Frequently Asked Questions About Our Programme
- Who can apply to Mercy Ministries?
- How can a girl/young woman apply?
- Can someone under 18 apply?
- Can someone over 28 apply?
- Is a referral necessary?
- How much does the programme cost?
- Is there a waiting list?
- Can you attend the programme as an ‘out-patient’ rather than a full time resident?
- What is the length / duration of programme?
- How bad / severe does a young woman's issue need to be to enter the programme?
- Do you have to be a Christian / religious / go to church to come to Mercy Ministries?
- Does Mercy Ministries provide counselling?
- What contact can a young woman have with her family and friends?
- Can mothers bring their children into the programme?
- Is it an option to finish school / study while in the programme?
- Can a young woman continue to work while she is in the programme?
- Can a young woman continue to attend her own church while in the programme?
- Are your staff qualified?
- If a young woman is vegetarian, vegan, or has a special dietary requirements does your programme cater for this? What if she is already on a dietician set meal plan?
- What medical care is available for young women in the programme?
- Can a young woman come if she is on medication?
- Does Mercy Ministries accept young women struggling with drug addiction or provide a detox programme?
- Is there a maximum / minimum BMI needed to be accepted into the programme?
- If a young woman is pregnant in the programme what happens after she has had her baby?
- What happens when a young woman finishes the programme?
- How can someone make a financial donation to Mercy Ministries?
Who can apply to Mercy Ministries?
Young women 18 to 28 years who are have a strong desire to bring about change in their lives.
Young women enter into our programme facing life controlling issues including:
- Eating disorders
- Self harm
- Depression
- Suicidal
- Unplanned pregnancy
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Effects of physical and sexual abuse
- OR any issue which may not be listed above that is controlling a young women's life.
How can a girl/young woman apply?
As our programme is voluntary, the young woman needs to call our office to speak with our Intake Department to begin the application process. Or contact us via the website.
Can someone under 18 apply?
Applications will be accepted from any age with a view to bringing the young woman into the programme when she turns 18.
If a young woman is younger than our age limit we encourage her to pursue counselling or other programmes that may be better suited to her needs.
Any young woman, regardless of her age is welcome to contact our office to talk about a suitable referral.
Can someone over 28 apply?
Applications will only be accepted from young women up to the age of 28, up to the day before their 29th birthday.
We recognise that women outside of this age bracket are in desperate need of support too, however, developing a programme suitable to the needs of young women over a larger age bracket is difficult. We occupy a small part of the jigsaw puzzle.
We believe that freedom from struggles is possible for everyone. Any young woman, regardless of age is welcome to contact our office and speak with our Intake Department to talk about alternative options.
Our programme is voluntary and as such does not require a referral.
How much does the programme cost?
The Mercy Ministries programme is provided free of charge, including accommodation, food, heating, electricity and any other bills.
We do, however, suggest that a resident organises personal finances to be able to purchase toiletries, clothing and other essentials.
Please contact our office and speak with the Intake Co-ordinator if you would like more information about this.
Is there a waiting list?
Yes.
After being accepted into our programme applica nts are placed on a waiting list for an available vacancy.
There is not an average waiting time on the waiting list.
The length of time between a young woman being accepted into our programme and entering our program (coming to live at Mercy Ministries) varies greatly. As we consider each applicant on an individual basis we are unable to determine the length of this waiting time.
Areas that affect the amount of time spent on the waiting list may be; current vacancies and how the young woman progresses following the application process.
Can you attend the programme as an ‘out-patient’ rather than a full time resident?
No. We do not provide out-patient care. Our programme is available for young women who are prepared to commit to a full-time, live in programme. The average stay at Mercy Ministries is six months and we ask that a young woman is willing to commit to this length of time when applying to the programme.
What is the Length / Duration of Programme?
The average stay in the programme is six months. We ask that young women applying to the programme are committed to living at Mercy Ministries for at least this amount of time.
How bad / severe does a young woman need to be to enter the programme?
If a young woman has an issue that is controlling her life and needs help dealing with it she is most welcome to contact us or apply to our programme.
The key is that a young woman needs to ask for help and she needs to have a strong desire to change.
Do you have to be a Christian / religious / go to church to come to Mercy Ministries?
No. Any young woman regardless of her religious or spiritual background is welcome to apply to our programme.
As our programme is based on Christian principles the residents in the programme are involved in a local church and attend other Christian based activities during the week. When living at Mercy Ministries young women are required to participate in all aspects of the programme including praise and worship and teaching based on Christian principles.
Does Mercy Ministries provide counselling?
Mercy Ministries provides a biblically-based discipleship programme called ‘Choices That Bring Change’ led by facilitators who have qualifications and training in subjects such as youth and community work, psychology, social work, occupational health therapy or related field.
Together with her facilitator a young women will establish goals for what she would like to achieve during her time at Mercy Ministries and the direction she would like to take after her time in our programme. The process works through a staged structure addressing topics such as forgiveness, family issues, conflict and other topics related to the young woman’s specific issues. Once a week young women participate in group sessions where they work through general topics such as anger management, healthy boundaries in relationships and developing general life skills.
What contact does a young woman have with her family and friends?
Mercy Ministries encourages young women to maintain contact with family and friends. Young women maintain contact by phone calls on weekends and receiving mail and emails daily.
After an initial period which is determined by the facilitator, a young woman can request leave from the programme every four to six weeks. Please note that young women with husbands and children are considered on an individual basis and contact is adapted to suit their situation.
Can mothers bring their children into the programme?
As our homes cater for many young women the structure of our programme does not enable mothers to bring their children. Mothers applying to Mercy Ministries need to look into care for their child/children for the duration of their stay. While our programme aims to provide care for the needs of the individual mother we encourage regular contact and mothers are considered on an individual basis when it comes to phone calls and visitation with their children.
Is it an option to finish school / study while in the programme?
No. Due to the structure of our programme it is not possible for a young woman to continue further or higher education while living at Mercy Ministries.
If you are undertaking further or higher education you will need to contact the faculty where you study to receive advice on your available options.
Can a young woman continue to work while she is in the programme?
No, it is not possible for a young woman to work whilst living at Mercy Ministries as our programme is a full time live in programme.
Can a young woman continue to attend her own church while in the programme?
No, this is not possible as each Mercy Ministries home has a local church that the residents attend as a group with programme staff each week. If residents are involved in another church we encourage them to keep in contact and attend during weekend leave.
Are your staff qualified?
The discipleship programme called ‘Choices That Bring Change’ is led by facilitators who have qualifications and training in subjects such as youth and community work, psychology, social work, occupational health therapy or other related fields. Other roles are filled with suitably experienced and qualified staff. Mercy Ministries additionally has professional support from a qualified psychologist and dietician.
All residents are registered at the local GP immediately on entering the programme and have access to any service provided by the NHS whenever that need arises, as we do not provide any medical support other than First Aid.
If a young woman is vegetarian, vegan, or has a special dietary requirements can the programme cater for this? What if a young woman is already on a dietician set meal plan?
At Mercy Ministries we provide a healthy and wide range of meals and residents are required to eat the meals that are set on the menu plan. We encourage all applicants to consider if they are prepared to eat what is on the menu plan while in our programme. If a young woman is already on a meal plan set by her dietician when she enters the programme, the Mercy Ministries consulting dietician would take that plan into consideration when developing her new meal plan.
What medical care is available for young women in the programme?
Mercy Ministries is not a medical facility and young women are registered with the general practitioner in the first week of entering the programme. Women are always referred to other necessary authorities who provide medical intervention when it is apparent that they need this support.
Can a young woman come if she is on medication?
Yes, our programme works with young women on certain prescribed medication. This will continue to be monitored for the duration of a young woman's stay at Mercy Ministries by the programme’s local doctor, the resident’s faciltator and her psychiatrist when necessary.
Does Mercy Ministries accept young women struggling with drug addiction or provide a detox programme?
Our programme does work with young women struggling with drug and alcohol addictions and we encourage young women struggling with these addictions to begin the application process as soon as possible.
We do however, require applicants to detox before entering the programme.
Once a young woman has applied and been accepted into our programme our Intake Department will work with the applicant to find a detox facility that is located close to her local area. Prior to entering Mercy Ministries programme the applicant will be required to enter the local detox facility. Mercy Ministries Intake Coordinator will work with the applicant via phone during this period to ensure she has the support she needs to complete the detox programme prior to entering our programme.
Is there a maximum/minimum BMI needed to be to be accepted into the programme?
We encourage any young woman, regardless of her BMI (body mass index) to apply to our programme. However, as we are not a medical facility, an applicant must provide a letter from her GP or other Health professional to confirm her physical and mental ability to meet the demands of the programme.
If a young woman is pregnant in the programme what happens after she has had her baby?
A resident who is pregnant will attend a basic decision making course which equips her to make an informed decision about the future of her and her baby. As our programme is designed for young women during their pregnancy rather than after, our staff will assist a pregnant resident who chooses to parent her baby in making an individualised plan that will prepare her to effectively parent in a safe environment. Residents who choose to place their child for adoption or alternative care can return to Mercy Ministries to complete the programme.
A resident who chooses to parent her child will leave the programme after her baby is born, as Mercy Ministries is not classed as a ‘children’s home’ and is therefore unable to accept children living in the home. Staff will assist the resident in securing suitable living arrangements and will continue to offer support by distance or in person where possible.
What happens when a young woman finishes the programme?
In the final stages of a resident’s time at Mercy Ministries she will begin the exit and aftercare component of the programme. This involves planning for when she leaves – accommodation, work, education and training. Residents also have an accountability person to meet with when the programme is completed. Meeting with this person is important for continued support in her first year out of the programme. Mercy Ministries also provides ongoing support if required.
How can someone make a financial donation to Mercy Ministries?
There are a number of ways in which you can support Mercy Ministries financially:
- Become a Monthly Partner by donating a set amount every month. This can be done by simply clicking on the donate button or by calling our office on 01535-642042. There is no minimum gift amount - every pound makes a difference
- Make one-off donations
- Support Mercy Ministries through your community group and church. This is a wonderful way for a group of people to make a difference
