CGL Waltham Forest Adults Substance Misuse Service

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 this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

The service delivered effective care through timely and holistic assessments that considered substance use, physical and mental health, social circumstances and risk. Staff applied evidence-based guidance, including NICE standards and the Orange Book (2017), and used structured clinical tools such as AUDIT and SADQ to inform treatment.

People accessed treatment quickly, including through rapid prescribing clinics, and staff delivered pharmacological and psychosocial interventions tailored to individual needs. Staff monitored outcomes through structured processes, including Treatment Outcome Profiles (TOPs), and used regular reviews to adjust care in response to progress.

Staff worked collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams and external partners, including GPs, social care and maternity services, to support coordinated care. Staff routinely sought and recorded consent and completed mental capacity assessments where required, supported by governance oversight and training compliance.

However, some variability in documentation remained, including isolated gaps in clinical recording, which limited full assurance that records consistently reflected practice. Some people described inconsistency in coordination, including not always being informed when keyworkers changed or feeling less supported outside prescribing appointments, which could affect continuity and engagement.