- Residential substance misuse service
Scovell Street, Salford
Assessment report published 5 November 2026
Contents
Ratings - Substance misuse services
Our view of the service
We carried out this inspection on 11 February 2026.
The inspection was carried out due to its time since the last inspection. The service was last inspected on 9 December 2021 and was rated as good. At that inspection it was found that the service did not have a Mental Capacity Act policy. Although, staff were aware of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and the processes to follow regarding concerns over a client’s mental capacity.
At this assessment, leaders had ensured that there was an up-to-date Mental Capacity Act policy in place and all staff had access to this via the staff intranet.
This inspection included all five key questions and all quality statements, which is an approach we are taking to all scheduled assessments for completeness.
Scovell Street, Salford is a five-bed female residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation unit based in Salford, Greater Manchester. The service is provided by the T.H.O.M.A.S (Those on The Margins of Society) organisation.
The service provides a three to six-month rehabilitation programme depending upon the needs and funding for each client. The service is commissioned by the local NHS trust to provide services as part of the Achieve network. Achieve is the local substance misuse treatment network. The local NHS trust is the lead provider for the network.
Most admissions to Scovell Street, Salford are under the Achieve network and have an Achieve care coordinator in place. All other admissions are referred and overseen via the Achieve network. The service does not offer inpatient detoxification from alcohol or illicit substances but does accept clients under community detoxification programmes when this is overseen by an external medical professional.
The service has been registered with CQC since March 2015. It is registered to provide accommodation for persons who require treatment for substance misuse.
We did not identify any breaches of regulation during this assessment.
Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act
There was a Mental Capacity Act Policy in place and all staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act with compliance at 100%. Staff were aware of the policy and had access to it on the staff intranet.
Staff we spoke with had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, in particular the five statutory principles and knew where to get advice from within the provider regarding the Mental Capacity Act, including deprivation of liberty safeguards.
Staff took all practical steps to enable clients to make their own decisions. Mental capacity was established at the point of referral and if a clients’ mental health deteriorated following admission, staff made a referral to mental health services
For clients who might have impaired mental capacity, staff assessed and recorded 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.
The service had arrangements to monitor adherence to the Mental Capacity Act. Staff completed audits and acted on any learning that resulted from it.
Staff were trained in and had a good understanding of the Mental Health Act, the Code of Practice and the guiding principles. 100% of staff had received training in the Mental Health Act. The service did not admit clients who were detained under the Mental Health Act. The provider had relevant policies and procedures that reflected the most recent guidance
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 5 clients during the inspection. All five clients reported feeling safe and described staff as being approachable, kind and compassionate.
Clients described a stable, supportive culture in which they could always seek advice and guidance from both staff and fellow clients. One client said that they were “dreading admission to the service but received a warm welcome and did not want to leave.”
All clients said that they attended the groups and were able to share information without fear of judgement or discrimination. All 5 clients told us that staff monitored their physical health and that support was given to access health professionals outside of the service when needed. One client was referred to a mental health team to support them with past trauma and all 5 clients reported that the gentle encouragement of staff had supported their health and wellbeing.
All 5 clients said that managers and senior leaders were visible within the service and that they knew them by name and they knew the clients’ names. They routinely approached them to chat and ask questions and reflected that the service had a culture of tolerance and respect which supported recovery and healing.