During an assessment of Community-based substance misuse services
Aspire Havering is an integrated community substance misuse service provided and run by Change, Grow, Live (CGL). The service offers comprehensive, free, and confidential support for clients experiencing drug and alcohol addiction.
We rated the service as Good.
The service provides free, confidential support for adults aged 18 and over who are experiencing issues with drug and alcohol use and who live in the Havering area. The service accepts referrals from a variety of sources, including self-referrals, the local authority, mental health services, social services, hospitals, the criminal justice system, probation services, prison releases and magistrates.
The service primarily accepts referrals from residents within the Havering borough. However, the service does not automatically refuse referrals from individuals living outside the borough. In exceptional circumstances, referrals from out-of-borough clients may be accepted to ensure individuals are not left without access to support. For example, the service may accept referrals where clients have legal restrictions, such as injunctions, that prevent them from accessing services within their home borough. In such cases, the service works to ensure that individuals can still access appropriate treatment and support for drug or alcohol misuse.
Staff assessed and managed risk well.
The service delivers a range of interventions to support individuals in reducing harm and achieving recovery from substance misuse. These include initial advice, comprehensive assessments and harm reduction services. Harm reduction interventions include a needle exchange programme, naloxone dispensing, and the provision of prescribed medication to support alcohol and opiate detoxification and stabilisation.
Clients can access a variety of treatment and recovery support options, including one-to-one key working sessions and structured group recovery programmes. The service also provides blood-borne virus testing and access to doctor and nurse clinics, where clients can receive physical health checks and medical support.
In addition, the service works collaboratively with partner organisations to ensure coordinated care. This includes hospital liaison, partnership working with criminal justice services, outreach support for people experiencing homelessness, and integrated working with the local authority’s children’s social care services to support families where substance misuse may be a concern.
During this assessment, the inspection team:
Carried out an environmental tour of the building.
- Visited the recovery hub.
- Spoke with 6 clients/carers.
- Spoke with 18 members of staff, including the service manager, team leaders, safeguarding lead, nurses, health care assistants, recovery workers, speciality doctor, alcohol recovery workers, substance misuse practitioners, dual diagnosis practitioners, vape practitioner, data analyst, and quality and safety lead and non-medical prescribers.
- We attended multidisciplinary team meetings (MDT) with the leadership team, morning briefings, zoning MDT, and alcohol MDT with frontline practitioners and support staff.
- We looked at audit records, complaints, clinic room, medication charts, incident records and business continuity plan.
- We reviewed 5 care records of clients.
Mental Capacity Act / Consent to Treatment Overview
In line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), staff took all reasonable steps to support people to make their own decisions before considering any best-interest processes. 100% of staff had completed the Mental Capacity Act training.
Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act. They were able to recognise when a person’s mental capacity to consent to treatment may be in question.
Staff understood how to access advice and support, as well as appropriate referral pathways to local community mental health teams where specialist input was required.
Where people were assessed as lacking capacity, staff ensured that decisions were made in their best interests. This included consideration of the person’s wishes, feelings, cultural background, and personal history.
The service had appropriate protocols and policies in place to support staff in managing situations where a person’s capacity was temporarily impaired, including as a result of illicit substance use.