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It was a gathering designed to shine a light on the voices of people who have faced addiction, prison, trauma, homelessness, and recovery. It was a space for honest conversations, shared learning, and a collective commitment to shaping systems that truly work for the people they are meant to serve.
The event brought together partners from across the drug and alcohol sector, but the most impactful contributions came directly from those with lived experience. Their insights framed the conversation - not as optional feedback, but as the foundation for meaningful change.
“This work wasn’t about gathering feedback — it was about shaping outcomes.”
A highlight of the afternoon was a keynote speech from Turning Point Central London’s Deputy Operations Manager, Michael Huck, who coordinated Collective Voice’s Continuity of Care Lived Experience project. His message was clear: if we want systems that genuinely support recovery, we must build them with the people who have lived through them.
Michael opened with a challenge:
“If our services are genuinely effective, why do so many people leave prison and still fail to thrive?”
He reminded the room that relapse, homelessness, and recall are often symptoms of systems that do not match the realities people face. And crucially, he emphasised that the most valuable insights come not from data or policy frameworks.
Co‑production: More than consultation
A key theme throughout Michael’s talk was the importance of genuine co‑production. Not consultation after the fact. Not endorsement of decisions already taken. But shared power.
“Co-production means equality of voice — not simply the opportunity to comment, but the opportunity to influence outcomes.”
The Continuity of Care project involved focus groups run in partnership with User Voice and NHS England, followed by a three‑day panel of Experts by Experience who shaped the recommendations directly. Their insights highlighted both what works and what continues to be missing during the transition from prison to community.
What emerged was powerful in its simplicity:
- Being believed in
- Being treated consistently
- Having someone stay
- Not being given up on
As Michael put it:
“These aren’t specialist interventions. They are the basics. And yet the voice of lived experience tells us those basics are still too often missing.”
Why Turning Point champions peer support
At Turning Point, we see every day how people with lived experience bring hope, trust, and connection into recovery. Many of our peer mentors, recovery workers, and volunteers have walked the same path as the people they support, and that shared understanding can be transformative.
“It wasn’t a service specification that changed lives. It was a person. A worker who stayed. A peer who understood.”
Peer support offers what no training programme can fully replicate: lived credibility, empathy, and the ability to say, “I’ve been there — and I know you can make it through.”
Turning Point remains committed to creating roles, pathways, and leadership opportunities for people with lived experience, not just because it feels right, but because it works.
Building systems that enable transformation
A central message from the event was the need to align our systems with the reality of people’s lives. Recovery doesn’t fit neatly into contract lengths or borough boundaries; it is long-term, non-linear, and deeply human.
From the lived experience work came two essential foundations:
- Safe, stable housing
- Continuous through‑the‑gate support from custody to community
These aren’t optional extras. They are the building blocks of sustained recovery — and they are central to how Turning Point designs services across the country.
Michael left the audience with a reminder that systems must evolve if they are to match people’s resilience:
“People leaving prison are not failing our systems. Our systems are failing to match their complexity, resilience, and potential.”
An invitation to act
The event celebrated progress but it was also a call to action.
Michael closed with a powerful invitation:
“The question is not whether we understand what is needed. The question is whether we are willing to act.”
At Turning Point, we are committed to acting. To listening. To elevating lived experience. And to ensuring that people in recovery are not simply consulted, but empowered to lead, influence, and shape the future of services.
Because when lived experience leads, recovery strengthens and lives change.