SMART is committed to working in partnership with all concerned, in order to reduce the destructive impact of problem drug and alcohol use, and to promote the health, safety and social wellbeing of the individual and the wider community.
1) SMART believes that all our clients have the potential to make positive changes in their lives; however, we understand that many of them have lost faith in their ability to make change happen. Our job is to look beyond an individual’s past or current behaviour, and support them to rediscover the real self that has become lost within the addict.
2) SMART believes that good treatment begins with helping the client make sense of their chaos. It is based on a realistic partnership between the worker and the client, where both parties are clear about what they are putting in. We believe that this partnership, which combines flexibility of approach with clear boundaries, encourages the client’s trust in the service, and allows their authentic needs to emerge and be addressed.
3) SMART believes that these aims are best achieved by workers who are passionate about their work, and are committed to learning from their clients’ experiences. We recognise that creating a safe environment where clients and workers can flourish requires attention to the organisation’s culture as much as to its premises. We are proud that there is still a strong, direct connection between workers and senior management, and that clients still see us as an organisation that speaks their language.
SMART has been developing and delivering innovative drug and alcohol services for over 12 years, and has grown to become one of the largest and most trusted providers of treatment services in the Thames Valley. The strategy for drug and alcohol treatment is continuously evolving; we manage change by recognising that the one constant in the field is the client.
For us, true innovation starts with listening to the people we serve. There is still a clear sense that the organisation understands and is connected to its client group – a recent survey of clients found that 98% of them would recommend us to other users.
While we are committed to working in partnership with other agencies, we believe that this strong relationship with the client group has been maintained through our not being willing to compromise simply for the sake of business. Our focus is still – as it has always been – getting to know our clients on a level above and beyond their substance use.
As an organisation, we value:
This needs to exist between worker and client, between individuals within the organisation, and between us and our partner agencies.
The foundation of all successful client-worker relationships.
By encouraging workers’ creativity we increase the options for our clients, and help our staff to stay motivated.
We understand that recovery is a difficult journey, but it is a journey we are prepared to make.
However complex the issues are, communication needs to stay as straightforward as possible.