what we do

Ridley Villas

Ridley Villas is supported accommodation, consisting of five high quality self contained apartments and access to independent move on accommodation within a short distance of the service.

Ridley Villas provides support to women with children living in Newcastle and Gateshead, who are recovering from drug and or alcohol dependency. At its core is a belief that individuals can and do recover from addiction.

Funding for Ridley Villas is provided by ‘Supporting People’ Newcastle City Council and Gateshead Council.

Ridley Villas is accommodation with housing related support for women with children who require support to help overcome drug and/or alcohol addiction, to continue to achieve and sustain abstinence by accessing appropriate treatment.

The staff at Ridley Villas will work with Drug and Alcohol Treatment staff to ensure treatment and housing support ensuring that the women’s ongoing recovery journey is well supported and planned.

Ridley Villas will provide the following ranges of support to help women and their children lead a more stable life in a family friendly environment, including:

Housing related support which will be delivered by the staff team 7 days a week this will include support around housing, benefits, budgeting, debt, health, cultural needs, education, employment and training and parenting.
Close working with Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services.
Help to access support services in the local community e.g. Local Nurseries, Mutual Aid Support Groups, Places of Worship and Health Centres.

Women and children will initially be accommodated within Ridley Villas for up to six months, with access, as appropriate, to independent move-on accommodation in Newcastle with outreach support for up to a further six months.

Ridley Villas contains two and three bedroom furnished apartments, one of which has disabled access, each with a kitchen/dining area and a separate bathroom. Also provided is a communal lounge, communal kitchen, full laundry facilities and a well equipped playroom. Move on accommodation properties are self contained apartments within Newcastle, part furnished and available with two or three bedrooms

Referrals should be made by treatment key workers from existing drug and/or alcohol treatment services in Newcastle or Gateshead via The Newcastle Gateway Team. Each referral will be considered individually by a Case Management Meeting. Offer of a place will be dependent upon there being a reduction programme in place, in order to be:

Free from illicit drug misuse three days prior to entry to the service.
Free from substitute prescribed medication.
Free from alcohol use three days prior to entry to the service.

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