Prison to Rehab Protocol

11. River Garden

Location: Auchincruive, Ayr, South Ayrshire. KA6 5AE

11.1 Ethos

At River Garden our ethos is built on the profound belief that long-term recovery from substance dependence is achieved not through isolation, but through community, connection, and purposeful activity and work. Situated in 47 acres of tranquil gardens and woodland in Ayrshire, River Garden operates as a residential therapeutic community and social enterprise, offering a vibrant alternative to traditional clinical rehab models.
Our core philosophy is centered on the following pillars:

• Community as the Method: We believe that individuals heal in relation to others. Residents (referred to as participants or community members) live, eat, work, and support one another collectively. This peer-led environment fosters mutual accountability, breaks down the isolation of addiction, and builds lasting social capital.
• Purposeful Work & Social Enterprise: True self-worth and dignity are reclaimed when individuals see the tangible fruits of their labour. Through our social enterprises—including the River Garden Café, horticulture, wood workshops, and estate management—participants learn practical, transferable vocational skills. Work is therapeutic, providing structure, routine, and a sense of shared achievement.
• Time and Space to Heal: River Garden offers a 6-month residential placement and extended aftercare pathway. This extended timeline allows participants the space to deeply process their journey, rebuild cognitive habits, and gradually transition back into wider society at a sustainable pace.
• Holistic Wellbeing: We view recovery through a whole-person lens. Our environment leverages the therapeutic benefits of nature, outdoor physical activity, healthy nutrition, and creative expression to restore both physical and psychological health.
• Therapeutic Approach: Everyone has a dedicated Key Worker and Coworker who walks alongside them. We provide a broad range of group and 121 therapeutic supports from daily mindfulness, counselling, anxiety and stress management and peer support groups onsite. We have staff trained in gambling harms and a dedicated family support worker.
• Pet Friendly: River Garden is an accredited dog friendly service, and we can accommodate people and their pets to remain connected.
• Person Led: We will support people in the approach that works best for them including 12 steps and SMART recovery. If faith is important to a person we will work with local churches and faith-based organisations to ensure people get the support they need and in the way that works for them.

Detailed information on River Garden can be accessed at: www.rivergarden.scot

11.2 Admission Criteria and Process

River Garden is an inclusive community, but because of our unique living and working environment, applicants must meet specific criteria to ensure the safety, stability, and success of both the individual and the wider collective.

• Commitment to Change: The most vital criterion is a genuine, self-motivated desire to change and a willingness to fully engage in a community-based lifestyle.
• Gender: We can support men and women in the service.
• Age Profile: Applicants must be aged 18 or older.
• Abstinence Status: River Garden is a drug- and alcohol-free environment. Applicants must have completed a detoxification process and be fully abstinent from drugs, alcohol, and non-prescribed substitution medications prior to their formal admission date. We will accept people on Buvidal.
• Capacity for Participation: While we accommodate varying physical fitness levels, applicants must be physically and mentally capable of participating in the daily routine. River Garden is a large estate that would be a challenging environment for people with significant physical disabilities.
• Risk Profile & Safety: To protect our open, family-friendly, and public-facing site, all applicants undergo a risk assessment. We cannot admit individuals with a history of severe violent offences, arson, specific sexual offenses, or acute, unmanaged psychiatric conditions that require intensive clinical intervention.

Referral Process

We aim to make our referral pipeline as transparent and supportive as possible and can adapt our processes to suit the environment, restrictions, and opportunities that people experience. This includes being able to conduct video linked meetings. We believe in partnerships and would look to connect and involve existing support networks and services/agencies and significant others in the community for move on.

Transport: We can accommodate transport on liberation to River Garden

Contacts:

Adam Holland, Service Lead: adam@rivergarden.scot
Referrals: Referrals@rivergarden.scot
Phone: 01292 521164