(Last update: January 21 2011)

St Vincent’s - information for clients.

DOWNLOAD: Brochure for new residents  

DOWNLOAD: Potential residents’ application form   Please download the form, fill it in and then post/fax/email it to us.  Once we have your form, we will make an appointment to discuss this with you, either over the phone or in person

Whom will we take?

St Vincent’s accepts people who can meet a number of the entry criteria for the project. Generally they must:

• be wanting to make life changes
• be free of drugs and alcohol for 28 days before entry
• have no history of arson or match play
• be over 21.

We will take some risks in accepting people, otherwise some people would never have a chance to demonstrate their readiness for change. St Vincent’s takes people on licence or life licence, on Home Detention Curfew, on DTTOs and who are MAPPA. We will work with long-term offenders as they prepare to move from prison, offering week-end and short visits to facilitate the transition process.

We assess people carefully, but have some basic grounds on which we will usually reject people, these include arson or match-play; sexual offences; violence which is racially motivated, or domestic violence. Residents will only be accommodated without their partners and children. St Vincent’s takes people with dual diagnosis, learning difficulties and health issues.

What we offer

There are a number of features to the project. These include:

• Providing safe, good quality accommodation where individuals can concentrate on their futures
• Ensuring all residents are treated with respect and dignity, and expecting them to behave similarly
• The staff model and promote pro-social behaviours
• Encouraging the residents to have a voice in the development of the project and to take some responsibility for day to day aspects, and to be consulted about large policy changes
• Helping individuals to make changes
• Supporting such changes through activities such as groupwork; counselling, keyworking and in-house workshops and life and social skills groups. We encourage and help people to link with community learning and education providers
• Providing emotional support
• Providing a structure in which adults can live, and learn to develop their own sense of boundaries and the standards by which they want to live
• Generating opportunities for effective peer mentoring to encourage the giving and receiving of support. Allowing peer mentors to develop new skills
• Providing opportunities for people with offending or substance misuse backgrounds, or who have been past residents, to engage in volunteering, and for some to engage in employment

People enter St Vincent’s through the comfortable and homely 8-bed house in phase one. For the first four weeks they will engage in all activities and groups and be seen by a member of staff three times a day. There is a 10pm curfew. During this time and for a period of three months, residents will attend the day treatment programme at Serenity House.

Once assessed as ready, people can move to the move-on house.

Two St Vincent’s graduates

Fellowship Meetings

All new clients are taken to between four and six Fellowship Meetings each week.

We aim to offer a smooth transition from the hostel, via move on accommodation, into your own accommodation.