- Community substance misuse service
Turning Point - Suffolk SU Drug and Alcohol Service
Assessment report published 19 September 2025
Contents
Ratings - Substance misuse services
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 14 May to 22 May 2025.
This assessment was a responsive announced assessment of substance misuse services. Turning Point - Suffolk SU Drug and Alcohol Service is a community substance misuse service based in Suffolk. The service provides support to adults and young people whose lives are impacted by drugs and alcohol. The pathway for young people is not regulated by the Care Quality Commission and therefore has not been included in this report. The service is commissioned by the local authority, and run by Turning Point, which is a national provider.
The service operates from 3 hubs – Ipswich, Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds and 5 additional satellite locations across the county. The service operates 5 days per week and 1 evening per week. The hubs open on Saturdays on a rotational basis when workshops are running.
The service registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21/12/2016 as a provider of treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The service had a long-standing registered manager in post at the time of the inspection.
We rated the service as good. The service had made improvements and is no longer in breach of regulations. Staff now ensured that community-based drug testing was completed in a suitable environment and handwashing facilities were available at all locations.
People's experience of this service
We spoke with 16 people who used the service and observed 2 service user appointments during the inspection. People told us staff treated them with kindness, respect and without judgement. They told us they felt safe around staff. People were especially positive about the support they received from their keyworkers, describing them as fantastic, knowledgeable, and compassionate. One person commented “they saved my life”.
Most people felt involved in decisions about their care and treatment and told us their care was tailored to meet their individual needs. People spoke positively about the groups they attended and commented that they were a key part in their recovery.
Some people told us they felt they had a long wait from the point of referral to be seen by the service. Some people told us they would like there to be more consistency with staff in terms of turnover.