How do you measure your success?
We use a variety of success indicators including the MMPI-2 test and through regular peer-review visits from the Community of Communities.
Click here to visit our success indicators page.
How do you work with clients and their families and children?
Many of our clients have children. Children are welcome at the community and we have a very positive ethos around children; visiting children usually have fun! We support clients with children with their parenting and to develop better relationships with their children. While we do not do family therapy, we frequently work closely with the relatives of our clients and involve them in supporting the therapeutic process.
What is the gender balance of your clinical team?
Our clinical team is approximately equally balanced between male and female members of staff. We believe that having a gender balance in the staff team is one important way of creating a healthy environment for our client group.
How long does the referral and assessment process take?When there is a need for a client to move to us quickly, the referral and assessment process can be quite rapid. Preliminary visits can usually be arranged within a week and a three-day visit the following week. The length of time it takes to apply for NHS funding may depend on the PCT which is funding the client; please contact us if you would like to discuss a particular case.
A competetive fixed tariff of £275 per day for residence and £150 per day for day treatment.
The large majority of placements at Connect are funded by the NHS and we work closely with PCTs nationwide.
Do you accept privately funded clients?
The large majority of our clients are publicly funded, however we can also accept privately funded clients. Please contact us for more details.
How long do clients stay at Connect?
Average length of stay is 18 - 24 months, and we make an individual assessment of the length of placement that would be required for each client.
What is your medication policy?
We have a secure medication room where we store clients’ medication and issue it to them as appropriate. It is not Connect’s policy that new residents must be medication free on joining the community, and we believe that appropriate pharmacological treatment is an important way of supporting our clients, especially at the start of their work with us. Through the intensive support that is available, clients are able to reduce their reliance on psychiatric medication, and this is a helpful part of their therapeutic process as this medication often masks difficult feelings. By the time they leave, most clients take little or no psychiatric medication.
Upon arrival all new clients must hand in all medication including home remedies. We support clients to become self-medicating once we have risk assessed that they are safe to do so.
How often do you assess/review your clients?
The
psychological test reports we create on our three-day visit form the basis for
our therapy plans. We use a variety of
strategies for monitoring and assessment, including:
Twice daily staff handover sessions.
Monthly clinical team meetings incorporating risk assessments and
an ongoing therapy plan.
Six-monthly CPAs.
Six-monthly MMPI-2 testing.
Click here for information about success indicators.
Do you work with clients with a history of psychosis?
Yes. Many of our clients have had psychotic episodes and our core therapeutic model, Transactional Analysis, has a long history of working with psychosis. One of the classical branches of TA, the Cathexis School, was developed specifically to work with people suffering from psychosis. One of the ways it does this is to address the developmental deficits that our clients bring into therapy. Psychotic symptoms are addressed by establishing a consensual reality.
Do you work with clients with substance misuse problems?
Many of our clients have a history of misusing substances as a strategy for coping with their very difficult feelings. Often they have presented at rehabilitation services with this as their primary presenting issue, but with complex mental health needs underlying this problem. We are therefore well placed to work with clients at high risk of substance misuse, since we can offer support and alternative coping strategies in a similar way to how we work with clients with a history of self-harm. We are not a substance misuse rehabilitation unit, and if a client has a current chemical dependency on alcohol or illegal drugs we would advise that they attend a specialist substance misuse service before coming to us.
Do you work with clients with learning difficulties?
We have frequently worked with clients who have been mistakenly diagnosed with a learning difficulty. It is common for our clients to have thinking disorders which may present as a learning difficulty. We are able to work with these clients as their problems with thinking are psychological and emotional.
Do you work with clients with physical disabilities?
Many of our clients have physical health problems alongside (and often associated with) their mental health problems. Whether we can work with a client with a particular physical disability depends on the nature of the disability; please contact us for more information.
Do you physically restrain your clients?
We do not physically restrain clients; when clients are very vulnerable we work with a system of structures which clients negotiate for their support. This can include for example a structure to stay with another client or member of staff or a structure around a particular area of risk, for example diet or finances. Working in a structured environment in which problems are picked up at a very low level avoids escalation to more risky behaviour.
Yes, though places are limited; please contact us for more details. It may also be possible to arrange a separate professional visit; please contact us.
Can you take clients Sectioned under the Mental Health Act?
Many of our clients have been Sectioned and many come to us from low secure settings. Connect is not a secure setting but we are able to take clients on a treatment section so long as they are discharged from it within a month. For further information about an individual case, please contact us.