Partner collaborations

 

Validating the Capital Card

This research was conducted in partnership with London South Bank University and aimed to determine what effects WDP's Capital Card has on service user successful completion rates. The study was a  retrospective evaluation, focusing on two years’ worth of data, and found the Capital Card has a positive impact on service users and their likelihood of successfully completing treatment.  

The IRU are in the process of developing a specification for a wider scale Capital Card Evaluation.   

  

TheraPaws animal-assisted therapy pilot

We recognise that companionship with animals can be an important support mechanism for our service users. We are therefore working   in collaboration with the Mayhew to adapt their existing animal assisted therapy programme, known as TheraPaws, into a 12-week animal assisted group therapy programme. This programme will be launched in WDP Harrow and will be available to service users who are experiencing anxiety and/or depression. A literature review into the impact of animal assisted therapy highlights positive impacts on a range of factors, such has improved mental wellbeing, however there appears to be an evidence gap when it comes to using animal assisted therapy in community substance misuse settings. This research therefore aims to determine the feasibility of delivering group animal assisted therapy within a community substance misuse settings whilst also looking at the impact the intervention may have on substance use and mental wellbeing.

 

In-house research

 

The effects of TUPE on frontline workers

TUPE is a process many staff within the sector will experience due to the commissioning process that frontline services go through. This study therefore aims to understand staff experiences of TUPE; the impact it has on them and those that they support. The first phase of the study involves, disseminating a questionnaire to all frontline workers across the sector and the second phase will involve conducting  qualitative interviews with those who opt in.  The findings of this project will then form a basis for good practice recommendations and will also be used to inform how WDP undertakes the TUPE process going forwards. 

 

Open Dialogue Interventions pilot

Open Dialogue is a technique which has been predominantly used within the mental health field and which involves parties, such as the client, their family/friends and practitioners/clinicians, having discussions and making decisions within network meetings.

Open Dialogue is being delivered across a number of WDP sites and the IRU is conducting semi-structured interviews with professionals, service users and family/friends who have been involved. The research aims to establish the feasibility of Open Dialogue within community substance misuse settings and findings will be used to inform how the intervention will be delivered within the sector going forwards.

 

In-house digital innovation

 

Digital TV communications

This project aims to transform our existing communication methods. WDP will be utilising existing technology to share service information with service users whilst they wait within reception areas. TV screens will feature various information such as the services group timetable, ‘you said, we did’ and new Capital Card Spend Partners. This approach is a cost-effective way of sharing information with service users and is also environmentally friendly as it reduces the need for posters/flyers.

 

Capital Card reward finder

The Capital Card Reward Finder is a new web-app being developed in-house by the IRU and Capital Card Team. The Reward Finder is quick, accessible, easily maintained and updated, and will be available on desktops, tablets and mobiles. As the Capital Card Spend partner network grows, the Reward Finder will ensure our service users always know where they can spend their points.