Turning Point (charity)


Turning Point is a health and social care organisation that works across mental health, learning disability, substance misuse, primary care, the criminal justice system and employment. In 2017, Turning Point won the contract to deliver sexual health services across 3 London boroughs and Autism Plus joined the Turning Point group. Many of Turning Point services are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

Organisation

Turning Point is a social enterprise and registered charity based in the United Kingdom that runs projects in more than 240 locations across England and Wales, making contact in the last year with 130,000 people. In addition to providing direct services, Turning Point also campaigns on behalf of those with social care needs.
It has a turnover of £111m, £60m of which is for the delivery of substance misuse services, £18m for the delivery of mental health services and £34m for the delivery of support to people with a Learning Disability.
The organisation provides services support for a range of people, including those with mental health issues, learning disabilities and/or substance-related disorders.

History

Turning Point developed out of The Camberwell Alcohol Project in South East London and was founded by Barry Richards, a London businessman, in 1964.
The charity was described as "one of Princess Diana's favourite charities"; she acted as its patron from 1985 to 1997.
In 2001, Lord Victor Adebowale became Chief Executive.
In 2015 the charity denied accusations of "black on black racism" in its appeal against the decision of an earlier employment tribunal that Adebowale had unfairly dismissed the charity's IT director, Ibukun Adebayo. The tribunal did find that Adebayo's actions in accessing lewd emails about her from the charity's deputy chief executive to Adebowale, constituted gross misconduct, but ruled that this did not justify Adebowale's actions. Adebayo's lawyers said that the actions were unfair because the deputy chief executive's behaviour "was more serious than the claimant's by way of his seniority and position as sponsor of Turning Point's equal opportunities policy."