How to Find Recovery Support Across the UK & Ireland

Whatever your situation, free and confidential support is available across the UK and Ireland — and reaching out is a sign of strength, not weakness. Here is a practical map of where to turn.

NHS and community drug & alcohol services

Every area has a local, NHS-commissioned drug and alcohol service offering free advice, key-working, prescribing and structured support. You can usually self-refer — you do not always need to go through your GP. In England, many of these services are registered and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and TaperPath now surfaces them live in the Find Support locator.

National helplines

• England: FRANK — 0300 123 6600, or talktofrank.com
• Scotland: Know the Score — 0800 587 5879
• Wales: DAN 24/7 — 0808 808 2234
• Northern Ireland: via your GP or the Public Health Agency drug & alcohol services
• Ireland: HSE Drugs & Alcohol Helpline — 1800 459 459

Charities and treatment providers

National charities such as We Are With You, Turning Point and Change Grow Live (CGL) deliver many local services and offer online support and webchat. Residential rehabilitation is also an option for some people, offering medically supervised detox and longer programmes.

Peer support and community

Peer support can be transformational. SMART Recovery runs free online and in-person meetings using practical tools, and peer-led communities like Path 2 Recovery offer mentoring and belonging. Inside TaperPath, a free account gives you a moderated peer community, a buddy system to share milestones with someone you trust, and gentle reminders and journaling.

Using the Find Support locator

Our Find Support locator lets you search by postcode or town and filter by service type. Listings tagged CQC are pulled live from the Care Quality Commission for England, while services in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland are curated by our team. If you know a service we are missing, you can suggest it right from the page.

Not sure where to start? Begin with the tapering guide and the Taper Tool, then reach out to one service today. One small step is enough.

If you are in immediate danger or crisis, call 999, or the Samaritans free on 116 123.