OUTREACH SERVICES
Mainliners Outreach team work in the London boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Croydon. You can meet our outreach team during street outreach, in your home, on our mobile needle exchange or at one of our satellite sessions. We conduct satellite sessions in day centres, hostels, probation centres and other similar settings.
We offer a free, confidential and non-judgemental service and we do not expect clients to be drug free in order to use any of our services. We believe in a harm reduction approach, therefore our aim is to provide clients with advice and support to help assist them to use drugs as safely as possible in order to prevent the spread of HIV, hepatitis C and other blood borne viruses. We also believe that in order to help prevent blood borne viruses it is important that we offer a holistic service to meet the individual needs of our clients. We understand that to many of our clients, the prevention of HIV and Hepatitis C is not one of their priority concerns; rather a roof over their heads, an income and access to treatment is often more important. This is why our staff are trained in a range of areas and work with other specialist agencies in order to provide a service to best suite the changing needs of our clients.
Our outreach team carry free sterile works for injecting, injecting paraphernalia, condoms and other safe sex supplies at all times.
Many of our clients do not engage in any other services which is why our intervention is crucial. Their contact with Mainliners outreach team is often the first and only time they have received any help around their drug use. We encourage our clients to access other mainstream services to address their health needs, however this can take some time due to the chaotic lives so many of them live.
Due to our commitment to harm reduction and the prevention of BBV's the outreach team advise clients on safer injecting, safer drug use, safer sexual practices and general health and welfare issues. We also provide a variety of literature to our clients in several languages including Portuguese, Spanish and Italian. These leaflets and posters include information such as current health warnings and updates about public health issues such as contaminated heroin hitting the streets. We pride ourselves on getting important information out to clients very quickly and firmly believe in the importance of our service users paving the way for the development of their service.
Clients who want to engage with the team for extra help are able to come to our Kennington Office for more in depth support. We have good links with a range of other services in South London and are able to refer clients according to their individual needs. For example we will assist with housing problems, benefit enquiries, legal matters, access to maintenance scripts and detox places and relapse prevention, however if another agency has more expertise and resources in certain areas, we will refer our clients to them to ensure they receive the best support available.
To speak to one of our generic outreach workers call:
Office No - 020 7582 3338 (ask for the outreach team)
Mobile No - 07957 249935 / 07957 249936
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| NX= |
Needle Exchange |
| Hep= |
Hep Jabs |
| Co= |
Condom Supply |
| WA= |
Welfare advice |
| HA= |
Housing advice |
| CR= |
CAT |
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Generic Outreach - Locations & Times
Monday
Mobile Needle Exchange, Brixton
Monday, Wednesday* & Friday: 5pm -7pm
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
We operate our mobile needle exchange from our white health unit van.
We are located under the bridge in Barrington Road, SW9 (off Coldharbour Lane.)
*On Wednesday a nurse is present. They administer free Hepatitis A & B vaccines and can advise on basic health and woundcare.
Tuesday
4.30-7pm
Street Outreach - Brixton, Clapham & surrounding areas (joint with a nurse from The Three Boroughs PHCT)
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
This session starts at The Ace of Clubs day centre in St Alphonsus Road, Clapham Common. The outreach team walk up Clapham High Street, then go to Brixton Town Centre, focusing on the areas around the tube, Atlantic Road and the top of Coldharbour Lane.
7-9pm
Railton Road Health Centre
(Services: N/X, Hep, WA, CR, HA etc, etc)
This session is based in a health centre for the exclusive use of Mainliners clients. There is a comfortable waiting area where clients can make a drink, receive support and advice and get a N/X. Clients can also speak to an outreach worker in confidence in a private room as well as see a nurse in one of the medical rooms. There are good facilities here where clients can receive more in depth support and advice on a wide range of issues such as their drug use, woundcare, housing and general health and welfare.
10am-1pm
The Oaks Resource Centre, Croydon
An outreach worker visits the Oaks each week to offer support and advice, particularly around HIV and Hepatitis C to Oaks clients.
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
2.30-5.30pm
Wandle Road Probation Centre, Croydon
An outreach worker attends the probation centre every week to see clients on an appointment basis. Issues discussed between clients and our staff is not disclosed to the probation staff. We offer specialist advice and support to clients during this session who are usually referred by their probation officer. Although we can provide ongoing support to clients during these sessions, due to the demand of the session we tend to refer clients on to other Mainliners services or local agencies so they can receive support outside the setting of probation. No needle exchange is offered here.
(Services: Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
Wednesday
10am-1pm
St Giles Day Centre, Camberwell
Mainliners visit St Giles each week to operate a needle exchange and provide general advice and support to the clients of St Giles.
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
2.30-4.30pm
Cedars Road Hostel, Clapham
Mainliners visit Cedars each week to provide a needle exchange and general advice service to residents.
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
Mobile Needle Exchange, Brixton
Monday, Wednesday* & Friday: 5pm -7pm
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
We operate our mobile needle exchange from our white health unit van.
We are located under the bridge in Barrington Road, SW9 (off Coldharbour Lane.)
*On Wednesday a nurse is present. They administer free Hepatitis A & B vaccines and can advise on basic health and woundcare.
Thursday
12-2pm
Street Outreach, London Bridge and Waterloo
The outreach team walk around the Waterloo and London Bridge areas, supporting clients seen on the street as well as in local squats.
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
2-4pm
Stamford Street Hostel, Waterloo
Our outreach workers visit Stamford Street hostel every week to provide needle exchange and specialist advice and support to the residents.
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
Friday
Mobile Needle Exchange, Brixton
Monday, Wednesday* & Friday: 5pm -7pm
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
We operate our mobile needle exchange from our white health unit van.
We are located under the bridge in Barrington Road, SW9 (off Coldharbour Lane.)
*On Wednesday a nurse is present. They administer free Hepatitis A & B vaccines and can advise on basic health and woundcare.
Ad Hoc Services
Home Visits
(Times vary)
Our outreach team also visit clients who are unable to access our other services due to mobility issues. Needle exchange is offered during these visits. Visits can be arranged via the team.
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
Squat Visits
(Times vary)
Our outreach team can visit squats to offer needle exchange and general support and advice. Call the team for more information.
(Services: NX, Hep, Co, WA,CR,HA etc, etc)
Workshops & Training
(Times vary)
Our outreach team facilitate a wide range of workshops for clients and training for professionals. Client workshops are always done without the presence of anyone except the clients and Mainliners staff. Training and workshops are carried out every 3 months with agencies we do partnership work with, e.g. Cedars, St Giles, Wandle Road Probation, Stamford Street and The Oaks Resource Centre. However we also facilitate training and workshops to other agencies on request, yet there is sometimes a small charge that we ask agencies to pay depending upon the request which is in the region of between £50 to £200.