Facilities

Who Can Refer

Services Offered

Process Followed

What to Expect

Funding

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Albyn House Support Hostel

Our aim is to offer rehabilitation to those who wish this intervention.

We offer clients:

>  an alcohol and drug free environment.
>  time to be spend deciding on realistic future plans.
>  time and help on applying future plans
>  time to develop new ways of dealing with problems.
>  time and the opportunity to develop new interests.

Albyn House

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• 14 bed 'dry' support hostel (residents must be alcohol free at all times)

• single and double rooms are available.

• for both males and females of all ages and backgrounds.

• currently the only dedicated alcohol rehabilitation unit in Aberdeen.

• 3-storey building situated close to Aberdeen City Centre. 

• contains communal areas:  kitchen, dining room, lounge/TV room, poolroom, as well as administration, management, support worker and staff offices.

Clients can be referred through:

• Social Work Departments (Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire)
• Criminal Justice Service
• Cyrenians
• General Practitioners 
• Substance Misuse Service
• Grampian Women's Aid

Albyn House does not accept self-referrals but will advise clients on the most appropriate way for them to be referred

The Hostel offers services to 3 broad categories of users:

1. those who simply wish a period of detox often because they cannot physically consume any more alcohol due to the level of toxicity of alcohol in their bodies.  Such clients may decide or be offered access to a period of physical recovery only.

2. those who wish to work on outstanding issues in their lives such as health, legal or accommodation problems but who are perhaps not committed to long term sobriety, typically they might stay up to 2-3 months to achieve their objectives.

3. those wish rehabilitation issues and stay 3 months and beyond.

Aftercare is open to all services users as are the support groups.

Lounge within Support Hostel

• each resident is allocated 2 keyworkers and have 2 keyworking sessions per week.

• residents work to individual care plans which are reviewed every 4-6 weeks and a new care plan produced.

• staff at Albyn House are keyworkers, not counsellors. Through comprehensive care plans, keyworkers provide support covering a wide spectrum of issues, including alcohol, accommodation, family, legal, debt and health

• clients can also be accompanied to appointments such as to the their GP or external support agencies.

• clients can stay for physical recovery only or to deal with longer term issues.

• To move to the hostel, a client must be completely alcohol free and this will be checked by use of the breathalyser. 

• Clients must stay in the hostel for the first 2 days to allow them to settle in the hostel and recover from the worst of their withdrawals.  After 2 days, clients can come and go, so long as they sign out and in and they are back in by midnight.  If a client is not back by midnight then they are discharged in their absence.

• Focus is on practical issues and time-structuring and clients are encouraged to attend Support Groups organised by Albyn House. Clients are also encouraged to make links with other services such as Cyrenians and CRUSE.

• Relapse will be dealt with via the Agency's Relapse Policy which may include placement in the Designated Place until review can take place.

• In general a stay at Albyn House is not for a fixed period of time, rather it is dependent upon both social work funding and that the client is still working to the aims of their care plan. 

What to Expect                                                                                

Assessment:

• Albyn House has an assessment which is completed in the first 6 weeks of a clients stay. 

• The assessment covers the following areas: past drinking, present drinking, accommodation, health, legal, financial, family/personal, time structuring and previous treatment. 

• The assessment allows keyworkers to gain an insight into the client's life and circumstances and where alcohol fits into this.

Care Plan:

• The care plan contains the aims of the client, and specific actions on what they need to do to achieve these aims, who is responsible for carrying out these actions and the outcome which states whether or not the action has been carried out.

• Clients are given a 2 week initial care plan to begin with.  This takes into account their level of withdrawals and the physical and mental capabilities.  The initial care plan covers the immediate concerns of the agency and the client.  This usually  includes getting medical intervention, securing tenancy, picking up mail and getting into good sleeping and eating patters. 

• After 2 weeks the care plan and stay to date is reviewed to see if the client has been able to achieve the aims of their care plan and to discuss whether the clients and Albyn House feel as though this is the right agency for them.  After 2 weeks clients then go on to fuller care plans.  These are reviewed every 4-6 weeks. 

Health Care:

• Clients from Aberdeen City remain with their own GP while at Albyn House. 

• Medication is locked away and dispensed by a member of the management team. 

• Withdrawal medication is arranged with the client's own GP and staff will help get a client an appointment with their GP as soon as possible after moving into the hostel. 

• Clients from Aberdeenshire register temporarily with the Rosemount Medical Practice while they are resident at Albyn House and then go back to their own GP on their departure.

Core Groups: 

• Residents must attend the core groups that run on Fridays at 2.15 pm at Albyn House. 

• These groups are led by a member of staff and cover 7 difference topics relating to alcohol use and associated issues eg coping without alcohol, alcohol and health, cycle of change, supports, accommodation, thinking feeling action and time structuring. 

• Residents are required to attend all 7 groups,.  After this they can continue to come to the group if they wish.  If a resident relapses during their stay then they must repeat the first 4 groups mentioned. 

• Core groups are also open to clients on aftercare.

Deficit funding is provided by Aberdeen City Council Department and NHS Grampian.  The Hostel also generates income by spot purchasing of beds by Social Work Care Managers.