Drug and Alcohol Service - Swindon

Very disappointed in turning point! Since 30.08.2021 till 28.01.2022 I had 3 phone calls and received some papers to read at home,and a measuring cup. Waiting for some login details to do at home instead of group sessions since September! During this short period my key worker been already changed as well.

I was under the impression that these places were there to try to wean you off the problem drug you were on before and not to replace that with another! That seems to be wrong. They seem to look on you not as a patient, but a repeat customer. Friend of mine who has been on methadone for over 10 years uses this place. All I ever hear is how they keep trying to increase the dose against her wishes and get her to go to group sessions. The last thing she needs is to be surrounded by other users and ex users. Latest cock up was with her most recent appointment. The appointment was sent by text clearly stating Thursday at 10.00am. Yet when going to chemist to collect her methadone the day before the appointment, is refused and told the script has been cancelled because she has missed an appointment! Upon ringing CGL, is told the doctor has gone home and its her own fault for missing the appointment she never had! So, on the one hand you've got them trying to increase the dose and on the other hand you have them cancelling the script on account of their own mistake!

Turning Point is a great place for people with addiction. The help they offer is fantastic and the staff are amazing (many of them are volunteers). Ignore the negative reviews, this place is a 2 way street. If you think you can magically be cured of any addiction without helping yourself then I’m sorry but you aren’t. If you are prepared to match the effort that Turning Point make then this is the place for you. I can give you countless people who have had their lives turned around here (and CGL, as it was previously). The people are full of knowledge and compassion. If you WANT help with addiction please call them or go in and see them, they will turn your life around.

Had appointment with them at 2pm Sunday no phone call been trying to call for explanation still no response how and why is this service even worth it? Have asked for help probably go elsewhere after there performance, just would of been nice to let me know

My experience of this place is not nice so i wont write what i think except to say they advertise opening hours as 9am till 8pm on a monday but been tinging since 9 am and it's now 09.25 am and keep getting answering machine stating SORRY IMPACT SWINDON IS NOT AVAILABLE,what kind of service are they offering if they cant answer the phone.

Very friendly service to use I am only at the starting point but I do hope they can help me on my journey to a better life

I have been going to CGL for the last 5 months, i would highly recommend them to anyone who has the motivation to get clean but needs support to do it. My addiction was codeine, and i had been using codeine for just over 10 years. While i had been mentally ready to get clean for a good year or so, i was unable to deal with the withdrawal without relapsing. I tried a slow reduction of my codeine intake through my local gp, and tried going cold turkey, both multiple times but always relapsed.After registering with CGL and going through an assessment, i had an appointment with a doctor at CGL who put me onto buprenorphine in order to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms of stopping taking codeine. I also was invited to attend some group sessions each week focused around dealing with stress and triggers that normally would result in taking a substance (codeine in my case) and how to identify problems in my environment that could lead to a relapse and how to preemptively change them.I have now been clean from codeine for 4 and a half months, the longest i have ever gone without codeine in the 10 years ive been using it. I can confidently say i am going to succeed in staying clean from codeine and that is in no small part due to CGL. They wont force you to be clean or do it for you, if you are not motivated to get clean then you likely wont get much out of CGL. But if you are motivated and ready to tackle your addiction, whatever it may be, then CGL can and will help you do it.

I was referred to turning point swindon after an alcohol related suicide attempt in may 2022. The mental health crisis team in gwh promised me they would help me. What bs that was. It started with appointments that didn't exist, threats of discontinued treatment if I didn't answer phone calls. Calls that never came as arranged. After 2 appointments with 2 different nurses, it was agreed that rehab was the only way forward for me. My keyworker said she'd apply for funding in December 2022, then forgot about it. I asked again in early 2023 and she again said she would apply for funding. My Obviously nothin happened. Last week I had a voicemail saying that the business had been taken over and the new management deemed me not to be in swindons catchment area. I live in wootton bassett. They suggested I try Salisbury or Trowbridge....... I don't really know if it's just malpractice or the staff genuinely don't know what they are doin. I would suggest to anyone reading this, don't waste your time here. Find someone that has experience of addiction to help you. These people really have no idea ☹️

This place swaps between charities, Turning Point, CGL, Inclusion’s, CRI etc why don’t the other services set up in another building so people have more than one place to go ? I don’t understand why they all work out of one address? Can anyone explain why? A bit of rivalry might mean better service!

I would be very careful what you share with these people, I told them I like to party at the weekends, but I have a driving job, so they have decided to share what I told them in confidence with the police, breaking confidentiality, and potentially costing me my job and my livelihood, they offer very little in compassion or dignity to people who have decided they need help. Absolutely the worst thing I ever did was to seek help from these people.