Home > Guide To Rehab In The UK > How To Choose A Rehab Centre
Choosing a rehab clinic is like selecting where you are going to spend the next month or two of your life. You want to take your time and make the right decision. Of course, you can call the team at Help4Addiciton to narrow down those choices, but the final decision will always be yours.
With that in mind, here are our top tips for choosing the right rehab clinic for you.
First off: we would recommend you use a rehab selection service to give you insight into what you need to know. Our experts will talk you through all the choices, and all the things you might take into consideration to make that choice.
Based on the information you discuss with us; we will use an extensive network we have cultivated since 2012 to find the best rehab clinic to match your expectations. We will make a handful of recommendations, from which you can narrow it down to your favourite.
Below are some of the ways that you can choose a rehab clinic from the options we recommend.
making a sensible decision.
We have all seen hospitals so overflowing that nurses lose track of patients[v] and that is the last thing we want to happen to us during our recovery. To prevent it, check on the patient to staff ratio and be sure it’s nothing to balk at. NICE recommends 1 nurse to 8 patients maximum[vi].
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For some people, a rehab clinic near home is necessary so they can travel back and forth at the end of the day. In outpatient treatment, this is certainly true. As an inpatient, however, some people find that removing themselves from the reach of their social group really helps them to recover faster.
Whichever suits your needs better, choosing a rehab clinic based on location will narrow down your choices a little.
Some people have ongoing work commitments that stop them from moving into a residential rehab clinic. Some people have responsibilities to their children, people they care for, or even elderly neighbours. If this is the case, then outpatient treatment might suit you better.
On the other hand, if you want to be removed from the social group and triggers that led you to use in the first place, then inpatient treatment in a private residential rehab facility will suit you best.
The different drug addictions take different lengths of time to treat. When you get in touch with a rehab clinic for an initial appointment, they will be able to outline a rough treatment plan for you. Cost per week and the number of weeks recommended can all play a large part in the decision of which rehab is right for you.
Typically, rehab treatment plans last for detox plus seven days of treatment, detox plus two weeks of treatment, or detox plus 28 days of treatment. Treatment can last for three months, if you can afford to stay in rehab that long. You might also receive secondary treatment or aftercare help for anything up to a year after you finish rehab.
Those that suffer from mental health problems or that carry a dual diagnosis of mental ill health and addiction, would be best served to pick a rehab clinic with additional mental health support. Similarly, if your addiction is to stimulants, you are going to do better with treatment options inclusive of the matrix model[vii]. If you are addicted to cannabis or to a sedative prescription medication, then psychotherapy with CBT sessions will suit you better.
All treatment centres in the UK should be fully registered and inspected by the Quality Care Commission or Health Improvement Scotland. You should be able to get copies of any inspection reports[viii]. Rehab clinics have a responsibility to provide a certain level of care for patients[ix], so be sure to pick a place with full accreditation.
You should be able to find consumer reviews and testimonials that tell you if the rehab clinic has what you need or not. Maybe you found three places that look perfect, but the reviews say only one of the three have exemplary customer service, then a review comes in handy for splitting the hairs.
Make sure that the centre has fully qualified medical staff and specialist counsellors. Look at individual areas of expertise to see if there is someone who specialises in any needs you may have. At a minimum, they should have 400 hours plus of therapy training if they are qualified counsellors[x].
For example, if you are hearing impaired and need a member of staff that can use sign language, this could really narrow down your search for the right rehab clinic. You might also look for members of staff that are qualified and specific areas of recovery. If you are recovering from an eating disorder, for example, you probably want a rehab clinic focused on eating disorders rather than addiction.
When you have worked through all the points above, you should be left with a reasonable range of choices in a clinic. Of these last few choices, feel free to call around, ask as many questions as you need to, or track down online reviews to compare them. You don’t have to be stuck with one you don’t like, not when there are hundreds of options in rehab centres in England and Wales.
If you have analysed all the data above and you still feel unsure in your decision, you can call a rehab selection service like ours to advise you.
For free independent and confidential advice on choosing the best rehab solution for your alcohol addiction call us today on 0203 955 7700.
No, there are several different types of rehab, all of which help you recover from addictions, tackle mental or emotional problems, and generally get back to good health.
Full time and private residential rehab centres have marginally increased success rates because the client is removed from real life situations that may inspire drug or alcohol use.
If you want to go away from home to recover, choose a private facility or a residential one. If you want to stay home while you recover from addiction, seek day treatments at a part time clinic.
What facilities, therapies, medical professionals, and amenities are available in the rehab centre you want to attend. Whether or not you want to be full time or part time should also be considered.
You can get rapid eye movement treatments, group and one-on-one therapy sessions, psychotherapy, art therapy, and plenty of other holistic and psychological treatments.
You can get rapid eAbout a thousand pounds per week as a full time residential and private rehab clinic. Prices may be more than this and, if it is a high-end centre, can be up to £10,000 per week.
You might get free rehab from the NHS. Waiting lists are excessively long and they will try every other route first. You will have to prove nothing else is working before they will fund it for you.
You should be prepared to spend 28 days in a residential rehab clinic. This time increases to three months in a part time clinic and becomes anything up to a year when you include aftercare.
When choosing a rehab clinic, you should consider the aftercare programs they have. These are the facilities in place for when you emerge from addiction treatment and try to go back to the real world. Support is most needed at this point.
[i] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156433
[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6289265/
[iii] https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/counseling-and-addiction-how-therapy-can-help
[iv] https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/emdr-what-is-it
[v] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK493175/
[vii] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02791072.2000.10400224
[viii] https://www.cqc.org.uk/what-we-do/services-we-regulate/services-we-regulate
Nicholas Conn is a leading industry addiction expert who runs the UK’s largest addiction advisory service and is regularly featured in the national press, radio and TV. He is the founder and CEO of a drug and alcohol rehab center called Help4addiction, which was founded in 2015. He has been clean himself since 2009 and has worked in the Addiction and Rehab Industry for over a decade. Nick is dedicated to helping others recover and get treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. In 2013, he released a book ‘The Thin White’ line that is available on Amazon.
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Helen O'Mahony2024-04-27Shay was extremely helpful and reassuring in advising me on how my friend can access addiction help for a family member. He explained everything in good detail with all the relevant information. I feel that it will be a great help to my friend who is extremely worried at the moment and I know she will get much solace and help from this. Many thanks!Gaynor Ahern2024-04-26The team at Help4Addiction were absolutely amazing. My daughter is now safe and starting her recovery journey. The help and guidance of AJ and the team, were second to none. They helped find an amazing treatment centre, facilitated contact between my whole family and the treatment centre. They encouraged my daughter and supported me throughout. I cannot thank them enough for literally saving my daughters life. And the continued support even now, 90 day's after my daughter went into treatment. AJ and the team truly are "Earth Angels". I would highly recommend Help4Addiction to anyone who's struggling or family of loved one's in the midst of addiction.Kylie Woodland2024-04-16Charlene was amazing…..so grateful for her support and advice when i didn't know what else to do to try and help my son with addiction ThxJools2024-04-12Had the pleasure of speaking to a lovely person called Shay recently when trying to navigate a situation for a close family friend in crisis. He was so easy to talk to, and he took the time to explain various options available to us and them. Thank you Shay for your kind words, compassion and good luck with everything in your own journey. You're an absolute star. xDavid John2024-04-01Superb experience. I spoke with Charlene, a real human being who was incredibly helpful and understanding and I believe, just from speaking with her, has been through the experience of addiction herself, and so completely understands, or at least, that's how it felt, which was somehow incredibly reassuring and affirming. This is a great first step on the long road to recovery. I highly recommend. Get in contact asap..Sonn Huss2024-04-01I would like to say what a fantastic fantastic service received , Charlene has been extremely supportive and understanding of my situation, has regulary kept in touch .. has listened and reassured me. I can't find the words to describe her , if it wasn't for Charlene supportive nature I would not have been able to get through this difficult time . Thankyou so much greatly appreciate all the team . ❤️cerys johns2024-03-27I spoke with Charlene today, she was so lovely, polite and so knowledgeable. She listen to what I had to say and gave me some valuable advice. Charlene put me in contact with a rehab centre in Bournemouth, that would be able to help my daughter. This young lady also rang me later as promised, to see how I was getting on with all the info. I asked would she mind speaking with daughter and she was glad to. I really appreciated Charlene's dedication in helping and my daughter. Thank you. Cerys Johnsjames shiels2024-03-20Amazing , fantastic help ,Karen Mrs2024-03-19I really need to give this feedback from my heart. I was in crisis today. I won't go into detail....... I called this number in a hope and prayer I would get some help... I write this because the service was my saviour in hope. A lady had been so so helpful. I hope I am allowed to mention her name ""Charlene" who has stayed in contact with me via phone helping me out. Above and beyond I would say. I thank you for all your help advise and support. I truly mean it. My name is Karen. This is a wonderful service.Ms Mitchell2024-03-19This service was amazing. From Charlene and AJ. It gave me a better understanding.
Who am I contacting?
Calls and contact requests are answered by our admissions team at Help 4 Addiction. We work with a network of addiction rehabs throughout the UK and also some internationally. We do not own any of these clinics and we receive payment for our referral services.
We look forward to helping you take your first step.