Top tip
— Support clients with substance misuse problems to stabilise before they make the journey home.
It may be possible to access detox services for clients in the UK. This potentially has a number of benefits: it can help people to stabilise and mentally prepare for the journey; on a practical level, it’s easier for staff to maintain contact with clients and to make journey arrangements.
Given that timescales for reconnection are typically short, it may be more realistic to refer clients to detox services in their home country. In these situations, it’s very important to have discussions with clients before they leave the UK to manage their expectations about the service, discuss their potential anxieties and to plan how they intend to manage their alcohol intake in the intervening period.
For more vulnerable clients in general, it’s worth finding out if ‘reconnections’ beds are available locally and how to access these. Explore other possibilities for temporary accommodation, such as bed & breakfast. This may be a better option for some clients, such as heavy drinkers, as it enables staff to place people away from drinking partners.
For clients with mental health problems, it’s worth knowing that mental health services have duties to certain EU nationals and others without recourse to public funds who have received hospital care under sections of the Mental Health Act. Further information can be found in this document.
