Foyle Haven’s 50% ‘casualty’ reduction

LONDONDERRY’S Foyle Haven service for street drinkers last year received 6k visitors, helped 200 people with chronic alcohol problems and reduced admissions to A&E by 50 per cent ahead of a new link-up with international housing charity Depaul Ireland.

Foyle Haven, has been operating in the city for the past ten years and provides services to thirty people daily.

It is open seven days a week and offers hot meals, shower facilities, laundry services, and support and assistance in relation to alcohol consumption.

It also offers a full programme of health promotion, education and social activities by professionally trained staff, to those attending the service.

After an internal review in 2010 the Board of Foyle Haven decided to amalgamate with a larger service in order to remain sustainable and found the values and ethos of Depaul Ireland the perfect match for their own.

“The amalgamation highlights excellence in leadership and visionary practice and the capacity organisations have to work collaboratively, if they are open and willing to engage in the process.

“At a time of reduced financial resources collaboration is a sensible solution to achieving value for money, high impact and cost efficient services to vulnerable groups”, said a spokeswoman for Depaul.

Foyle Haven has had considerable success since opening ten years ago and in the last two years saw a fifty percent reduction in the number of presentations to A and E, due to interventions by the health worker. Last year they had 6,277 visits to the service and have helped a total of 200 people with chronic alcohol problems since opening in 2001.

Last year, with funding under the Big Lottery’s Safe and Well programme they established a ‘Safe from Harm’ project that allowed them to extend their opening hours and increase their staff numbers.

It has been suggested, that as a result the PSNI overturned a decision to place CCTV cameras in the locality of Foyle Haven as anti-social behaviour figures had decreased substantially.

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