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South East

Canterbury Service

Service delivered in the community
We help people that have issues with drugs and/or alcohol and want to make a positive change. We also support the family and friends of people who are worried about their loved one's substance use.

Who we help

Our service is for people who:

  • Are aged 18+; and
  • Live in Canterbury or surrounding areas (including Whitstable and Herne Bay); and
  • Have issues with drugs and/or alcohol or are impacted by the drug/alcohol use of a loved one (even if that loved one is not ready to get support themselves)

Where we are

1 Oaten Hill Place, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3HJ

What to expect

Make an online referral below or give us a call and we’ll take some brief details. You’ll then you’ll be allocated a keyworker who will contact you to book an initial assessment. Your assessment will take about an hour and we’ll ask about your history and goals for the future. We provide friendly, non-judgemental support, no matter what substance you use or what you have gone through in the past. Many of our staff have personal experience of drug and alcohol issues themselves, helping us to understand what you’re going through.  We also know that no one person is the same. That’s why we offer a range of different treatment options, from programmes that can support people to become completely abstinent to harm minimisation and advice on cutting down – these will all be discussed with you at your assessment.

How we help

The support we offer is tailored to each person’s needs, so will look slightly different for everyone.

Services we offer include:

  • One-to-one and group support
  • Access to interactive digital interventions
  • Health checks and testing for blood-borne viruses, including Hepatitis C
  • Support to get on a structured detox programme
  • Prescribed medication, Naloxone dispensing and a needle exchange service
  • Support from peers who have been through similar experiences
  • On-going support from our Recovery Support Service

Drop in

We offer a drop-in service in the Canterbury area. Please contact the service directly for information on times and locations and a member of the team will book you a suitable appointment.

Address:

1 Oaten Hill Place
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 3HJ

Order needle exchange supplies

We offer a service called NSP Direct which delivers clean equipment directly to you for free. Please click on the link below for more information.

If you would like further information on pharmacies in East Kent which offer free needle exchange services please click here.

Make a referral

If you are worried about your own drug and/or alcohol use, please complete the referral form below:

If you are a health professional or practitioner and concerned about someone else’s drug and/or alcohol use, please complete the professional referral form below:

If you work in the criminal justice system and are concerned about someone else’s drug and/or alcohol use, please complete the criminal justice referral form below:

You can also download our referral form and, once complete, send it via email to the secure address listed in the form.

Pharmacy

If you need to complete a pharmacy incident report, please complete a digital incident report using the link below.

Get in touch

Opening hours: Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Wednesdays 2pm to 6pm

Call us: 01227 201778

Other sources of help

Online chat

Get confidential advice and support from our friendly team

Get support

…Forward taught me to be kind to myself, and that it takes time to rebuild and learn a new way of being.

Steve B, Former Forward client Read Steve’s story