- Community substance misuse service
Wear Recovery
Assessment report published 10 November 2025
Contents
Ratings - Community-based substance misuse services
Our view of the service
Wear Recovery is a community-based service delivered by Change, Grow, Live. It provides comprehensive support to clients struggling with drug and alcohol addictions.
The service has a registered manager and the regulated activity for which it is registered with the Care Quality Commission to carry out is treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
In the national context, the whole of the Tyne and Wear area is in the top 30% for deprivation and 1 of the most affected areas in terms of people with drug and alcohol addictions in the United Kingdom.
The service comprises 4 hubs in the Tyne and Wear area: Riverview Health Centre and Laura Street in Sunderland, Houghton Health Centre in Houghton-Le-Spring and Washington Health Centre in Washington.
We undertook an inspection of all 4 hubs on 29, 30 and 31 July 2025. We announced the assessment to the provider 2 working days in advance to allow the registered manager to notify us of activities taking place during our visit and plan the availability of staff members we needed to speak with. The service had not been previously inspected or rated so we planned this as part of our routine inspection programme.
The service comprises specialised teams that provide support services for young people and adults with drug and alcohol addictions.
Mental Capacity Act / Consent to Treatment Overview
Staff took all practical steps to enable clients to make their own decisions.
We saw evidence in care records that staff assessed and recorded clients’ capacity to consent appropriately. They did this on a decision-specific basis with regard to significant decisions.
When clients lacked capacity, staff made decisions in their best interests, recognising the importance of the person’s wishes, feelings, culture and history.
We saw evidence in clients’ care records that clients had agreed and signed consent to treatment forms. We also saw evidence that staff had recorded which parties clients had agreed for staff to share information with about their care, treatment and current health status.
100% of staff had completed training in the Mental Capacity Act.
Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, in particular the five statutory principles. They were able to identify where mental capacity was a concern in a client consenting to treatment.
Staff knew where to get advice from within the provider regarding the Mental Capacity Act and capacity assessments or pathways into local community mental health teams for support.
When clients lacked capacity, staff ensured decisions were made in their best interests, recognising the importance of the person’s wishes, feelings, culture and history.
The service had protocols and policies in place to manage clients whose capacity was temporarily impaired due to the use of illicit substances or inebriation.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 18 clients and 10 carers during our inspection. Clients and carers described staff within the service as amazing, helpful, professional, respectful, understanding and, non-judgmental.
Clients commented the personalised care and treatment they had received was "life-changing and lifesaving". One client told us they would not be here without the care and support they had received from their recovery coordinator. Clients who had completed or were near the end of their treatment journey were confident the service would be available if they needed further help in the future.
Clients and carers felt safe when they attended the service hubs and commented on how clean, comfortable, and beautiful the environment was and how it created a lovely atmosphere. They told us free refreshments were available.
Clients and carers commented that they had worked in partnership with staff to create structured treatment plans, care plans and relapse plans. They also commented that the service’s consent and confidentiality procedures were good and were involved in decisions about care and treatment.
Clients told us staff had provided a high level of support for their physical health, including, health monitoring, and encouragement of healthy lifestyles such as nutrition and exercise.
Clients and carers said they were kept updated and they had support 24 hours a day, including an online chat facility. Staff provided timely responses to queries, and it was easy to get through to the service by telephone. Appointments were flexible, ran on time and there were next-day appointments available.
Clients were signposted to other supportive services such as social services and mutual aid and provided with useful website details and information packs. Carers told us they felt supported by staff within the service. They had access to dedicated counselling, support groups, and staff gave them gymnasium passes. Staff provided them with clear information for supporting themselves and their loved ones. For example, staff had provided advice to a carer whose loved one had specific needs due to a brain injury.
Staff supported clients with opportunities for employment and education. The service had provided clients with helpful courses such as writing skills and employment support such as ambassador courses. Some clients had been able to gain employment with the service’s help.
Clients and carers could give feedback about the service via surveys, comment boxes, the provider’s complaints process and face to face.
We attended a home visit to a client’s house and observed the interaction between the keyworker and client. The keyworker was kind and considerate towards the client and listened to their thoughts and opinions. The keyworker gave clear advice on how to minimise risk and harm and clarified their understanding.
However, male clients commented that the service would benefit from providing a men’s group.