procedures for the administration of medications (including controlled drugs) are inspected and overseen by local pharmacies, Community Psychiatric Nurses and the CSSIW. Ashcroft House staff assist in setting up these arrangements to facilitate admission to the rehabilitation and supervise the detoxification programmes. Residents are also encouraged to have input into their own specific reduction regime in order to empower them and help take responsibility for their own treatment programmes. This is planned in conjunction with, and overseen by local prescribing agencies with the residents' health and welfare being of paramount importance.

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Treatment programmes

Ashcroft House is an alcohol and drug free setting (apart from prescribed drugs) where women can be free from the pressures contributing to their dependency and learn to live purposeful, stable and secure lives in preparation for their new start upon returning to the community. Use of alcohol or drugs by residents, whether on or off the premises, is likely to result in discharge from the programme.

Residents and children living at Ashcroft House will register with the local General Practitioner as part of the admission arrangements. Ashcroft House staff liaise with GPs and medical staff treating mothers as necessary and appropriate and with the full knowledge and consent of the resident concerned. There are no medical services provided at Ashcroft House.

Most of the women coming to Ashcroft House have a long history of alcohol and/or drug abuse over several years. The rehabilitation programmes provide counselling, skill development, training and guidance over periods ranging from 16 to 24 weeks - according to individual needs and reviews of progress.

The programmes include: personal health, child health, nutrition, home and family management, parenting and child care, personal finances and budgeting, social skills, recreational skills, interview skills, coping with crises, managing emotions, coping with failure/disappointment/success, personal presentation, further/higher education, alcohol and drug education.

Visiting arrangements are subject to agreement between the residents and the staff. The staff may refuse admission to any visitors who, in the opinion of staff, are likely to disrupt the activities of the House or breach the rules about no alcohol or drugs (other than mothers' prescribed drugs) on the premises.

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Assessment for Prospective Residents and their children

The rehabilitation programme lasts between 16 and 24 weeks. Every potential resident is assessed by Ashcroft House staff for their suitability and to ascertain their commitment. This includes a visit to the House where prospective new residents meet staff and current residents. This provides an opportunity for the prospective resident to find out what is involved and expected during the rehabilitation programme. Local authorities are required to provide Ashcroft House with an individual care plan showing their assessment of each child's needs before they are admitted.

We do not make a charge for the viability assessment and formal notification of our decision to offer or decline a placement. However, if the placement is subject to Section 38 application or similar, we will require all relevant court papers and reports prior to the initial assessment.

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Philosophy

The house philosophy is based on trust and honesty which is encouraged through group work and house meetings. Maintaining a safe house is essential and this is monitored by twice weekly random urine sampling and twice daily breathalysing for all residents.

We work on the basis that women need the opportunity to be free from the pressures and influences leading to their substance dependency and to make a fresh start in learning to live alcohol and drug free lives. Residential rehabilitation at Ashcroft House for some residents may be the only alternative to their children being taken into care with little prospect of the family being reunited.

We are prepared to believe in women and their ability to live without substance dependencies. As with all rehabilitation programmes, there are successes and failures. Some residents do not succeed first time but may then be even more determined to succeed later. If clients are committed to change and to leading a normal healthy life, free from drug and alcohol dependencies, we will give them as much help as we can to make that change and to learn ways to maintain it.

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Programme

The theoretical base for work at Ashcroft House is humanistic, using cognitive behavioural interventions. Group work consists of an eight week rolling programme including relapse prevention, life skills, anxiety and anger management, relaxation, confidence building, communication and problem solving. A weekly compulsory exercise activity is also incorporated into the programme. Individual care plans include drug and alcohol education, personal and child health, nutrition, home and family management, parenting and child care, personal finance and budgeting, social skills, coping with stress, opportunities for further/higher education courses and voluntary work as appropriate.

Initially, residents are subject to restrictions for six weeks which means they are not allowed out of the premises without a staff escort. This restriction is reviewed after six weeks and time out alone is planned and monitored by the key worker. By the end of eight weeks from the date of admission, mothers are expected to be ready to go out unescorted. They are expected to inform staff where they are going and to return by an agreed time. The premises are monitored by CCTV and doors are alarmed. Everyone entering and leaving the premises is monitored by staff. The House is staffed at all times - by the Manager and key workers during the day and by Support Workers on sleep-in duty at nights and at weekends. Residents and children are not allowed to have mobile phones to use on the premises. Once restrictions have been lifted, residents are able to make/receive telephone calls from family and friends from the private telephone kiosk outside programme time.

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Medication/Drug Testing

Ashcroft House is a drug and alcohol free environment. Twice-daily breath tests and twice weekly random urine testing monitor residents' compliance. Any prescribed medication is secured in the clinical medication room and administered only by staff, who have undergone training. This procedure is subject to rigorous record keeping and auditing. The Community Pharmacist employed by the NHS Trust has advised us on this, in conjunction with the former regulatory authority. The systems, procedures and records for administration of medication are monitored regularly.

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Enquiries and visits

Enquiries are welcomed from Social Workers, Probation Officers and other potential referring agencies. Visits to Ashcroft House can be arranged with the opportunity to talk to staff and residents