Surrey Drug and Alcohol Care (SDAC) operates a helpline open to callers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We offer help and support for anyone who is concerned about the problems that Drugs and Alcohol cause. They could be users themselves, parents, siblings or friends. Usually many people are affected by the problems of a single user and we want to help anyone touched by abuse of drugs and alcohol. In addition, for residents within the Surrey County Council area, we can offer referrals into treatment services. Although treatment services are only available for local residents, our telephone advice and support is available to anyone in the country and we can direct them to their local services if needed.
SDAC provides a "Single Point of Contact" service for professionals such as Police, probation officers, Prison officers, as well as people engaged with the Criminal Justice System. We offer the service to signpost these callers through the treatment system, 24 hours a day.
SDAC also manages a Telephone Counselling Service (TCS) for clients of the Surrey treatment agencies, who feel that a program of telephone counselling will assist them in their journey to get well. A team of professional BACP registered counsellors staff the telephone counselling service.
We hope that our services starting with the initial call to the Helpline, ongoing support and encouragement and telephone based counselling, offer quality support to users, friends and family, as they start their cycle of change.
As well as offering services directly through TCS and the Helpline we run an outreach program to Surrey schools and colleges helping young people to be aware of the dangers associated with drugs and alcohol and to offer help and advice to youngsters who may be affected by people in their circle of family and friends. We also help adult community associations in Surrey with similar education and information.
As a registered charity, Surrey Drug & Alcohol Care services are free of charge, and the number is widely advertised in the Surrey Area.
Founded in 1986, it introduced a permanent helpline service in 1987 and has been in continuous operation ever since. Between 50 and 60 volunteers active with SDAC at any time.
In 2010, SDAC took over 2,500 calls to its Helpline. The majority of calls come from the Surrey, but in practice, SDAC is open to anyone, anywhere in the country.
Calls from those affected by alcohol dependency in Surrey form the largest share of calls to the line.
The majority of our cash requirements are met by the Surrey Drug and Alcohol Action team (DAAT). This team manages public funds used to help Surrey residents recover from their drug or alcohol problems. We also raise money from corporate donors, running lotteries and personal donations. However we could not possibly run the helpline with the limited funds that exist without the support of around 60 volunteers who stay by the telephone day and night to help the community in Surrey.
The charity is managed by a Chairman, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and a committee of 7 other volunteers. There is one paid position in the charity, a coordinator and referrals manager. The committee also takes on many additional roles, such as a Manager in charge of Marketing and Publicity, and a Schools and Community Relations Manager. Other members of the committee take an active role in fund raising activities or other required functions.
Surrey Drug and Alcohol Care is a member of The Helplines Association
The Helplines Association provides anyone accessing our services another level of quality assurance: The Helplines Standard. When you contact a helpline which has The Helplines Standard, you know that we have been checked against a list of around 80 criteria, which were developed and agreed by member helplines.
When you contact a helpline which is a member of The Helplines Association, you can be sure that the helpline will meet the following good practice criteria:
The helpline will not make a profit from callers.
The helpline will provide unbiased support, information or advice.
The person who takes your call will be trained and supported.
The helpline will have adequate staff to provide a service during all their advertised opening hours. By 'adequate staff' we mean at least one person available to take calls with another person (such as a supervisor) available to support them.
The helpline will have a clear policy on what information they can share about your call, and when.
The helpline will have a policy on making the service accessible.
The helpline will have clear information available to you if you want to complain about their service.
Surrey Drug and Alcohol Care were recently awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Services, a MBE for volunteer organizations. This outstanding and prestigious award recognized SDACs work in the community.
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About Surrey Drug Care, Surrey Drug and Alcohol Care are always available to listen to your problems, SDAC is a 24 hour manned confidential help line giving support and information to drug and alcohol users in the UK.
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