Turning Point Scotland is deeply disappointed by Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership’s decision to bring the Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Crisis Service in-house and place the Glasgow Alcohol and Drug Recovery Residential Stabilisation Service under review with a view to becoming community-based model when the current contracts end. 

For more than 30 years, these specialist services have supported people experiencing some of the most acute alcohol and drug-related crises in Glasgow. Together, they have helped thousands of people at a time when specialist support can mean the difference between crisis and recovery. 

Our concern has never been about who delivers these services. It has always been about ensuring people continue to receive the same specialist support and that any transition is planned and implemented safely. 

Many people return to these services because they trust the staff and the culture that has been built over decades. Our teams understand that people in crisis don’t always present in predictable ways. They work to build relationships that help people engage with support, recognising that trauma and distress often sit behind behaviour. That trust has taken years to earn and cannot simply be transferred overnight. 

We are also concerned that pending review, if the current residential Stabilisation Service is replaced with a community-based model, this will remove 16 residential beds from Glasgow’s alcohol and drug support system. This raises important questions about how people who need intensive residential support will continue to access it. 

Throughout the past 14 months, Turning Point Scotland has worked constructively with partners to find a sustainable solution to the property issues affecting these services. While we are disappointed by the outcome, we remain committed to working positively with Glasgow HSCP to support people through the changes ahead and to help achieve the safest possible transition. 

At a time when Scotland continues to face the devastating impact of drug-related deaths, decisions affecting specialist alcohol and drug services should inspire confidence among the people who rely on them and their loved ones. 

Our immediate priority is to support the people who use these services and our colleagues during this period of uncertainty. We will continue to work constructively with all partners to protect continuity of care and ensure vulnerable people continue to receive the support they need. 

Our commitment to the people who rely on these services has not changed and it will continue to guide everything we do in the weeks and months ahead.