Recovery Lighthouse — Worthing

Care at Recovery Lighthouse — Worthing

A small residential service near the Worthing coast

Recovery Lighthouse is an adult residential addiction service at 18 Winchester Road in Worthing, West Sussex. It is part of the UKAT network and provides accommodation alongside a structured program for alcohol or drug problems and associated mental health needs. The official overview describes individualized care, counseling, group work, and a transition into aftercare. Its coastal location and smaller house setting may appeal to someone seeking a contained therapeutic community, but clinical suitability remains the first consideration when deciding whether to enter treatment.

This profile concerns the Worthing service itself. A network can offer different forms of care at different addresses, and an onward referral does not necessarily mean remaining in the same house. The most useful admission plan identifies the work to be done at Recovery Lighthouse, the expected length of that stage, and the services that will continue afterward. The appearance of a property and the availability of nearby walks cannot establish the intensity of medical or psychiatric care.

Withdrawal support and assessment

The CQC assessment published August 27, 2024 describes a residential detoxification and rehabilitation service for people who may receive medication during withdrawal but do not require 24-hour medical supervision. People interviewed for that assessment described initial screening by a prescribing doctor through video call and a physical health assessment. That is a more precise care-level description than simply calling the service inpatient. Someone needing continuous medical observation should establish whether another setting is necessary before a rehabilitation placement at Worthing.

The provider’s admissions guidance says most stays are arranged in advance, although short-notice admission may sometimes be possible. It accepts inquiries from the person seeking treatment, relatives, friends, and health professionals. The first day includes review of medical needs and, when appropriate, a prescribed withdrawal plan. Bring prescribed medication in its labeled packaging and the details of the usual doctor. Disclose previous withdrawal complications, physical illness, psychiatric treatment, and any substance use that might otherwise be overlooked during a brief telephone conversation.

The provider uses broad language about doctors, clinical staff, and nursing support on some pages. These descriptions should not be treated as evidence that the house has the capabilities of an acute hospital. Ask for the current staffing and prescribing arrangements, the observation provided during withdrawal, and the threshold for transfer to another service. A clinically appropriate placement depends on what the resident needs and what the service can deliver at the time, rather than on a single marketing phrase.

Individual counseling and the wider therapeutic plan

Recovery Lighthouse’s individual-therapy page describes sessions usually lasting around 50 minutes in a private setting. It lists cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral, motivational, and trauma-related approaches, with goals reviewed as treatment progresses. The duration of an appointment does not establish how many appointments are included in a particular stay. Confirm the expected frequency, the professional responsible, and how individual work connects with the group program. This is especially important when seeking help for concerns that may be difficult to discuss with peers.

Individual work can provide space to consider a person’s own pattern of substance use and the circumstances that keep it going. For example, someone may need to explore shame, recurring conflict, or an inability to ask for help before developing a more practical coping response. These are examples of issues to discuss in assessment, not promises of a particular treatment protocol. If a specific intervention such as trauma processing is essential to the decision, confirm the clinician’s role and the intervention’s availability within the actual program.

DBT-related skills and emotional regulation

The DBT page places emphasis on mindfulness, managing emotions, and interpersonal skills within the wider addiction program. It describes a balance between accepting present experience and changing patterns that cause difficulty, with practice outside sessions. This supports a description of DBT-related therapeutic work; it does not, by itself, establish that every resident receives a full specialist DBT program. Ask how the skills are introduced, reinforced, and related to the individual’s substance use and relationship difficulties.

For a person who reacts quickly to distress, learning a skill in a group and applying it during a difficult moment are different tasks. The proposed plan should explain how staff help bridge that gap. Useful detail includes how assignments are reviewed, what support is available between sessions, and how the resident will continue practicing at home. An advertised therapy name becomes more informative when its place in the daily program is clear.

The 12-Step framework and daily participation

The 12-Step page describes a recovery framework involving reflection, accountability, connection, and support from others. It acknowledges that some people struggle with the spiritual language and says a higher power need not be understood in a religious way. This is worth discussing openly before admission. The approach may be familiar to someone who has attended a fellowship, while a newcomer may need a more concrete explanation of meetings, written work, and the role of community support after discharge.

The program should not be understood as a race to finish a set of steps within a fixed residential period. Recovery Lighthouse describes its 12-Step work as part of a broader plan that includes other therapies. The published example-timetable page also makes clear that schedules can change according to circumstances. Request a current week of programming and a personal explanation of which sessions are expected. This helps distinguish active treatment, supervised activities, rest, and the time needed for individual reflection.

Who supports residents

The current public team roster names Karen Lord as center manager and Erica Burtenshaw as lead therapist. It also describes Mark Alderson as an integrative therapist whose work includes CBT, DBT, and motivational approaches. Senior and other support workers have separate day-to-day responsibilities. These biographies provide useful context about the service’s stated experience, but they should not be converted into a claim that every staff member is a nurse, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Qualifications and duties differ across the team.

Ask who will be the primary therapeutic contact and who coordinates medical questions. It should be clear how a resident raises a concern after a session, how information is handed over between shifts, and when an outside professional becomes involved. For relatives assisting with arrangements, the same clarity helps avoid confusion about whom to contact. Information sharing should follow the resident’s consent and the service’s confidentiality rules.

Rooms, meals, and contact with home

The facilities page, updated in September 2026, describes 13 rooms, garden access, and opportunities for nearby coastal walks. The cost page additionally describes private and twin en-suite bedroom options. Those are different accommodation arrangements; a booking should identify the room actually being offered rather than imply that every resident stays alone. Confirm bathroom access, mobility needs, dietary arrangements, and whether any assistance with daily living can be provided. For a twin booking, discuss how sharing is arranged and what happens if the arrangement becomes difficult. A private room may provide personal space, but participation in the wider residential community remains part of the program.

Admissions guidance describes an initial period of restricted phone access, followed by limited daily use, with supervised urgent calls possible. This may affect arrangements with children, employers, or other people who depend on the resident. Agree essential communication needs in advance and obtain the current policy, including any exceptions. The guidance also asks residents to focus on recovery materials during the stay. Preparing for these expectations can reduce avoidable friction when joining the house’s routine.

Family participation

The family program describes therapist-facilitated conversations, communication work, and practical exercises around coping and expectations. Its stated aim is to help relatives understand addiction and support healthier relationships. Availability is qualified according to clinical assessment and the program being delivered. The page does not establish an unlimited allowance of individual family sessions or a fixed number for every admission, so ask what is included and whether participation can be arranged remotely.

Family work should make room for the relative’s experience as well as the resident’s goals. It can be useful to discuss household boundaries, necessary changes before discharge, and how to respond if concerns arise afterward. A facilitated conversation is distinct from requiring a family member to monitor or guarantee another person’s recovery. Where contact would be unsafe or unhelpful, the treatment team should consider that in planning participation.

Aftercare, fees, and the regulatory record

The dedicated aftercare page, updated in September 2026, describes one year of free weekly Zoom meetings with a therapist and peers. This online format may make follow-up more practical for someone returning to another part of the country. The page separately describes lifelong access to the UKAT alumni community, including contact and recovery events. Alumni connection and time-limited therapeutic groups are different offers; neither should be represented as unlimited individual clinical treatment.

The cost page describes flexible programs from two to 12 weeks and asks people to discuss their requirements. A current defined numeric tariff was not verified. Obtain a written quotation specifying the stay, room, withdrawal support, medication, therapy, aftercare, and any transport or extension charges. Insurance funding also needs individual authorization. The choice of duration should be informed by assessment and the work planned, with a clear explanation of what happens if clinical needs or circumstances change.

The CQC record shows Good overall and across all five areas. Its 2024 assessment says earlier regulatory breaches identified in 2021 had been addressed. These dates matter: the earlier concerns should not be presented as continuing findings when the later assessment explicitly records compliance. A final decision about Recovery Lighthouse should bring that independent evidence together with a current clinical assessment, a defined treatment schedule, room and fee terms, and a realistic plan for continuing care after Worthing.