How can we support you?

Drinksense offers help, advice and support in the following areas:

• Resolving housing and homelessness issues
• Dealing with debts and other financial problems
• Ensuring health needs are met appropriately
• Rebuilding a social life after a period of change
• Building a more rewarding lifestyle – including undertaking voluntary work or returning to employment or training

You will not be charged for any of these services.

What happens if you contact the service?

When you contact us, you will be offered an appointment. At this appointment, we will work together and discuss how we can meet your needs.

What happens next?

For some people one meeting is enough. For others a plan might include:

• A further assessment
• Referral to other services
• Help with immediate problems - usually just one or two meetings are necessary
• A meeting with a key worker to discuss and agree a plan of support. Key worker support can be offered for up to two years.

How do I refer?

Anyone can refer themselves; see details of Services in your area for further details.

Where are adult support services available?

• Peterborough
• Fenland area
• Cambridge (for homeless and those in temporary accommodation)

Professionals section

Making a referral:

Third partly referrals are accepted from GP’s, Social Services, CPN’s, Housing Providers (including private landlords, and hostels), Housing Options, and other identified partner agencies.

Referrals can only be accepted with client consent

Referrals must be received in writing via the post, phone or by fax. Referral forms are available and can be faxed or emailed to referrers. We are currently unable to accept referrals via e-mail, or to enter into a dialogue on e-mail.

Referrers are welcome to discuss potential referrals with us. For clients who are ambivalent about referral, an informal initial meeting may be arranged at one of our walk-in sessions, or elsewhere.

Clients can also refer themselves to any of our services, via telephone or attendance at one of our walk-in sessions (see contacts page for details) Link to contacts page

What happens after referral?

1. An appointment will be offered to the client for an Initial Assessment Interview
2. At weekly team meetings assessments are discussed and initial service arrangements agreed.
3. Clients will be informed in writing of the outcome of their assessment – this may be allocation to a keyworker, placement on a waiting list for a keyworker, referral to further Drinksense services or referral to other agencies.

Clients can receive more than one service at the same. Equally during engagement, client’s needs may change and further services will be offered as appropriate. All cases are constantly reviewed.

Client confidentiality

Referrers are informed of the outcome of assessment interviews, the allocation of key workers and client discharge from the service. Additional feedback from support services is typically dependent upon client consent.