STARS (Southend Treatment and Recovery Service)

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

This means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

At our last assessment we rated effective as requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

Staff assessed the physical and mental health of all people following referral. They developed individual care plans which were reviewed regularly through multidisciplinary discussion and updated as needed. Staff provided a range of treatment and care for people based on national guidance and best practice. The team included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of people. Staff from different disciplines worked together as a team to benefit people.

We have not awarded this service a score for Effective.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Effective.

The service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Summarise your findings here using the topics below:

We reviewed 4 care and treatment records. Staff had completed comprehensive assessments of peoples’ physical and mental health. Where indicated, staff used recognised tools such as the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) and the Severity Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ) and completed alcohol and drug screening.

Staff developed care plans that met the needs identified during the assessment and updated these regularly. Care plans were personalised, holistic, recovery-oriented and linked to individual goals and risks.

People and family members we spoke with said they were involved in reviewing their care and treatment. All felt that staff understood and supported their individual needs. Staff we spoke with demonstrated understanding of individuals’ needs and a person-centred approach to assessing these.

Staff regularly liaised with people’s GPs and pharmacists to ensure they were kept informed of treatment initiation and changes, supporting a holistic understanding of people’s needs.

The evolution of a hospital liaison nurse role in November 2025 strengthened the service’s ability to identify and assess need at key transition points. The liaison nurse attended the local hospital weekly, including A&E, to identify individuals who may require support, including those not previously known to the service, such as following an overdose. This helped address risks associated with unmet or unrecognised need, particularly where discharge information was not routinely shared.

Staff offered people access to a paper or electronic copy of their care plan. Most people and carers told us they had been offered a copy.

Staff offered all people a routine screening for blood borne viruses (BBV).

The service had a dual diagnosis worker based on-site once a week from a local mental health trust. Staff referred people to the worker if they had mental health needs or were already known to mental health services. The dual diagnosis worker assessed and supported people with co-occurring mental health and substance misuse needs. They carried out mental health assessments, identified risks, and worked alongside drug and alcohol and mental health services to develop coordinated care plans. They provided guidance and training to staff, facilitated referrals, and supported the management of complex or high-risk cases, ensuring that people’s needs were addressed in an integrated, person-centred, and evidence-informed way.

The service planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

The service delivered evidence-based interventions to meet individual substance misuse needs. Staff carried out assessments to identify risks and needs, providing psychosocial interventions through a variety of groups sessions and 1:1 counselling if needed. Pharmacological treatments, including opioid substitution therapy, community detoxification, and medication-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence, were delivered with careful monitoring. Harm reduction approaches, including needle and syringe programs, naloxone distribution, and safer-use education, helped reduce immediate risks. The service provided integrated support for people with complex or co-occurring needs through dual diagnosis assessment, case management, and hospital liaison. Recovery and aftercare interventions were available in an established programme and included peer support and structured relapse prevention that promoted engagement, continuity of care, and improved long-term outcomes.

The service had access to specialists required to meet the needs of people. This included recovery workers, volunteers, peer support workers and mentors, hospital liaison staff, outreach workers, criminal justice team staff, a dual diagnosis worker, nurses, a doctor attending once a week, and non-medical prescribers.

Staff had the right skills, knowledge and experience to meet the needs of the people group, including staff with lived experience. New staff received comprehensive induction, and all staff received regular supervision and appraisal of their work performance.

Staff ensured that people had good access to physical healthcare, including referral to specialists when needed. A dedicated well-being nurse managed specific physical health needs, completing BBV testing, blood pressure monitoring, thiamine administration, FibroScans, ECGs, and administering Buvidal (prolonged-release buprenorphine depot injections) on site. These arrangements supported timely assessment, treatment, and monitoring of peoples’ physical health within the service.

Staff participated in clinical audit, benchmarking and quality improvement initiatives. Staff audited recovery plans.

Managers provided new staff with appropriate induction.

Managers provided staff with supervision (meetings to discuss case management, to reflect on and learn from practice, and for personal support and professional development) and appraisal of their work performance.

Managers ensured that staff had access to regular team meetings.

Managers identified the learning needs of staff and provided them with opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge.

Managers ensured that staff received the necessary specialist training for their roles. Managers had recently provided staff with training in neurodiversity.

Managers dealt with poor staff performance promptly and effectively.

The hospital liaison role supported improved awareness of the service and its referral pathways among hospital staff, contributing to earlier identification of need and more timely access to support. This approach reflected evidence-based practice, which shows that dedicated liaison roles and improved care coordination at transition points, such as hospital admission and discharge, can enhance engagement and continuity of care for people using substance misuse services.

The service worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

Staff held regular multidisciplinary (MDT) meetings, to review people, manage risks, share learning, and coordinate with external agencies. Daily handover and morning “flash” meetings ensured clear communication within teams. Staff discussed risks, incidents, daily plans, and updates, while maintaining a supportive and cooperative environment.

Meetings were held both weekly and monthly covering governance, planning, reflective practice, and supervision across the service.

Teams maintained effective partnerships with external organisations, including pharmacies, hospitals, safeguarding teams, mental health services, housing providers, homelessness services, prisons, probation services, sexual health service, child centres and GPs, ensuring consistent information sharing and coordinated care.

The service always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

Staff supported people to lead healthier lives, including engaging them in smoking cessation initiatives and providing support with substance misuse. The service also monitored people’s physical health in relation to substance misuse. For example, staff offered vaccinations for hepatitis B. Brooks Sexual health service attended the site and offered HIV testing. Staff also completed fibroscans to monitor liver function.

The service had established strong links with local food banks and supplied food parcels to people in need across both sites. Nutritional support was provided through breakfast drop-in sessions.

Staff provided male and female personal care packs to ensure people had access to essential items to maintain their personal hygiene.

Physical health and wellbeing were supported through a range of structured activities and interventions. These included health and wellbeing workshops that promoted practical skills, routine, and mindfulness to improve overall wellbeing. The service also offered regular recovery-focused activities such as monthly walks and social events, encouraging physical activity, peer support, and community engagement.

In addition, complementary therapies such as acupuncture were available to support both physical and emotional wellbeing.

The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

Staff used recognised rating scales to assess outcomes. People were supported through monthly Treatment Outcome Profile (TOPs) reviews, guided by a clear theory of change model. Staff used treatment outcomes profile (TOP) to assess peoples’ progress and outcomes before, during and at the end of treatment. TOP is the national outcome monitoring tool for substance misuse services. Leaders monitored and reported outcome data to commissioners.

The organisation offered a 12 week 'Recovery Online' programme that consisted of a structured day rehabilitation programme, available for people to access anywhere in the UK. It offered a range of virtual sessions and interventions focusing on wellbeing, relapse prevention, and building recovery skills.

The programme enabled people to access structured support remotely, helping to reduce barriers such as travel and increase engagement. It also promoted peer connection, routine, and continuity of care alongside in-person services.

Over the previous 12 months, across all treatment pathways within the service, 250 people successfully completed treatment, with 1149 individuals engaged in treatment at the time of inspection.

The service told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff informed people of their rights regarding consent and consistently respected these when delivering person-centred care.

Staff received mandatory training in Mental Capacity, with a compliance rate of 94%, and were aware of how to access support from managers when needed. A clear policy was in place and accessible to staff.

Records demonstrated that consent to care, treatment, and information sharing was appropriately documented, with clear evidence of recorded consent in all records reviewed. However, assessments of mental capacity appeared to be primarily completed by clinicians, rather than being consistently recognised and applied by all staff.