Leading health and social care provider, Turning Point, has teamed-up with homelessness charity Barka UK to support members of the Polish community in central London struggling with substance use.
A free drug and alcohol support programme has been designed to meet the needs of Polish-speaking individuals living in Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham.
Trained recovery workers and clinicians offer both group sessions and one-to-one support.
This initiative is aiming to address stigma and break down the barriers to make support accessible to those who need it most.
What is offered to Polish clients?
• Polish-speaking group recovery programme. Every Monday, there is an informal drop-in session targeted at people who are Polish and other eastern European nationalities. These sessions provide a safe space for individuals to seek support and meet like-minded people.
• As part of the group recovery programme and 1-1 sessions, Polish speaking staff and volunteers provide evidenced-based skills and techniques to support clients in making positive changes around drugs and alcohol
• Access to detox, rehab, opiate substitute treatments, harm reduction advice, needle exchange and various workshops to promote recovery
The importance of Polish-speaking support
For many in the Polish community, seeking help for drug and alcohol issues can be daunting. Language barriers and cultural differences often make it difficult to access the support needed.
This is where our Polish-speaking workers and volunteers are vital, offering support in Polish. By speaking the language and understanding common barriers, Turning Point ensures that individuals feel understood and comfortable, which is crucial for effective support and recovery.
So far, seven local Polish people have been regularly attending the drop-in group sessions. Marek, someone who has attended the group told us:
“It is nice to talk to people in my mother language. I feel good after our meetings, calmer, more peaceful. I felt that someone is listening to me, someone is interested about my life. The group has helped keep me sober and I’m now thinking about attending the Polish AA meetings. I would tell other Polish people that they can come here and there is a nice atmosphere.”
Sebastian, a peer mentor at Turning Point was fundamental in starting up the Polish group. He was supported by Turning Point when sleeping rough and struggling with substance use. Sebastian says:
“It’s important to me to provide the right support for people that come from Poland because of the stigma, shame and the language barriers. Thanks to Turning Point, I can see my future. I want to support more Polish people to get help. I hope sharing my experience will help them.”
Turning Point Central London’s Operations Manager Mark Dronfield says:
“We are so proud of the work Sebastian and the team have done to develop our first ever Polish group. We know that it is not easy to reach out for support around drugs and alcohol. It can be even more difficult if there are language and cultural barriers. It’s important that we provide a service that meets different people’s needs. Developing bespoke resources and working with local organisations like Barka UK, helps us to engage people from all across Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Hammersmith & Fulham.”
Andrew Keogh, Senior Project Manager at Barka UK says:
“Working with Turning Point has helped increase our understanding of supporting people around substance use. Working together has helped us reach more Polish people who need support.”
Get support now – just turn up at to our Polish support group
Every Monday 2 – 4pm, 32a Wardour Street, Soho, W1D 6QT
Find out more: https://www.turning-point.co.uk/polish-london
