Leeds – Humankind

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Swedish social enterprise cooperative visits 5 WAYS

Jack Keery

Pictured from left to right are 5 WAYS Manager Jo Byrden with Linda Tolly, Charlotte Gustavsson and Angelica Lindblad of Vägen Ut!
Staff from Vägen Ut! visited 5 WAYS, our Recovery Academy in Leeds, on Wednesday 3 May for a seminar with members and staff about setting up and managing social enterprises.

Vägen Ut! is based in Gothenburg, Sweden and runs 13 social enterprises that provide real jobs for people who struggle to gain employment due to past issues with alcohol/drugs, criminal justice or disabilities.

They provide environmentally friendly products and services then reinvest the profits to create more jobs. The cooperative has an annual turnover in excess of £33 million. Vägen Ut! means ‘A Way Out’ in English.

5 WAYS Manager Jo Byrden said: ”The work that the Vägen Ut! team do in Sweden is incredible. Helping people who are unable to find work to create their own businesses is fabulous. Not only that, the diversity of the business they run and the people they support is so impressive and they do it all with the highest green credentials.”

“It’s been a wonderful learning opportunity for us and has really motivated the team and the members to look at how we might begin to create our own social enterprises here in Leeds, using the many skills and experiences of the members. Our members are full of creativity, ideas and enthusiasm. Now it feels like just a matter of deciding where and how we start.

The staff from Vägen Ut! were also impressed with 5 WAYS. Linda Tolly of Vägen Ut! said: “It’s truly inspiring to come to 5 WAYS and see what they are doing. It’s clearly a real meeting place of hope and creativity where people can help each other. We don’t have anything exactly like this in Sweden.”

Vägen Ut! visited a range of recovery services in the North of England that also included Aspire in Doncaster and Recovery Connections in Middlesbrough.

Pictured above from left to right are 5 WAYS Manager Jo Byrden with Linda Tolly, Charlotte Gustavsson and Angelica Lindblad of Vägen Ut!

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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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Forward Leeds rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission

Jack Keery

Forward Leeds staff at the city’s hub on Kirkgate in the city centre

Forward Leeds, the Humankind-led alcohol and drug service in Leeds, is “highly innovative” and a place where, “staff always go the extra mile to support clients” according to a recent assessment.

The comments were made following a recent inspection by the Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England. The CQC say Forward Leeds is “Outstanding”, overall and is “Outstanding” in the categories of being Effective, Caring and Well-Led. Fewer than two per cent of services inspected receive the top overall rating of Outstanding.

Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for public health and active lifestyles, said: “Drug and alcohol use poses a significant challenge to individuals and communities across the city. Forward Leeds play a vital role in addressing those challenges, helping individuals achieve and sustain recovery from drug and alcohol use.

“It is really pleasing therefore to see the positive improvements in the service, recognised in this outstanding rating, and I hope that this gives anybody struggling with drug or alcohol issues the confidence to seek support.”

Victoria Eaton, director of public health at Leeds City Council, said: “Forward Leeds receiving an outstanding rating is fantastic news and it is great recognition for everyone involved in delivering drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services across the city.

“It is really pleasing to see the service, commissioned by Leeds Public Health, improve in the latest Care Quality Commission Inspection and become one of the few drug and alcohol services to be rated as outstanding in the country.”

Forward Leeds Director, Lee Wilson said: “This is fantastic news for our service and the city. If the report highlights one thing above anything else, it’s that we are a caring service whose staff always do the best for the people they support. The report shows the level of commitment our teams have to deliver the best possible service and outcomes for people using our service as well as their families and loved ones.”

The report states that the service: “truly considered the needs of different groups of people using its service” and that: “staff treated clients with compassion and kindness and respect”.

The CQC inspectors continue: “Feedback from people who used the service was overwhelmingly positive” and “clients told us that staff had really helped them to move forward with their lives”.

Former user of the service Mathew Sharp said: “It is fantastic to see Forward Leeds recognised as an outstanding service. It was remarkable to have their support and help through my recovery. They are always there for you. The staff are amazing, they work with you, they understand what you’re going through and will help you understand yourself”.

This commendation follows the CQC assessing the County Durham Durham Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service as “Outstanding”  in April and the Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service (STARS) as “Good” in May.

To find out more about Forward Leeds, please visit their website: www.forwardleeds.co.uk

To read the full report, please visit the CQC website: www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-5026921980

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Humankind’s community members travel over 1,000 miles together in celebration of Recovery Month

Jack Keery

Barnsley Recovery Steps, a Humankind service, on a recovery walk through Barnsley

Humankind has been celebrating the successes of people recovering from addiction by holding events throughout September to mark Recovery Month.

Recovery Month is a national event that celebrates the achievements of people who have sought treatment for drug and alcohol use.

Staff, volunteers, and people who use our services have joined together at a range of events, including walks, bicycle rides, community litter picks, and step-challenges to recognise the achievements of close to 30,000 people who access our recovery services each year.

North Yorkshire Horizons hiking

Speaking about the events, Humankind’s CEO, Paul Townsley, said:

“National Recovery Month is always a hugely significant time in our charity’s calendar, not only because we are able to celebrate the fantastic achievements of people who have accessed our services and thrived within them, but because those people have the opportunity to show others who may be struggling that recovery from substance misuse is both real and achievable.

“The collective effort from participants to amass over 1,000 miles in walks, bike rides, and many other events sends a strong message that we must end the stigma surrounding drug and alcohol issues, and instead celebrate those in recovery who are taking life-changing steps and aiming to maintain their sobriety.”

In total, our Recovery Month participants collectively travelled over 1186.9 miles, representing more than three times the distance from our head office in Durham to the location of our service furthest in the south, EDP in Devon.

As well as events to get active, Humankind’s services have also hosted graduations for those who have achieved sobriety and parties for those in recovery.

Forward Leeds, one of our drug and alcohol recovery services, hosted a recovery graduation at Elland Road with former Leeds United football player Jermaine Beckford and professional boxer Maxi Hughes presenting the ceremony.

Professional boxer Maxi Hughes and Jermaine Beckford at the Forward Leeds Recovery Graduation

In Sheffield, The Greens Recovery Focused Accommodation hosted a garden party in recognition of the achievements of tenants such as Greg Goodwin, who in the space of a year went from being in intensive care as a result of alcoholism to going sober and taking part in a 170-mile bike ride.

Other events featured in Humankind’s Recovery Month calendar included:

  • Barnsley Recovery Steps – 10-mile ramble
  • Calderdale Recovery Steps – outreach event in Halifax Town Centre, with public speakers, bands, choirs, and stalls
  • EDP Drug and Alcohol Services – Mount Everest Steps Challenge
  • Forward Leeds – Waterfront Recovery Walk
  • North Yorkshire Horizons – Yorkshire Three Peaks hike
  • South Tyneside Adult Recovery Service – Recovery Walks
  • Staffordshire Adult Recovery Service – Recovery Walks
  • The Greens Recovery Focused Accommodation – 170-mile Way of the Roses bike ride
  • The Greens Recovery Focused Accommodation – weekly community litter picks

Humankind expands successful IPS service

Jack Keery

A worker lifts boxes onto a shelf in a warehouse

Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and Department of Health and Social Care, and backed by Public Health England, the Humankind STARS (Staffordshire Treatment and Recovery Service) was one of the first areas to deliver IPS (Individual Placement and Support) in community drug and alcohol treatment, from 1st April 2020 – 31st March 2021. Humankind has subsequently been awarded new contracts to deliver IPS in Leeds, South Tyneside and Gateshead, and Cumbria, while continuing our work in Staffordshire.

IPS is a ground-breaking employment programme which provides people with intensive support to find stable employment tailored to their individual needs.

STARS oversaw 87 enrolments into the IPS service during this time, with 55% of those subsequently finding suitable employment, despite the extra challenges faced by jobseekers throughout the pandemic.

While warehouse logistics and customer service/retail positions comprised the majority of those obtained by STARS’s IPS participants over the last financial year, job starts also spanned industries like health and social care, driving, administration/legal, production, trade, and cleaning.

The Staffordshire scheme even secured a stable self-employment route for a participant who needed to fit working hours around their family life after years of being paid in beer and food working in the “grey economy” with no permanent address.

It is hoped that the successful rollout of the IPS scheme within Humankind’s drug and alcohol services in Leeds, South Tyneside and Gateshead, and Cumbria will have a transformative impact on our ability to provide employment support to people who access them, while underlining the need for a multifaceted approach to treatment.

Humankind CEO, Paul Townsley, said:

“The success of STARS’s IPS work embodies Humankind’s mission to help people tackle their drug and alcohol use, not just through treatment, but also by paying attention to the social and economic factors which may hamper their road to recovery.”

Rosanna O’Connor, Director of PHE’s Alcohol, Drugs, Tobacco and Inclusion Health Division, said:

“We’ve seen over the last few years the transformative effect of helping people into jobs that they want to do. This can include financial independence, improved health and wellbeing, and the chance to develop supportive social networks.

“The expansion of Individual Placement and Support will enable more people to access this intensive, skilled but, above all, client-led form of employment support.”

Minister for Welfare Delivery, Will Quince, said:

“We know that drug and alcohol users in existing treatment, along with other disadvantaged groups, can face additional barriers when looking for work.

“The IPS scheme clearly shows people’s prospects of finding work can be improved, which in turn can lead to sustained recovery from drug use.

“We are delighted to be working with Humankind STARS to increase the availability of this highly personalised and intensive employment support in Staffordshire, and across the UK.”

IPS has eight key characteristics that distinguish it from most other forms of employment support:

  1. Paid employment secured in the competitive job market is the goal.
  2. It is open to all those who want to work.
  3. It aims to support people to find work that matches their preferences and interests.
  4. Job search and contact with employers are initiated quickly, within 4 weeks.
  5. IPS is embedded in and integrated with the treatment services.
  6. The IPS specialists engage directly with employers, building relationships to benefit their clients.
  7. It provides individualised unlimited support to the participant and their employer.
  8. Participants are given expert advice around welfare benefits to enable them to make informed decisions about work.

If you are a jobseeker or an employer who wants to hire one of our IPS participants, read more about our IPS offer.

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