The bizarre situation sees demands made by one part of the ‘council family’ threatening the very existence of a third sector service working to achieve a key objective of the council and it is coming to a head.
Turning Point Scotland’s crisis centre and stabilisation service is facing the difficult decision of starting to implement a closure plan which could leave hundreds of people without help.
The charity runs the services for alcohol and drug rehab services in Tradeston with around 5000 engagements a year.
It has a 20-bed crisis service for three-week rehab.
From premises nearby it also operates the stabilisation centre with 16 beds and daily services.
The problem comes from demands by City Property who own the former school building the service occupies, which include increasing rent from £65,000 to £131,000.
It also has a ‘dilapidation bill’ from premises in the city centre it had to move out of last year.
City Property hit the charity with a bill of £800,000 for the premises.
On the severity of what the charity is facing, Neil Richardson, chief executive of Turning Point Scotland, said: “It couldn’t be more urgent” and closure plans will need to be started within days.
He said: “The costs could run into millions.
“The dilapidation threat means we can’t move forward.”
He said the Health and Social Care Partnership is working to find a solution but he warned against any solution meaning cuts to other services.
He added: “The only way is to make the threat of dilapidation go away.”
The impact goes beyond numbers on a balance sheet with the services quite literally offering life or death services for some of the people most at risk from addiction in the city. There are also 92 jobs working between the two services.
Mr Richardson added: “Vulnerable service users will lose out.”
While the centre is looking for an eleventh hour deal it has not come out of the blue and the charity is angry it reached this stage.
The charity chief added: “We raised this months ago and there has been a question raised in Parliament.”
With the council a partner in the HSCP with the health board and City Property council owned, the charity questioned the leadership in the city for allowing it to get to this stage.
Govan Law Centre has also started court action to prevent the centre from closure.
Staff at the centre told the Glasgow Times what the services deliver and how vital they are in the city’s effort to tackle the emergency it faces with illegal drugs and alcohol.
Jodie Moore, service manager, said: “The first week is detox. Then one-to-one sessions and group work, including on family relationships and about forgiving themselves for some of their behaviour.
“Everyday living skills to help them look after themselves are a key part of returning to their lives.
“The crisis centre is harm reduction. The purpose is to keep people alive.”
The stabilisation service is a 16-bed unit a few minutes walk from the crisis centre.
The aim is to get people “stabilised” through peer work and linking with available services in the community that are suited to their specific, most often complex, needs.
Jodie said the aim is working towards what the next steps are for them, adding: “Everybody’s journey is different.”
The crisis centre operates on a priority need basis whereby those with the most urgent needs will be taken, as soon as there is an available bed.
The scale of the problem in Glasgow means the centre is always at full capacity.
The staff all say rather than this facility being forced to close it should be looking at how it can be reaching more people.
As well as the intensive rehab the crisis centre offers immediate help and advice.
Trish Tracey, head of alcohol and other drugs, said: “This is the only service of its kind in the UK.
“We have a drug and alcohol death crisis and we offer a range of services.
“If we take out this place for respite and advice, how will it impact on the other services. Where are people going to go. We deal with 5000 visits and calls a year.
“If this is not here, people will turn up at A&E, or GPs and other services.”
She explained people can come to Turning Point for just a few hours if that is what they need, and people come back time and time again because they have built up trust over the decades it has been in place.
She said: “I don’t know if they would all go somewhere else.
She explained how it can actually be life or death.
Trish added: “People come here after a near fatal overdose. We work to prevent the next overdose which could be fatal.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We have met and continue to meet with Turning Point Scotland and discussions are ongoing about how we can find a resolution that allows the continuation of service provision.”
Mr Richardson said City Property has refused to meet him.
A spokesperson for City Property said: “We are unable to comment on rent/ lease negotiations as this is confidential between tenant and landlord, however we can advise that we are in ongoing communication with Turning Point and their representatives with the aim of reaching a mutually agreeable conclusion.
“We are unable to disclose lease information due to the commercial sensitivity. This information is confidential between the tenant and landlord.”
