Where are you based and what geographical area do you work in? Expand We are based in Shoreditch, East London. We work with people from across London and sometimes just outside of London. We are close to transport links (Old Street, Liverpool Street) and are well connected by several bus routes. Access onto our programmes currently depends on funding so please do call or get in touch to check whether you may be eligible to come on to one of our courses. As of November 2020, we are adapting our courses to make them available online. Initially, places on the new online courses will be from services in London we have relationships with but we aim to broaden out the accessibility of these courses beyond London from April 2021.
Do individuals attending your courses have to be abstinent from drugs and alcohol? Expand The vast majority of individuals who come onto our courses are abstinent from drugs and alcohol. Since we began in 2014, only 1.8% of people were on low (maintenance) doses of methadone or Subutex, all of whom successfully reduced and stopped on completion of our flagship programme, the Psychology for Change. Just as age doesn’t always equate to emotional maturity, we believe that being abstinent from drugs and/or alcohol doesn’t always equate to a person having stopped compulsive behaviours. The term ‘abstinence’ is often used in a binary way: a person is either addicted to substances or is completely free of them, which has the impact of placing the focus on the substances as opposed to the behaviours that drive them. For instance, a person can be abstinent of drugs and alcohol but may well have swapped their compulsive behaviours to something else - sugar, the gym, food, becoming a workaholic, etc - if they haven't addressed the roots of the behaviours themselves. Our work focuses on individuals understanding their psychological and behavioural patterns and developing the ability to make positive life changes themselves. We rigorously assess the suitability of all individuals applying for our courses to ensure they are the stage where they will get the most benefit from the time they invest on attending.
How do people get on to your courses? Expand Many individuals are referred on to our courses from treatment services who are familiar with our approach and who recognise the type of person that would most benefit. These people are usually at the aftercare stage of treatment or have recently left the treatment system, live in stable housing and have stopped using drugs or alcohol. We also take self-referrals and will carry out our own assessment whether a person is coming via a referral or is referring themselves to check suitability as we do not want to set people up to fail by taking on individuals when they may not be ready. Get in touch if you'd like more information on how to apply.
Is there a minimum age required to attend your courses? Expand Whilst age in years doesn’t always equate to maturity, our experience has shown that individuals under the age of 24 find some of the course content relating to childhood challenging. Our courses involve some aspect of looking at experiences in childhood to make sense of present-day behavioural and thought patterns – this is helped by having some emotional distance from the past which younger participants may not always have. We will still consider individual circumstances so please call us and have a chat if you think that you or someone you know might benefit from the course but may be younger than 24 years old.
Do you reimburse childcare expenses? Expand We are unable to offer support with childcare expenses. We are acutely aware of how this is often a significant barrier for parents to access our courses and we are constantly seeking funding to help overcome this obstacle.
Do you reimburse travel expenses? Expand We reimburse travel expenses for travel from a person’s home address to our premises in Shoreditch and the return journey home for training and one-to-one tutorials. We require proof of travel that is either a receipt or an Oyster Card print out specifying each journey.
Is there a minimum attendance requirement? Expand All of our courses require a minimum attendance of 85% in order to complete and receive a completion certificate. This is in line with colleges and places of further education. As our courses are of different lengths, this equates to a different number of days that can be missed on each course. For example, Psychology for Change is 20 days long which means it is possible to miss a total of 3 days.
What kinds of volunteer placements do you offer? Expand Many graduates of our programmes want to become peer mentors and we have links with several organisations which offer peer mentor training and volunteering opportunities. We are also expanding the range of volunteering opportunities we offer to encourage our graduates to move gently beyond the world of recovery and into the wider world. An example is our work with Triyoga, London’s largest yoga studio, who take on graduates across their studios in London.
Do all of your courses include qualifications and volunteer placements? Expand The only course that currently does not include a qualification and volunteer placement is Feminism for Change. At six weeks long (for one day per week), it is our shortest course. We want the emphasis to be placed solely on learning about feminism and developing healthy relationships with other women without what may feel like an additional demand of coursework or a placement. Many of the graduates from Feminism for Change – a single gender group - go on to the mixed gender groups, Knowledge for Change or the Psychology for Change, finding that the strong voice they develop there significantly empowers them in the later courses they attend.
I'm receiving benefits. Are there any additional resources I can access to help with bills and general living expenses? Expand Yes. We are trying to build a list of additional resources for people on benefits that they often don't even know exist. Here is what we have found so far: Debt Get help dealing with difficulties you're experiencing with debt from Step Change who run a free advice service. Bills You can apply for a grant to help with gas/electric bill related debt from the British Gas Energy Trust. You do not have to be British Gas customer to do so. For help with water bills, check out the Watersure Scheme who can offer a 50% discount on your total annual water bill. For discounted broadband, BT Basic is a simple, low cost service that helps you get connected if you are on specific low income Government benefits such as Universal credit or ESA. Travel A Bus and Tram discount card gets you 50% off bus and tram fares. Apply here. You will need to get the form printed, fill it in and take it to the post office. Get 50% off pay as you go adult fares to travel on bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground if you are on benefits and actively seeking work. You have to claim at your local Jobcentre Plus office. Grants Many charities give grants to families or individuals - they do not need to be paid back. Go to Turn2Us where you can search to find charities either locally or nationally who may be able to offer you a grant for a cooker, washing machine or fridge freezer. You can filter specific to your job (or previous career), your religion, or whether you have any health issues. Each charity comes with its own set of qualifying rules, so it may be worth searching for you (as well as your partner, if you have one). The charity may be able to help if you’re experiencing financial hardship, are in debt, if you’re on a low income or have no savings, or if you’ve had a change in circumstances such as a bereavement or job loss. On top of buying new white goods, many of the charities can also offer grants to help with rent, utility bills, clothing, costs of studying/exam fees, respite care, travel costs to get back into work, and more. Furniture - Where to buy and donate re-used furniture in East London British Heart Foundation in Leytonstone who collect and sell re-used furniture Second hand furniture or at one of their stores in east London to buy or donate low-cost, second hand furniture and household goods. Reuse centre in East London who collect re-used furniture across east London and sell and deliver it at low prices. Visit the Re-use Network for a network of re-use centres stocking quality household items including furniture and electrical appliances. Find and join your local Freecycle network, where people give away items for free, including furniture and appliances. Find your local Emmaus who collect re-use furniture in locations across the UK. Paint Check out the Community Repaint Scheme by Dulux - a donated paint scheme for cheaper DIY. We will add to this list as we find out about more resources people can tap into. If you know of any yourself, please do get in touch.