About Our Service Users...
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Registerd Charity Number 1088245
When we first came across Damon he was living on the streets and drinking heavily. We started to see him around Leeds city centre most days and worked on building a relationship. Damon was clearly troubled and couldn’t use most services due to his violent and abusive tendencies. With lots of hard work with Damon and persuasion of a housing provider, we managed to get him housed.
Due to his violence he was always in and out of court for drunk and disorderly, various assaults and public order offences from which he was either fined or jailed for a short term. Needless to say we kept supporting him through this no matter what.
In the early days Damon would help us out with little bits of work like deliveries and the like and he enjoyed this. But his temper remained a problem, although since being housed things were better it was still getting him into trouble. Every time I met Damon I always initiated the conversation with a simple “hello, how are you?” to which I always got the response…. “SHIT!” This was expected and meant I could then probe as to why things weren’t going so well.
Inevitably Damon ended up in court again and through many conversations and a lot of persuasion on our and other agencies part the courts imposed a community order which meant Damon had to do unpaid work. He adhered to this and I firmly believe that having meaningful use of time for the first time in years and something to look forward to was the catalyst to a major change in Damon. I can honestly say that in the past few months he’s been a pleasure to work with as his attitude and situation just keeps getting better. Just today as I met him at the rehab he was starting, I said “hello, how are you?” to which he replied……. “ON TOP OF THE WORLD”, and compared with where he started he is!
Jamie, Support Workerd
In the early days Damon would help us out with little bits of work like deliveries and the like and he enjoyed this. But his temper remained a problem, although since being housed things were better it was still getting him into trouble. Every time I met Damon I always initiated the conversation with a simple “hello, how are you?” to which I always got the response…. “SHIT!” This was expected and meant I could then probe as to why things weren’t going so well.
Inevitably Damon ended up in court again and through many conversations and a lot of persuasion on our and other agencies part the courts imposed a community order which meant Damon had to do unpaid work. He adhered to this and I firmly believe that having meaningful use of time for the first time in years and something to look forward to was the catalyst to a major change in Damon. I can honestly say that in the past few months he’s been a pleasure to work with as his attitude and situation just keeps getting better. Just today as I met him at the rehab he was starting, I said “hello, how are you?” to which he replied……. “ON TOP OF THE WORLD”, and compared with where he started he is!
Jamie, Support Workerd
A large proportion of the people we support have issues with drugs and/or alcohol. They tend to be at the more chaotic end of substance use.
· There were 40,872 admissions to hospital in England in the year 2006-7 with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol consumption
· There were 6,743 admissions to hospital in England in the year 2005-6 with a primary diagnosis of drug related mental health and behavioral disorder.
· The total number of drug related deaths in England and Wales in 2006 was 1,573.
· The total number of deaths directly linked to alcohol in England in 2006 was 6,517. The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England estimates there are up to 22,000 premature deaths per year associated in some way with alcohol misuse.
All information taken from the NHS Information Centre.
Substance use can start as a coping mechanism. We know that behind the issue is a person, and we aim to give them the support to access the right services
· There were 40,872 admissions to hospital in England in the year 2006-7 with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol consumption
· There were 6,743 admissions to hospital in England in the year 2005-6 with a primary diagnosis of drug related mental health and behavioral disorder.
· The total number of drug related deaths in England and Wales in 2006 was 1,573.
· The total number of deaths directly linked to alcohol in England in 2006 was 6,517. The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England estimates there are up to 22,000 premature deaths per year associated in some way with alcohol misuse.
All information taken from the NHS Information Centre.
Substance use can start as a coping mechanism. We know that behind the issue is a person, and we aim to give them the support to access the right services