Top tip
— Ensure that more vulnerable clients are able to make the journey home by providing a staff escort.
Wherever possible, arrange for vulnerable clients to fly home. As well as reducing travelling time, this enables clients to access detox and other support services more quickly in their home country. In addition, airports/airlines are often more lenient than coach companies in allowing people on board who have consumed small amounts of alcohol.
Think about common/particular risks/issues which may arise during the journey, so you can put in place strategies to respond to these effectively. Common scenarios include: managing clients’ boredom and keeping them distracted whilst waiting/travelling; responding to requests from clients with substance misuse issues to buy and/or consume alcohol during the journey.
Carry out a review of the client’s risk assessment shortly before they are due to make the journey. Use this to decide if they are fit to return and/or if they would benefit from being accompanied by a member of staff on the journey. Having an escort is likely to be of benefit particularly for people with mental and/or physical health problems, but in making this assessment it’s also important to consider the client’s overall level of vulnerability, for example, if they are a victim of domestic violence. For clients with substance misuse problems, an issue to consider might be how likely they are to cope with the availability of alcohol on board the plane and in duty free shops. Remember to pass on the revised assessment to relevant services in the client’s home country.
In relation to clients with substance misuse issues, it may be worth adopting a pragmatic approach to the use of alcohol where this is considered essential to the client completing the journey, especially if they are returning to detox provision. This could involve providing them with a single can of beer. Another useful approach can be to agree with the client to retain their money until they are on the plane to avoid disputes about purchasing alcohol.
Finally, be aware that flight schedules make it unlikely that staff will be able to return on the same day as the outward journey. Therefore, be sure to make arrangements for accommodation for staff before leaving the UK.
