Action for Change

The cost of Action for Change is £250 per week. If a client is unable to attend due to illness or home visits there is no charge for these weeks. This means that on occasion the 12 weeks will run longer than 12 weeks from the start date. If a client is particularly vulnerable and in need of further therapeutic intervention after 12 weeks, we may make request for further funding from their funding agency.

All Action for Change clients have access to daily therapeutic groups ; open group, relapse prevention/management, focus group, team building, single sex support groups, pre-treatment and post treatment groups. We also run workshops which focus on different areas each week. These areas include; budgeting, sexual health, legal highs, healthy relationships, first aid, drug and alcohol awareness and legal advice. Each client will be working with a named counsellor with whom they have individual support for a minimum of 1, 1 hour session per week. This is a minimum requirement and more sessions are available if requested/required. These sessions can be tailored to the client’s needs.

A support plan and CEST form (client evaluation of self in treatment) will be completed at assessment stage or the 1st session. The support plan and CEST will be reviewed mid-term (6 weeks) and a final progress report which will be sent to their care manager/funding agency.

The support plan endeavours to increase a clients’ recovery capital is in terms of skills, resources and strengths (such as resilience, coping skills and self-esteem), social supports and commitment to the social network, as it is important to recognise it is not just the number of people who help a person to recover that matters, it is also the person’s commitment to them. Finally, the support plan looks at the influence of the community that a person lives in.

The programme strives to implement the four domains of recovery capital; social, physical, human and cultural. Social capital is defined as the sum of resources that each person has as a result of their relationships and includes both support from and obligations to groups to which they belong; thus, family membership provides supports but will also entail commitments and obligations to the other family members. Physical capital is defined in terms of tangible assets such as property and money that may increase recovery options. Human capital includes skills, positive health, aspirations and hopes, and personal resources that will enable the individual to prosper. Traditionally, high educational attainment and high intelligence have been regarded as key aspects of human capital, and will help with some of the problem solving that is required on a recovery journey. Cultural capital includes the values, beliefs and attitudes that link to social conformity and the ability to fit into dominant social behaviours.

Clients also have access to an on-site, fully functioning gym, Internet Café and a Day Room. There is an Arts and Crafts room available for use and an operational music room in which clients can arrange to have individual sessions. Tea and coffee facilities are available throughout the day. They can also access Indian Head Massage, Auricular acupuncture and Zimbate in our New Complimentary Therapies Suite. Clients will also be able to have a 2 course lunch daily. Clients will also be given a weekly all zone bus pass. This pass enables clients to attend Ocean Quay, other appointments and self-help groups around the city and is renewed weekly.

Clients that have completed treatment may also be able to access educational courses; Developing Self-confidence, Developing Self-awareness, Volunteering level 1 and 2, ICT level 1 and 2, Mentoring level 1 and 2, Functional Skills English and Maths Level 1 and 2 and Cookery.

All courses on offer at Ocean Quay are accredited with NOCN (National Open College Network), APT Awards (Access, Progress and Transform through Education) and IQ (Industry Qualifications) through Apt Awards. In the early stages of recovery and re- integrating back into the community, clients are quite often not ready for education or training, so we do ask that clients who have completed treatment follow the timetable for the first four to six weeks of aftercare before accessing the training courses. It is often beneficial for clients to move from therapeutic activities to training and education after the 12 week Action for Change programme.

For clients moving through the project from therapeutic interventions to training and education, there is the option to volunteer with the Volunteering Project based at Ocean Quay or community volunteering.

EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) therapy is available at an extra cost of £60 per session. This is delivered by our in-house Chartered Psychologist and Accredited EMDR Consultant. Individuals would be assessed for their suitability and a request for funding would be made to their care manager.

Action for Change clients will receive:

• Allocated Counsellor
• Care Plan & Exit Reports
• Recovery Capital
• Open Group Therapy, Skills Groups, Relapse Management
• Single Gender Groups
• Pre and Post treatment groups
• 5 x Meals per week
• Plymouth City All Zone Bus Pass (Weekly)
• Access to ALL Level 1 & Level 2 Training & Education courses
• Access to Gym with 1 -1 instruction if required and group sessions
• Access to Arts and Crafts facilities
• Our New Complimentary Therapies Suite to access Indian Head Massage, Auricular Acupuncture and Zimbate
• Access to Music Workshop
• Access to Volunteering Project