The Service Users we interviewed thought a
Crisis House should provide good meals, a safe and secure environment, and access to
support workers.
Most people said they would prefer a single bedroom and liked
the idea of being able to come and go as they pleased. They said this would give them a
sense of personal control and responsibility often not found in hospital.
It was considered desirable that the staff, in addition to their
caring role, should also have time to listen. They should be both medically trained and
care staff able to administer medication.
The majority thought that various forms of activities would be
valuable because of the therapeutic benefit of occupying their time.
An idea that gained popular support was that Ex-Clients of the
Crisis House should be encouraged to visit in a structured way and offer support. 88% of
Service Users said that, Ex-Client involvement would be potentially very useful.
90% wanted the voluntary sector to be invited to facilitate
workshops. Most wanted, in addition to this; one-to-one counselling, house meetings,
support groups and keyworker support.
Regarding the staffing at night, 88% thought that one member of staff was
insufficient. For health and safety reasons
Service Users thought it could put both staff and clients at
risk.
Most agreed that each client leaving the Crisis House should be
provided with a supportive care plan reflecting their needs. This would be helpful in
maintaining the recovery process and preventing relapses.
The Crisis House should be in a quiet location, within easy
reach of transport and local shops.
- Hospital admissions could possibly be reduced in number if a Crisis House existed
in Camden. This type of provision may bridge the gap between existing services within the
community and hospital admissions.
- The provision of a Crisis House together with a 24-hour Drop-In Service is
thought to be of the utmost importance by those we interviewed.
It is obvious from our figures that there is great support for a Crisis House in
Camden. 90% said they would use one and 89% said they would like to be able to use a
24-hour Crisis Drop-In facility. |