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"We have a long and successful history of working to protect our communities from the impact of drug misuse"

Brief History

Set up in 1986 with a 12 month grant of £15,000 from the Department of Health, Compass began life as York Drugs Resource Scheme with one full time employee working from a cramped office in the centre of York.   We now provide services in Yorkshire and Humberside, the Midlands and London and the South East; employ 300 people and provide care to over 15,000 per annum.
Our journey from very small local service provider to major national organisation has at times been rapid, often as a result of key changes in government policy, but more commonly we have steadily grown over 20 years, developing our service range in partnership with our key stakeholders to improve access to care.  Throughout our history, the growth of Compass has been driven by a passionate desire to provide services of the highest quality and the most comprehensive care possible.

Beginning with a modest advice and counselling service based in York, we continuously added to our range of activities. Between 1987 and 1996, we built upon the York Drugs Resource Scheme, adding needle exchange, substitute prescribing, resettlement services for prisoners and a structured day programme, with the intention of developing multiple points of entry to a treatment model that could deliver progressive levels of care.

From 1996 onwards, we actively sought opportunities to develop services in new areas, starting in Hull and East Yorkshire with The Point, a dedicated needle exchange service and expanding our services for prisoners across Yorkshire.

The late 1990s marked the beginning of a new era for the organisation, when York Drugs Resource Scheme changed its name to Compass with the clear intention of developing into a national organisation. In the following five years, Compass grew nine fold, developing new services in the Midlands and becoming the UK’s leading provider of drug treatment services for prisoners. Having recently been awarded contracts by Tower Hamlets Drug Action Team to provide the UK’s first women’s drug treatment service and a new Harm Reduction Service, we now operate along the eastern spine of England from York to London.

With a long and successful history of working to protect our communities from the impact of drug misuse, Compass is committed to improving both the quality and range of its drug treatment services. The future development of Compass will be shaped by that commitment and made possible through the continued efforts of the many great people who contribute their skill, knowledge and time to the organisation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP


If you would like to support the work of Compass, you can make a donation to help our work in communities across the UK.
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