Turning Point

Reflecting on life before recovery, Stacie says, “I wasn’t living, I was surviving.” Her recovery journey hasn’t been easy, but step by step Stacie has rebuilt family relationships, prioritised her wellbeing and is now working to use her lived experience to support others on their own journey’s. As part of our Real People, Real Stories series this Recovery Month, Stacie has shared her journey to show others that change is possible. Read Stacie's full story: https://lnkd.in/e4aJfvmE #RecoveryMonth #RecoveryIsPossible #TurningPoint #Recovery #RealStories

"This means everything to me now." For Tony, recovery has been about more than stopping drinking. It's helped him find purpose, connection, a passion for creativity and hope for the future. This week, we’re celebrating real people and real journeys, highlighting the many paths to recovery and the impact it can have on people’s lives. Read Tony's full story and find out more about his recovery journey so far: https://lnkd.in/eD63BsKb #RecoveryMonth #RecoverylsPossible #TurningPoint #Recovery #RealStories

We can all play a part in supporting recovery journeys. Small acts of understanding, compassion and connection can make a big difference. From listening without judgement to helping raise awareness, here are six simple ways to help people feel seen, understood and supported this Recovery Month. To find out more about Recovery Month, visit: https://lnkd.in/ebTit9zs #RecoveryMonth #RecoveryJourney #RecoveryIsPossible #SupportingOthers

Today, Claire Wornham-Fellows, our Business Development Manager, and Dr Evgenia Stefanopoulou, our Consultant Clinical Psychologist, presented at ACO - The Association of Charitable Organisations’ Annual Conference, sharing the findings and recommendations from our latest Insights from the Frontline report. The report explores the emotional impact of beneficiary-facing roles across the charity sector, highlighting the importance of creating workplace cultures where individuals feel supported. Thank you to ACO for having us, and to everyone who attended the session.

We're pleased to share that Lincolnshire Recovery Partnership has teamed-up with Lincolnshire Co-op pharmacies to increase availability of naloxone across the county. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eKhP7P3w

It was great to be part of the Improving Young People's Mental Health: Policy, Prevention and Early Intervention Conference. My presentation focused on a topic I'm passionate about: Why substance use, neurodiversity and harm reduction must be part of the conversation when we're talking about improving young people's mental health. When we discuss improving young people's mental health, we often focus on prevention, resilience, early intervention and access to services. All of these are essential. However, we can still struggle to recognise what young people are actually doing when they are struggling. Young people rarely present saying, "I need mental health support." Instead, they present with behaviours. They disengage from education, withdraw from family and friends, self-harm or increasingly self-medicate through substances. The young person using cannabis daily or experimenting with ketamine is often trying to solve a problem, not create one. Substance use rarely exists in isolation. Behind it we often see anxiety, trauma, family conflict, low self-esteem and increasingly, neurodiversity. Substance use is a symptom, not the root cause. What begins as relief can become an additional problem. The cannabis that eases anxiety today may worsen motivation tomorrow. The ketamine that provides escape may impact education, relationships and wellbeing. Young people are not choosing harm. More often, they are choosing relief. If we fail to understand the need beneath the behaviour, we risk responding with judgement instead of support. We know that neurodiverse young people experience higher levels of anxiety, educational challenges, social exclusion and vulnerability. For some, substance use becomes an attempt to manage overwhelm, regulate emotions or feel more comfortable in social situations. This does not make substance use the answer, but it helps us understand the need being met. As professionals, we may not agree with the solution a young person has found. But if we do not understand the need they are trying to meet, our interventions are unlikely to succeed. This is where harm reduction matters. Harm reduction is often misunderstood as accepting substance use. It isn't. Harm reduction means engaging with reality and building trust. It starts with: "Tell me what's happening." "Help me understand." "Let's reduce the risk together." When young people feel understood rather than judged, they are more likely to stay engaged, seek help earlier and consider change. Harm reduction is not the opposite of prevention. It is prevention. Our role is not simply to remove the substance. Our role is to understand the need. Because when young people feel understood, they engage. When they engage, change becomes possible. And when we combine mental health support, understanding of neurodiversity and harm reduction, we create something incredibly powerful: Not just better services, but better futures for young people.

At Turning Point, we talk a lot about harm reduction. But what does it actually mean? The aim of harm reduction is simple: to help people make informed decisions and stay as safe as possible. It’s about meeting people where they are, without judgement, and supporting positive change, whatever that looks life for them. Find out more about harm reduction and accessing support by visiting: https://lnkd.in/e-gBi4F9 #HarmReduction #TurningPoint #RecoveryMonth #RecoveryJourney #Support

We're delighted to share that Turning Point has been shortlisted for the Public Services Social Enterprise of the Year Award in Social Enterprise UK and Co-operatives UK Social Enterprise Awards 2026! 🎉 The winners will be announced at the award ceremony in Manchester on 12th November, where organisations from across the country will come together to celebrate the achievements and impact of social enterprises. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/ernDKReg

Recovery is personal, powerful and possible. It's about freedom, choice, pride, support, hope, and so much more. This Recovery Month, we're sharing what recovery means to the people who know it best: those with lived experience who are at the heart of our services. #RecoverylsPossible #RecoveryMonth #RecoveryJourney #Support #Inspiration

If you only take one thing away this International Overdose Awareness Day, let it be this: know the signs of an overdose and carry naloxone. It only takes a few seconds to learn the warning signs, but that knowledge really can, and does, save lives. Share it. Remember it. Be prepared. #IOAD #OverdoseAwareness #OverdosePrevention #EndOverdose