Founded in 1997, GamCare is the leading provider of information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling harms. We operate the National Gambling Helpline, provide treatment for anyone who is harmed by gambling, create awareness about safer gambling and treatment, and encourage an effective approach to safer gambling within the gambling industry.
We have worked with staff and service users to identify four major strategic ambitions which will drive our work forwards in pursuit of our mission.
Gambling harms are widely recognised and prevented.
Universal access to effective tools and support.
Universal access to caring, evidence-led and integrated treatment.
GamCare’s work is trusted, valued and effective.
Our Values
We are:
COLLABORATIVE – Achieving more together
AMBITIOUS – Embracing future growth
LEARNING – Harnessing knowledge
LEADING – Shaping the agenda
Our Services
The National Gambling HelpLine is free to call on 0808 8020 133 or you can chat to an Adviser. We provide live, confidential, one-to-one information, advice and emotional support, plus we can signpost to further sources of specialist help, including our face to face, online and telephone treatment services across England, Scotland and Wales.
Our Helpline (phone and live chat) services are available 24 hours a day. Advisers are specifically trained and can discuss what options are available, and they can offer coping strategies to those who want to change their gambling behaviour as well as support for others who are impacted by gambling.
Our online Forum and Chatrooms are available to anyone who wants to share their experiences and seek support from others. Threads include an area for new members, for supporting a problem gambler, recovery diaries, and information about Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon meetings.
Our face-to-face treatment is available in a variety of locations around Great Britain, delivered by GamCare and our network of partner agencies. Our partners are funded to deliver our services, and all agencies receive ongoing training from GamCare to provide free, confidential treatment for anyone affected by problem gambling.
Governance at GamCare
At GamCare, we are committed to delivering good quality, effective services within a robust framework of governance and quality assurance. Some of the ways we deliver our governance framework are as follows:
Leadership
Our Board of Trustees ultimately oversee our governance. The Board is responsible for agreeing the organisations strategy and delegates responsibility for execution of that strategy to the CEO. In turn, the CEO delegates to our senior management team, and the Board monitors the outcomes of these delegations.
Alongside our Board, we have two sub-committees which are responsible for different aspects of our Quality Assurance and Governance Framework. The Audit & Risk sub-committee oversees all corporate governance systems. The Clinical and Quality Governance sub-committee scrutinises all areas of clinical work undertaken by GamCare and is chaired by a senior clinician. GamCare’s CEO and Directors are accountable to these committees and provide regular progress reports against our strategy, business plan, quality assurance, and targets and key performance indicators.
Systems and processes
Our teams and commissioned partners work within clearly defined systems to ensure we deliver safe and effective services. This includes an overarching policy framework, as well as practice guidance. These are regularly reviewed and updated with the latest legislation, policies and best practice, to ensure quality across our service provision. We report on our activities both monthly and quarterly, to our commissioners (GambleAware) and our Board. Any serious incidents or safeguarding concerns are reported promptly, investigated, and any lessons learnt from these are disseminated both internally and across our partner network as appropriate.
Staff training and support
Our staff are recruited against the skills and competencies needed for the role, and they receive training relevant to their role on an ongoing basis. This includes mandatory safeguarding training, as well as continuing professional development in relation to emerging issues relevant to the field. We provide regular individual supervision and an annual appraisal process. All teams have regular team meetings and our clinical teams also engage in team supervision which includes practice development.
Feedback from our beneficiaries
We incorporate feedback from our beneficiaries via our Service User Panel, our online Forum, client satisfaction surveys, complaints and compliments, focus groups and consultation about key issues across all areas of our service delivery. We also intend to introduce an annual beneficiary survey as well as further developing our strategy for service user engagement.
Evidence based practice
Our Model of Care is informed by the best evidence available, and is continuously reviewed, considering emerging good practice. We review our data, outcomes and client experience regularly to ensure our services remain as effective as possible. We contribute to research studies where appropriate and share research outcomes with our teams and beneficiaries.
Responsive services
We aim to be responsive in our service delivery, to ensure our beneficiaries get the help they need as quickly as possible, and to ensure we are adapting as new evidence, legislation or best practice emerges.
Audit cycles
We continuously review what we do, regularly auditing our activities, and we adapt and improve where needed. This includes the activities of our partner network. We are accredited with external bodies including The Helplines Partnership and the British Assessment Bureau (ISO 9001).
