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.
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.
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.
New alcohol and drug service launches for Bradford district
Jack Keery
New Vision Bradford is a new service to help people who have issues with alcohol and other drugs across the district.
The service, which starts today, on 3 April 2023, is a partnership between our national charity at Humankind along with three local charities, The Bridge Project, Create Strength Group and Project 6, who have been offering support from their bases in Bradford and Keighley for many years.
Humankind Regional Director Lee Wilson, who will oversee the service, said: “We plan to build on the experience of our partners to make New Vision Bradford one of the most innovative and effective substance support services in England.
“We already have plans in place for treatment pathways and models that can help people achieve their goals and build better lives for themselves. We’ll be working closely with other partners in health and social care across the district and listening to the people we support to continually develop and improve what we have to offer”.
Sasha Bhat, Programme Director – Healthy Minds for the Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, said: “We recognise that providing compassionate and people-centred services to support people experiencing substance dependency is the best way to create long-lasting behaviour change.
“We’re delighted that this new service will help local people and do so in a way that is non-judgemental and at a pace that suits each individual. We want people to know that this service will be there for you in your recovery journey.”
New Vision Bradford will include a range of support including harm reduction, care coordination, clinical and therapeutic interventions. The service will also provide support for family members. New Vision Bradford will continue to work with people who become abstinent to help them create a healthy and meaningful life.
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.”
Humankind joins call to reinstate funding to support children affected by parental alcohol use
Jack Keery
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP, will deliver his Spring Budget in Parliament on Wednesday 15 March.
Through the Alcohol and Families Alliance, of which we are a member, we signed a joint letter to the Chancellor at the beginning of March calling for him to reinstate funding to support children of alcohol dependent parents.
The Alcohol and Families Alliance is a collaboration of over 40 organisations that is united in reducing the harms experienced by families through alcohol.
Established in 2018, the Children of Alcohol Dependent Parents grant enabled ground-breaking work to take place, benefitting many children of alcohol dependent parents by allowing them and their parents to turn their lives around.
Reinstating this grant will provide children affected by parental alcohol use with access to the support they need and ensure that they are not forgotten, or neglected, but empowered to enjoy healthy and secure childhoods.
Launch of Drink Drug Hub website provides reliable harm reduction information for anyone in North Yorkshire
Author
Not every person who drinks or uses drugs develops harmful patterns of use – but drink and drugs can cause lots of people lots of problems.
By providing reliable and accurate information, we can help adults and young people make more informed decisions, understand how to access support, and potentially reduce the harms they face. We can help family and friends feel less alone. We can help professionals feel more confident to talk about drugs and alcohol and provide effective support.
The website, which can be found at www.drinkdrughub.co.uk, presents an extensive but easy to use database of articles, videos and fact sheets. Resources cover everything from alcohol and prescription medications to illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin.
Anyone in North Yorkshire can also attend free training or awareness events, and practitioners can discover learning opportunities provided by other agencies across our region. Sessions will cover topics like an introduction to drugs/alcohol and administering naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdoses.
Prior to launching the site, people who use alcohol and other drugs, and experts in the field of treatment, recovery and harm reduction gave feedback on the content, effectiveness and usability of the website to North Yorkshire Horizons.
The Office for National Statistics recently revealed that 2021 was the worst year on record for both drug related deaths and alcohol related deaths in England and Wales. Equipping people with knowledge about substances is an important way to reduce the harms that drugs and alcohol can cause.
Louise Wallace, Director of Public Health at North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“Drink Drug Hub is a really important resource for our communities. It will help to equip people across North Yorkshire with reliable information and will also allow our communities to engage with awareness sessions delivered by experts, and practitioners working in our services to book onto and attend training to develop their own knowledge and skills.”
Lee Wilson, Regional Director at Humankind, the national charity which runs North Yorkshire Horizons, said:
“We believe that people deserve to have access to accurate and up-to-date information about the drugs they take, and that’s why our team have worked so hard to create Drink Drug Hub. We’re excited to launch this new resource, which we know can improve health outcomes in North Yorkshire, and potentially save lives.”
Matt Bee, Specialist Training Facilitator at North Yorkshire Horizons and Drink Drug Hub project lead, said:
“We know that people are often overwhelmed by the amount of information available online about alcohol and other drugs, and it can be difficult to know what sources to trust. Our goal is to make it easy for people to access reliable information verified by experts, so that they can be empowered to make the best decisions for their own health and wellbeing, and that of their loved ones.”
If you need free and confidential information, advice or support with your own drug or alcohol use in North Yorkshire, you can also contact:
‘Outstanding’ Forward Leeds has its contract renewed
Mark Hindwell
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.”
National Apprenticeship Week 2023 takes place from Monday 6 February to Sunday 12 February. With both Dame Carol Black’s Independent Review and the national drug strategy, ‘From Harm to Hope’, singling out workforce development as a national priority and essential criteria for success, we are taking the opportunity to highlight the achievements and aspirations of the 45 apprentices at our charity.
Across our County Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service, Liaison and Diversion, and Crisis teams, there are 15 apprentices with lived experience of drug and alcohol use, recovery, mental health, or experience of the criminal justice system completing a Level 2 in Adult Care.
These apprentices were specifically recruited for their unique experiences, each bringing empathy, understanding and a range of skills to the role, which benefits the people accessing these services, our national charity, and the wider charity sector.
Ben Fidler, a Peer Apprentice in recovery in the County Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service, shared his journey, from volunteering to his apprenticeship, and how it increased his self-confidence.
“Humankind’s positive approach to interviewing makes you feel like they are wanting to learn about you and your worth as a person,” Ben commented. “They go the extra mile to find the right person, and it feels great when that person is you! It is a really refreshing outlook.”
Another apprentice with lived experience commented that “I have always been passionate about mental health and helping others, and through this apprenticeship, being able to help others makes me feel there is a more positive outcome from my own experiences.”
We have seen great success within our apprentice programme. Nine out of sixteen who started in entry level positions after completing Level 2 or 3 apprenticeships are still employed in permanent positions. The apprenticeships have provided the others with the tools to make a positive impact in new roles.
George Bell began his journey with us as a volunteer before becoming a Peer Support Apprentice in March 2020. He described his apprenticeship experience as a great way to learn new skills and knowledge while being part of the team, and excelled in his role, securing a permanent position first as a Peer Support Worker and now as Peer Mentor and Volunteer Coordinator in the Tees Crisis Team.
Of his experience, George said, “The wider team were all very supportive and encouraging which is great for confidence building and also getting great shadowing experiences with different members of the team.”
Each apprentice at Humankind participates in on-the-job learning to gain the skills and experience required to develop their career within a supportive environment. Their work makes a real difference to the lives of people we support every day.
The programme covers a range of apprenticeship standards, including Adult Care, Finance and Customer Service among others. The apprenticeship standards studied support our different services across the country, from community drug and alcohol treatment to corporate services.
As well as apprenticeships for people looking to begin their career journey within the charity sector, over half of the apprenticeship learners were already employed by us and requested to complete an apprenticeship for their own personal development.
This includes 11 managers studying towards a Level 5 apprenticeship in Operations Management with Activate Business School. Feedback so far has been positive, and the organisation will support more managers to study towards the Level 5 Operations Management apprenticeship in the future. The apprenticeship is delivered remotely, fitting around the workdays of the learners.
Roxanne Dark, Service Manager at Humankind’s Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service (STARS) said, “The level 5 apprenticeship has given me the ability to stay in the role I enjoy while working towards my future in the same working environment. It has helped me in my role as I feel I am a better manager and I think in different ways now.”
We work with seven different training providers who deliver apprenticeships in varied ways, including with online platforms and face-to-face learning in a higher education or workplace setting.
In addition to Activate Business School, these providers include Darlington College, East Durham College, Impact Futures, Kaplan Financial Ltd, New College Durham, and Teesside University.
The apprenticeship programme is overseen by Humankind’s Talent Development Manager, Katie Woodward. Katie’s role involves developing the apprenticeship offer while working closely with services to identify current and future workforce trends.
“The most rewarding part of the role,” Katie says, “is the opportunity to support our workforce, from volunteers to managers, to develop their skills and careers every day.”
Cumbria’s community drug and alcohol treatment service rated ‘Good’ across the board by Care Quality Commission
Jack Keery
Humankind, in partnership with The Well Communities, is proud to announce that Recovery Steps Cumbria has received a rating of “Good” in all areas from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England.
The community-based service in Cumbria offers a range of support including clinical, health and wellbeing, access to employability coaches and connections to housing.
This is the first CQC review of Recovery Steps Cumbria since it began operating in October 2021 and underlines the early progress made by our team and partners. To date, the service has supported 2,952 people across Cumbria.
In particular, the CQC praised our workforce for treating the people they support “with compassion and kindness”, noting that they “understood the individual needs of clients” while ensuring they “actively involved clients in decisions and care planning”.
The Recovery Steps Cumbria team were further commended for their ability to assess and manage risk, and their adherence to good practice and safeguarding procedures. The care plans they developed were described as holistic, recovery-oriented, and informed by comprehensive assessments.
The CQC also recognised the multidisciplinary approach of teams across our Cumbria hubs, which gave access to the full range of necessary specialists. This care was “easy to access”, with staff planning and managing discharge well and developing alternative pathways for people whose needs it could not meet.
Finally, the CQC recognised that Recovery Steps Cumbria was well led, with governance processes that ensured that its procedures ran smoothly.
Paul Johnson, Commissioning Manager for Children, Adults and Public Health at Cumbria County Council said:
“We are delighted to see the commissioned Cumbria Addictions Service consistently received ‘Good’ across the board in its recent CQC inspection, after just a year of being in operation. Particularly so as it had to get the new service up and running during the pandemic.
“We look forward to working together with our provider over the coming months and years to make this an ‘Outstanding’ service.”
Rachel Savchenko, Operations Director for the North West at Humankind, said:
“It is testament to our people at all levels that we have received a ‘Good’ rating across the board in Recovery Steps Cumbria’s first CQC review.
“We are excited to continue serving our community by providing the support and resources necessary for individuals to achieve lasting recovery.”
Becky White, Area Manager at Recovery Steps Cumbria, said:
“We are pleased to receive this recognition from the CQC and are fully dedicated to continuing to provide such safe, compassionate, and effective care to the people of Cumbria.
“I would like to thank our fantastic teams for all their hard work and commitment since the launch of Recovery Steps Cumbria. We know that we are progressing every day and hope to build on this rating further.”
Project Reset, a programme of education, intervention, and treatment for alcohol use and gambling aimed at soldiers in North Yorkshire – run as a collaboration between Humankind, North Yorkshire Horizons, and the military – has been funded by the British Army for an additional twelve months.
The success of the project has led to an almost doubling of investment for 2023, which will significantly enhance the support provided to serving military personnel.
Project Reset has also been recognised by the Defence Medical Services, specifically the Surgeon General, as a model for best practice. It now sits as a pilot under the Chief of Defence Peoples space for the consideration of a possible rollout across Defence services in the UK.
While our Mil-SMART recovery programme will continue as a weekly support group available within the Catterick Garrison Community Hub and as a virtual offer, Project Reset focuses on harm reduction and prevention.
It uses presentations to whole units around the dangers and consequences of alcohol use, gambling, and other addictive behaviours, while also educating people how these link to mental health, self-harm, and suicide.
Working in partnership with Departments of Community Mental Health, Unit Welfare Officers, and military Medical Centres, the project has played a pivotal role in retaining soldiers who would otherwise have been discharged.
Nicky Booth, Area Manager at North Yorkshire Horizons, said:
“I’m delighted that Humankind has secured a full year of increased funding for Project Reset and Mil-SMART delivery.
“This extension is an excellent opportunity to grow the current service and our collaboration with the armed forces further. It is vital that we continue to support our local military personnel by addressing the risks of alcohol use, gambling, and other addictive behaviours.”
Ruth Hasney, Project Reset Facilitator and Recovery Coordinator at North Yorkshire Horizons, said:
“I am so happy that the Project Reset contract has been extended and the funding increased.
“This recognition demonstrates that we are aligned with the British Army in how much we value the support offered. We have worked so hard to achieve the outcomes the project has generated to date, and I am so excited to see how Project Reset can evolve in 2023.”
The increase in funding will allow Project Reset to provide:
A case worker for one full day per week of military-specific support to Unit Welfare Officers, allowing for additional one-to-one appointments.
A continuation of current provision with one case worker providing support to Catterick Garrison, including one Mil-SMART group per week provided face-to-face at the Catterick Garrison Community Hub.
Referrals to Humankind’s North Yorkshire Horizons recovery service where additional support is required for harmful drinking.
Attendance at health fairs promoting the project and raising awareness of the risks of harmful drinking and other addictive behaviours.
The delivery of presentations at welfare conferences and to units as required.
A Walk and talk support group in the Catterick area.
A Facebook peer support page, offering weekly updates, tips, and advice on coping skills and positive messages.
Calderdale Recovery Steps rated Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission
Jack Keery
Calderdale Recovery Steps, the West Yorkshire borough’s community alcohol and drug service, has been rated ‘Outstanding’ in recognition of the caring and proactive support it provides.
The rating was provided by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England. It found that Calderdale Recovery Steps, which is led by Humankind and delivered in partnership with The Basement Recovery Project, is an “Outstanding” service, particularly in the categories of being Caring and Responsive.
According to the report, the service is a place that finds “innovative ways of delivering more joined up care to clients, particularly those with complex needs”, where the “passionate, highly motivated” staff are “consistent in supporting clients to live healthier lives”.
Cllr Sarah Courtney, Cabinet Member for Towns, Engagement and Public Health at Calderdale Council, said: “We are delighted, but unsurprised, at this very well-deserved result.
“Both Humankind and The Basement Recovery project have worked incredibly hard, in partnership with our whole system, to ensure that our services respond to the needs of people and places in Calderdale. Everyone involved in the service should feel very proud of this result and the recognition of the outstanding practice that’s making a real difference in our community.”
Emily Todd, Regional Director at Humankind, said: “I am extremely proud of this CQC Outstanding result in Calderdale, which reflects the dedication and hard work of our staff teams.
“Our services in Calderdale deliver a wide range of support to people and always take an innovative approach to working with the most vulnerable in our society with recovery and harm reduction at its core.
“The relationships we have built with The Basement Recovery Project, our commissioners and other key partners allow us to effectively challenge health inequalities and save lives.”
The CQC stated that: “leaders at all levels of the service were compassionate, inclusive and effective.”
The CQC inspectors continue: “Clients from the adult and young persons’ service, told us staff respected and valued them as individuals and thought staff exceeded their expectations in supporting their emotional and practical needs. Staff treated people with compassion, kindness and empowered them to be active partners in their own care.”
Calderdale Recovery Steps joins other Humankind-led services in being rated outstanding by the CQC during 2022, including Forward Leeds and County Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service.
