EXECUTIVE STATEMENT
Once again we have seen increased demand for our services with an 80% uplift in applications compared to the same period last year.
New services in Manchester, the continued pilot of our unique women’s residential programme, and additional Retreat & Counselling (R&C) cohorts have allowed us to bring more into treatment. It is positive that more people suffering from gambling addiction have reached out for support but we know that as an organisation, and as part of the National Gambling Treatment Service (NGTS), there is still much work to be done in raising awareness of this hidden addiction.
As we move into the second half of the year, we are aware of the challenges that we face. The ongoing government review of the 2005 Gambling Act could have a huge impact on the sector, as well as the cost of living crisis – which will affect so many over the winter months. The increases in complexity through mental health and multiple addictions that we see demonstrate that our work with Adferiad is vital in providing for those most in need.
APPLICATIONS
For the third year running, we are seeing the number of applications increase. An 80% increase in applications this year has seen us exceed pre-pandemic numbers by almost 20%.
Applications for the R&C Programme have grown for men, whilst our unique residential programme for women has become more established and has seen applications from women exceed applications for Retreat & Counselling.
The split of male vs. female applications remained the same as in the first half of this year, namely 73/27%. There was one application from a transgender client in this quarter compared to zero in the previous year.
The increase in applications from men has been driven by increased demand for R&C services post-pandemic, whilst the increase in applications from women has been driven by the opening of our unique women’s residential programme.
SERVICE USER COMPLEXITY
Service users who have felt suicidal as a result of their gambling have increased and count for three in four (76%) of those who reach out for support.
Those with a pre-existing diagnosed mental health condition have fallen this year compared to the last two years, however we know that there are many clients who engage with us with undiagnosed mental health conditions.
Those committing criminal offences have seen a sharp increase since 2020 with numbers now at their highest rate of 40%. The spike in alcohol misuse seen during the pandemic has come back down but alcohol misuse is still at higher levels than before the pandemic. Drug misuse continues to steadily rise year on year affecting one in four of those seeking help.
We are continuing to break down barriers into treatment by working in partnership with other organisations, such as Adferiad, as part of a complex cases service to support those with complex and multiple addictions to receive the support that they need.
Ensuring there is no wrong door when applying for treatment by providing community provision, virtual delivery and support from other organisations when treatment with Gordon Moody may not be the best option, we are committed to our vision that all those most affected by gambling harm will have access to the right treatment, in the right place, at the right time.
This half-year has seen the pre-support team work hard to accommodate the increased demand, delivering a 12% increase in one to one sessions and a 90% increase in groups – helping more and more people reclaim and rebuild their lives free from gambling addiction.
TREATMENT
Extra capacity due to the opening of a third men’s residential in Manchester, additional R&C cohorts, and the continuing pilot of our unique women’s residential treatment have allowed us to increase admissions by 93% at half year. Increased severity has impacted our completions with men’s residential however women’s residential and R&C continue to deliver strong outcomes.
The average improvement of the PGSI score from the start of treatment to the end of treatment is 17 points for residential and 13 points for R&C with scores remaining low post-treatment.
The improvement of CORE-10 scores from the start of treatment to the end of treatment are also very positive with a 10 point improvement in residential and R&C. Both services see an increase in the CORE-10 score post-treatment which is why we have invested in additional post-treatment support.
These outcomes evidence the effectiveness of treatment at Gordon Moody.
Annual statistics from the National Gambling Treatment Service published for the year 2019/20 by GambleAware show average PGSI improvement scores in UK treatment of 12 and CORE-10 improvement scores of eight.
POST-TREATMENT SUPPORT
The increased demand and provision of treatment has led to a rise of 95% of clients accessing post-treatment support. To respond to this, total interactions at half-year have increased by 46% and more than twice the amount of one to one sessions have been held (719 compared to 351 at the same point last year).
These interactions, along with the work we do post-treatment with WHYSUP and EPIC Restart Foundation, are helping our clients rebuild their lives and lay the foundations of a strong gambling free recovery.
AFFECTED OTHERS
The families and friends of those in our care also receive support from Gordon Moody.
This year we have increased the amount of family and friend groups run and attendance to the groups has increased by 40%, providing a valuable service for affected others as well as building recovery collateral for the individual in treatment. We have held 85 conjoint sessions in the past half-year.
Read the half-year data report here: Gordon Moody Half-Year Data 2022/2023
SUPPORTING GORDON MOODY
Gordon Moody is growing! With more services launching to meet the increasing demand of people reaching out for support we need your help.
From making a donation to sharing our social media messages, there are loads of ways you can get involved to help people reclaim and rebuild their lives free from gambling addiction.
For more information, including information on our services, please get in touch.