- Community substance misuse service
CGL Waltham Forest Adults Substance Misuse Service
Assessment report published 6 July 2026
Contents
Ratings - Community-based substance misuse services
Our view of the service
We carried out an assessment of CGL Waltham Forest Adults Substance Misuse Service on 28 and 29 January 2026 in response to routine monitoring. The assessment considered how well the service provided safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care in line with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Single Assessment Framework.
We rated the service as good. No breaches of regulation were identified at this assessment.
CGL Waltham Forest Adults Substance Misuse Service is part of a national not-for-profit provider delivering a community-based drug and alcohol treatment service for adults. The service provides assessment, harm reduction including needle exchange, prescribing for alcohol and opiate treatment, naloxone provision, structured group work, one-to-one support and clinical input, alongside partnership working with National Health Service (NHS) services, social care, probation, general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacies.
Since the last inspection, the service strengthened consent processes, improved safeguarding oversight and embedded learning from incidents. Governance systems provided structured oversight of quality, risk and performance, including monitoring safeguarding activity, incidents and outcomes through established governance forums. Staff delivered care that was coordinated across services, supported by multidisciplinary and multi-agency working. Staff involved people in managing risks and delivered harm reduction interventions, supported by structured processes and clinical oversight.
However, the service did not always communicate clearly or consistently with people, including about appointments, group expectations and changes in keyworkers. Staff did not consistently record safeguarding and clinical information, which limited full assurance that all risks were documented in every case, although records and staff accounts showed safeguarding was actively reviewed. At a venue used by the service to deliver group support (Marsham Court), which is separate from the main registered location at Beulah Road, some people described inconsistent access to the building and a lack of staff presence, which reduced confidence in the reliability of the environment and could affect engagement.
People's experience of this service
People described staff as kind, respectful and non-judgemental and said they felt able to return after relapse. One person said staff were “understanding and supportive”, and another said they could return “without judgement”.
People valued timely access to support, particularly rapid prescribing clinics, and described care as personalised and responsive. Some people said groups helped them develop structure in their routine and improve wellbeing, with one describing that they were “thriving rather than surviving.” People also described positive experiences of joined up working between services, which reduced the need to repeat information.
However, some people described unclear communication about appointments, group expectations and care pathways. Others said staff did not always tell them when their keyworker changed. Some people also described inconsistent access at the Marsham Court venue, which reduced their confidence in the reliability of the service.