Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Wellbeing Service - City of Westminster and RBKC

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

This means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is our first inspection for this service. We rated this key question as outstanding.

This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Our observations and feedback from clients indicated that staff consistently treated people with high levels of kindness, empathy and compassion and respected people's privacy and dignity. Staff worked to ensure a positive experience of interaction and care for every client. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff attitudes and behaviours when they interacted with people showed that they were kind, respectful and responsive at all times. They provided clients with help, emotional support and advice when they needed it. We observed 2 occasions when staff and peer mentors attended to clients in distress. They demonstrated a warm and compassionate approach.

All the clients and carers we spoke with said staff treated them kindness and respect. Their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They described staff as "fantastic", "tremendous", "lovely", non-judgmental, friendly and very supportive. This was echoed by feedback from partner agencies. They said Turning Point staff were "exceptional", patient, kind and empathetic. One stakeholder said: "I have only witnessed compassion and a caring mindset from everyone in the service". Another said: "They go above and beyond".

When clients presented with challenging behaviours, staff followed the provider's procedure to facilitate their attendance on an individual basis, ensuring people's dignity.

Staff supported clients to understand and manage their care and treatment. Clients and carers told us that staff explained treatment options thoroughly and clearly. They said staff listened to them and understood their individual needs.

Staff signposted clients to other services and, if required, supported them to access those. Staff accompanied clients to external appointments for additional support, for example at hospital or to court.

Staff maintained the confidentiality of information about clients. The clinic and keyworking rooms were private and sound-proof, and the appointments were on a one-to-one basis. Additionally, staff ensured that neurodiverse clients or those experiencing anxiety could access a more private waiting area.

The service treated people as individuals and had developed services for specific communities or groups it had identified in its larger client group. The service made sure people’s care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences. Staff took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff made individual adjustments for people, taking into account their needs and preferences. Clients and carers we spoke with said the staff understood and supported their individual needs.

Staff knew the unique characteristics of the local communities well and developed services to meet their needs. Due to supporting a high number of people of no fixed abode, including those sleeping rough, the team had developed its own peer-led housing support service and robust joint working models with the local housing and hostel teams. This work was recognised by a London Homelessness Award in 2024.

A dedicated peer mentor worked jointly with a local charity supporting European Union (EU) nationals. This work focused on raising awareness and providing support with substance misuse and housing issues in a culturally-sensitive way. We heard how the lives of 3 people were “radically transformed” after they received support with addiction, homelessness and were able to return to their home countries safely.

Staff were aware of the unique needs of women accessing the service, for example women experiencing homelessness and pregnant women using drugs. Turning Point staff had developed a range of women-specific services in partnership with female clients. We heard that the number of women accessing the non-opiate pathway was higher than the national average. Staff and leaders were proud of the women’s provision. Clients and carers described the women’s groups as particularly helpful.

The service worked in a long-standing partnership with a local LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing charity, with the primary aim of reducing barriers and enabling more LGBTQ+ people to access support. Turning Point provided a specialist recovery worker who supported the unique needs of the community and worked to improve colleagues’ cultural competence. We heard about the key role the Turning Point service played in recognising, and meeting, the needs of local LGBTQ+ communities.

The service understood and valued the importance of lived experience of its staff and peer mentors. Clients were positive about staff with lived experience and described them as empathetic.

Staff promoted people’s independence, so they knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment, and wellbeing.

Clients and carers we spoke with said they could contact the service in a way that worked best for them, for example by telephone, text or email. Clients told us they felt involved in their care and treatment and could request changes to their treatment plan. Clients said staff provided a thorough and clear explanation of treatment options available. Clients could involve family and friends in their treatment or decline this if they wished. Staff told us they involved clients in decisions about their treatment options from the outset.

The service admission pack detailed the support and treatment available. Clients could choose the option that met their personal needs best, for example to continue using substances in a safer way or to work towards abstinence.

There was a comprehensive range of information on support for clients and carers displayed at the hubs. Staff ensured that clients could access independent advocacy. For example, advocates supported some clients around their medicine choices.

Staff were very good in how they listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff identified and responded to changing risks to, or posed by, clients. Staff shared this information in daily meetings. Staff followed the provider’s assisted access procedure to support attendance of clients presenting with challenging behaviours.

We observed staff greeting clients warmly and being attentive to people in the waiting areas. A partner agency stakeholder said about staff: “They welcome service users. They ask them how they are. They are caring. They offer drinks and something to eat”.

We observed 2 occasions when clients attended in distress. Staff and peer mentors responded immediately. Their approach was kind, caring and personalised. They ensured clients’ safety and comfort and minimised their distress.

We observed another instance when a client attended in poor physical health. Staff recognised their condition promptly and arranged medical follow-up.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff we spoke with told us they felt respected, supported and valued. They said they felt positive and proud about working for the provider and their teams.

Staff could access support for their own physical and emotional health needs through the employer’s wellbeing offer, which included coaching, mediation and emotional intelligence training, social activities and fitness programmes. Staff could take some leave each month to focus on their wellbeing. The service had designated wellbeing leads and this work was supported by the principal psychologist.

The service recently commissioned a quality of life survey focused on the staff wellbeing, with the overall aim of improving client outcomes. Its recommendations allowed the leaders to identify priority areas in supporting the health and wellbeing of staff. Staff participated in the provider’s annual staff survey and leaders created action plans in response to feedback. For example, based on the 2024 survey feedback, the provider was in the process of creating inclusion passports for all staff.

The service shared a wellbeing newsletter in which staff could share stories and photos on the topic. The provider recognised success within the service, for example through celebratory events and a staff conference. We heard about talent shows and joint celebration events for staff, clients and carers.

The service had a strong culture in which lived experience was valued. Staff and leaders told us about the caring and non-judgmental approach to supporting colleagues in recovery. There was a dedicated support framework for those staff, enabling them to access support with challenges related to substance misuse and return to work safely.