It may not have been the 50th year we expected,
but our approach to the past year is the very reason we have been
around for 50 years.
COVID-19
In this most difficult of years, we are incredibly proud to share our data report for 2020/21. The challenges created by the outbreak of Coronavirus tested every element of our service. Still, despite the situation, we continued to provide treatment for those suffering from gambling addiction throughout the year.
Our residential service remained open with increased safety measures such as reduced staffing and occupancy combined with the introduction of social distancing and the use of PPE. A protocol was drawn up to ensure we minimised the risk of bringing the virus into our centres through our admissions process. A contingency plan was also in place so that treatment could continue in the event of a positive case.
The need for us to continue to provide treatment became apparent very quickly as cases were becoming more complex. Those applying for our services were presenting with other issues as well as gambling and were clearly in crisis and very vulnerable.
Service Users
Those diagnosed with mental health issues have steadily increased over the last six years, with 64% of our applicants now having had a mental health diagnosis. Both Drug and Alcohol misuse were reported at their highest levels for six years in the past 12 months.
To address these issues, we have introduced a comprehensive assessment and built referral pathways with several organisations specialising in other areas such as mental health and substance misuse. Gambling harm itself continued to be high amongst our service users. Scores on the Problem gambling severity index (PGSI) showed an average score of over 20 for those about to enter treatment. The PGSI rates the severity of someone’s gambling harm on a scale of 0-27, with those scoring over 8 considered to be experiencing severe gambling harm. Upon completing treatment, our clients are measured again, and the average PGSI improvement for the year was 17 points demonstrating the effectiveness of treatment at Gordon Moody.
Pre-Support
To further protect our clients and recognising that bed spaces would be restricted during the pandemic, we introduced sessions of pre-treatment support for clients accepted for a place. With 80% of our clients having previously sought treatment elsewhere, Gordon Moody is often seen as the last chance for those battling severe gambling addiction.
Over 2,000 pre-support interactions were carried out in the year, which increased our retention of clients by 68%. Clients in crisis can often disengage during the application process as it is such a big step for them to make. With the increased vulnerability of our clients this year, it was especially important to add an additional layer of support.
Pre-support undoubtedly supported our admissions into treatment throughout the year, helping clients to be committed and ready, but it does not detract from the achievements of our treatment teams, who across all of our services delivered a 70% completion rate, a 7% improvement on the previous year. Taking into account the pandemic and the increased severity of our clients, it really is a remarkable accomplishment.
Our Data
You can find our full report here. Gordon Moody 2020-21 Data Report
We hope you find our report informative, and please do get in touch if you have any questions or feedback. The fact that we have any data to share at all from the previous year is a testament to the commitment and hard work of the team at Gordon Moody.
For further data insights or to discuss contributions and collaborations, contact Gordon Moody’s Head Of Growth, Rob Mabbett. rob.mabbett@gordonmoody.org.uk
For marketing and PR enquiries, contact Marketing Manager, Chloe Tomalin chloe.tomalin@gordonmoody.org.uk