Where we started...
Swanswell Trust began its life in 1968 as a small Coventry based alcohol counselling agency, relying largely on volunteers. Our reputation for effective service delivery both with service users and commissioners, has led to us securing a number of contracts from Local Authorities and PCTS in the West Midlands over the last four decades. In 1998, we formally became known as Swanswell Charitable Trust.

What we stand for.
Care : We work in the social and health care field to reduce the harm caused by substance use, and to listen to, and be a voice for our service users in influencing local and national agendas for change.

Innovation : We are committed to evidence based good practice and qualitative development, both responding to and informing global research in the field.

Delivery : Through our skilled and experienced workforce, and productive partnerships with service users and other organisations, we consistently monitor, review and evaluate all aspects of our work to ensure continuous, measurable, and qualitative improvements to service delivery.

What we believe...

• That everyone deserves dignity and respect and has a right to be treated with courtesy, openness and honesty.
• In learning alongside the people who use our services, and from evidence based research, focussing on improvement and empowering service users and colleagues in everything we do.
• That partnerships between staff, service users, carers, other professionals, community groups, and funders, lies at the heart of good quality holistic service provision.

Our Constitution
We are registered as a Charity, and governed by the rules of the Charity Commission. We have a Board of experienced and committed Trustees who are responsible for the overall performance of the Trust, and the current Chair of the Board, Mick Wells, has considerable experience of managing both social and health care services. On a day-to-day basis we are managed by our Chief Executive, Debbie Bannigan, and a team of senior managers, all of whom are based in our Head office in Rugby.

In accordance with legislation, we produce an Annual Report and audited accounts every year, which will be accessible via our web site during 2008/09.

Our Partners
We work in close partnership with Local Authorities, and Primary Care Trusts in the West Midlands. We value the contribution our staff, and the people who use our services, make to the development of our services, and we have adopted a policy of establishing strong staff and service user forums in each of our service areas.