Dennis Handfield House

DHH is a 39-bed project providing temporary accommodation for people who require a high level of support and whose primary needs relate to drug and alcohol use.

The project also supports clients with mental ill health, rough sleepers and offenders.

• Aims
• Referral Criteria
• Accommodation
• More information
• House Rules

Dennis Handfield House Service Aims

DHH works within a harm minimisation framework and a recovery and strengths model. The service aims to:

• Provide specialist and high-level health and care interventions for clients (including needle exchange facilities)
• Stabilise and reduce risky and harmful behaviours
• Address clients’ street activity and anti-social behaviour
• Retain in accommodation those previously excluded from other hostels
• Ensure that clients have access to primary healthcare services
• Promote meaningful use of time and prepare clients to move on towards independence through the Camden Hostels Pathway
• Work in partnership with external agencies to provide the best opportunities and choices for clients.

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Dennis Handfield House Referral Criteria

• The service is for clients with a connection to Camden who are over 18, with both housing needs and support needs relating to injecting poly-substances or alcohol use.
• The scheme is self-catering and so referred applicants must demonstrate the ability to manage very basic self-care.
• The beds are under the Camden Pathway designations 'Multiple exclusion', 'Drug and alcohol continued use' and 'High support progress'

For high support progress, referrals are accepted from Camden’s Pathway projects, Safer Streets team (SST) and Housing Options department. For multiple exclusion, Camden’s SST is a single referral agent.

Before a referral is made, please contact the project to discuss eligibility. All referrals must be submitted using the HPM Universal Pathways referral form, and Universal risk assessment.

The comprehensive risk assessment will be used to ensure that the project is able to meet the needs of clients, not to exclude people unnecessarily

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Dennis Handfield House Accommodation

The project comprises three distinct types of accommodation, with an emphasis on moving towards independence:

• The hostel beds are under the Camden Pathways designations ‘drug and alcohol continued use’ (16) and ‘multiple exclusion’ (9). The hostel contains 25 single rooms with bathroom and kitchen shared between five
• Two, three-bed shared flats provide a move-on from the hostel, enabling clients to develop independent living skills, under the Camden Pathways designation ‘high support progress’. Clients have their own bedroom and shared bathroom, kitchen and lounge.
• Eight self-contained flats provide a further move-on opportunity, also under the designation 'high support progress'.

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More about Dennis Handfield House

Clients are supported in areas which include developing life skills, social skills and behaviour management. Support is offered around management of finances and benefit claims. Clients can access emotional support as well as the supervision and monitoring of their health and well being

An important focus of DHH is harm minimisation and we work closely with the Hungerford Drug Project. They come to the project Monday – Friday. They provide, in house:

• One-to-one key work
• Needle exchange
• Weekly education workshops (Heroin Awareness, BBVs, overdose prevention, etc)
• A range of activities, which include providing nutritious food to clients as a means to increase engagement.

Clients are offered support around their offending behaviour and we work closely with Probation Services and Safer Street Teams in order to reduce the likelihood of the client re-offending and to reduce street activity.

Staff offer advocacy and liaise with external agencies. Staff will provide support so that clients can access other services in the community as well as facilitate social contacts and involvement in meaningful occupation.

The project is staffed 24/7. There are 15 members of staff at DHH, with a minimum of two project workers on shift. If necessary, management advice and presence is accessible in the evenings and weekend through SHP’s on-call service

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House Rules

Clients are issued with a tenure agreement and a set of house rules. These will be explained when prospective clients are interviewed. This includes rules on smoking, which is only permitted in clients’ bedrooms.

The service operates within SHP’s drug policy, which covers the use of all drugs including illegal or controlled drugs. In order to offer a secure and stable environment for everyone, no visitors are allowed.

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