The Family and Friends Project

A local charity called Parent Support Link has today the 1st of July 2015 made a big leap forward. With the support of the National Lottery the Charity is able to continue to offer a service in Southampton: the service is for people who are living with the day to day challenges that living with or caring for a drug or alcohol user can bring.

The aims of the project are to offer

• A safe place to talk about the concerns and issues that can arise when coping with someone else’s drug or alcohol use

• The opportunity to work with a trained family support worker to discuss and plan a way forward

• To provide the opportunity to meet with others who are experiencing something similar in their lives

• To encourage people to consider their own health and well being in a confidential and non-judgemental environment

• To be in a position to signpost people to other agencies that could help

How will we do this?

The Project provides a 24/7 telephone contact line, 02380399764 where there is some at the end of the line waiting to take your call. The telephone worker can listen, provide factual information, help you to find a way forward, make appointments for 1-2-1 sessions and any of the other services on offer. The Telephone is the hub of the service, and the best method of making contact.

If the drug or alcohol user is in contact with the Integrated Substance Misuse Service in Southampton (based at New Road, Southampton) then the recovery worker can take your details and a Family Support Worker will contact you. In fact any support agency that you are touch with can make this referral.

Once you are in contact with the Family and Friends Project, you can expect a named support worker who will be your point of contact as long as you need support. The Family Support Worker will work with you to make a support plan and help you to move forward. The project also offers group support that gives the opportunity to be with other people who are dealing with similar challenges. As part of the group support, the project will provide regular workshops developed to address some of the key issues that families may be experiencing.

For more information about the project please use any of the following methods of contact:

Tel. Contact line 02380399764 or administration 02380230645

E-mail either christine.tebano@pslcharity.org.uk or rhona.hawkins@pslcharity.org.uk

If you are a support worker in the City and would like to know more please ask for Christine in the first instance.