SPOTLIGHT
The staff at Aspinden Wood Centre are on a mission to make sure every resident
becomes stronger, happier and healthier
A drive to thrive
ASPINDEN WOOD CENTRE (AWC) IS A RESIDENTIAL HOME
SUPPORTING SERVICE USERS WITH ALCOHOL MISUSE. With a staff
team that is committed to a harm minimisation model AWC is
moving forward by recognising people’s choice to drink, while
providing a safe and secure home. Based in Bermondsey, south
east London, we are a unique service in a vibrant part of London
and are working hard to make our mark by delivering the best
quality of care that we can. At AWC we support up to 26 men and
women who are alcohol dependent and living with a range of
personal care and support needs.
So what exactly is harm minimisation at AWC, and how do we
get our service users to see that reducing the harm of alcohol on
their life is a good thing? We believe that there is not just one
method of harm minimisation but that the success of the
model here is based on a holistic approach of recovery that
creates an intrinsic desire within our service users to accept
help, know that things can change, and learn new
associations with alcohol. Many of our service users have
been through the cycle of detox and rehab several times and
are disillusioned with services.
As with any workplace, our staff team experience highs
and lows. Everyday working life at AWC consists of alcohol
misuse support, mental health support, personal care, meal
support, agony aunts, joke tellers and just about anything
else that works towards enriching the lives of our service
users. The friendly conversations and recovery milestones are
sometimes paired with challenging behaviours and emotional
distress. Although there are many positives throughout the day,
alcohol is still a part of everyday life at AWC that this can make
things unpredictable.
Our aim is to work with service users using an approach of
person-centred care and investing in a psychologically informed
environment (PIE). PIE frameworks and methods allow us to reach
our service users on a deeper level by considering their
psychological backgrounds and trauma, which can shape and
mould their choices today. Introducing PIE to service users
definitely brought about a few sceptical laughs and puzzled looks
to begin with, but eventually service users came on board.
Our newly adopted PIE scheme seeped into all areas of the
service – physical changes to buildings have taken place to create
open and neutral spaces, while the language during keyworking
sessions has evolved to be more understanding of strong
reactions to certain topics of discussion. For service users, the use
of PIE has been a positive change that has been reflected in a
calmer atmosphere around the service.
There are many work ethics that make the cogs turn at AWC.
Patience, problem solving, team working and compromise are all
day to day features on the ground here, but none can be more
important than promoting motivation. Our service user group can
struggle with motivation after many years street homeless or just
stumbling through life, and suddenly finding the motivation for
daily activities can be very difficult. This can be frustrating for a
14 | drinkanddrugsnews | Rehab Guide 2019
hard working team that sees so much potential in each one of the
individuals that live here, but somehow a combination of
commitment, passion, excellent training and ultimately a team of
good people led by a focused and hardworking manager has come
together to create a motivation machine.
At every hurdle there is a team here that won’t give up, and
2019 for all at AWC has been coined as The Year of
Empowerment. This movement embodies the drive that staff
have to see every single service user thrive and become stronger,
more independent, happier and healthier than they were when
they first arrived.
When we work with service users it is important to us that
they feel respected in what recovery means to them. At AWC all
achievements are celebrated, whether they are as big as mending
broken relationships with family members to a service user taking
leadership on their breakfast for the day. Working with such a
marginalised group as we do at AWC means that we do not take
any of the small things for granted.
AWC is part of a wider group of services and teams dedicated
to care and support known as The Social Interest Group. The
advantages for AWC service users and staff of existing within the
group is a wealth of knowledge, experience and support across
the companies. Our closest neighbours, Brook Drives in Elephant
and Castle and Southampton Way in Camberwell, are a short hop
away and always at the end of the phone for support and advice.
For further details contact service manager Judy Howells at
[email protected]
our service user
group can
struggle with
motivation after
many years
street homeless
or just stumbling
through life, and
suddenly finding
the motivation
for daily
activities can be
very difficult.
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