About Us
Exeter STaR (System, Treatment and Recovery) is a dedicated service supporting people who are rough sleeping or living in temporary accommodation and facing substance use challenges. Funded by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and building on the understanding that traditional drug and alcohol services don't always reach the people who need them most, STaR prides itself on its flexibility and openness. Rather than expecting people to fit a model, STaR is set up to shape treatment to the individual and remain alongside them through crisis or relapse, keeping the door to treatment open for as long as possible.
A one team model, built on alliance working
STaR brings together CoLab, Waythrough, BCHA, Inclusion Health Devon, BtheChange, Exeter City Council, and Devon Public Health in a multidisciplinary alliance. The alliance model means working as one team, with one point of contact, to strengthen the support offered. It builds on established best practice and relationships across Exeter, to overcome barriers and fragmentation.
The team works to the MEAM (Making Every Adult Matter) framework, which underpins coordinated, long-term responses to complex, overlapping needs—housing, health, and recovery—through genuine partnership rather than separate referrals between services. By integrating Real Life Psychology, STaR offers a small number of individual and group therapy places. Whilst through Inclusion Health Devon, a primary care provider, STaR supports doctor and nurse outreach, drop-in clinics, and a range of medication-assisted treatments for substance use disorder (including Buvidal).
Recognising that recovery often stalls on the small, unglamorous things as much as the big ones. A small personal budget for each client, for a bus fare, ID, a phone top-up, helps unlock practical barriers to engagement.
Relationship-based, wrap-around support
STaR is built around outreach, not appointments. Our workers follow the person, meeting people where they are, staying in contact through setbacks as well as progress, and building the kind of consistent relationship that makes trust, and eventually change, possible.
Inclusion Health Devon
Inclusion Health Devon provides specialist primary care for people experiencing homelessness and those who are vulnerably housed across Exeter and North Devon.
Our multidisciplinary clinical team provides accessible healthcare alongside specialist medical treatment for people with substance dependencies, working closely with housing, mental health, secondary care, social care and voluntary sector services. We are also a training practice and contribute to research and service development within inclusion health.
As part of the STaR alliance, Inclusion Health Devon brings clinical expertise and accessible treatment into a collaborative model designed to reduce barriers to healthcare and provide more coordinated, person-centred support.
Waythrough
Waythrough are specialists in mental health, alcohol, drugs and related areas, delivering evidence based support designed around the needs of the people they work alongside.
Their approach is grounded in kindness, courage and respect, recognising that people and their experiences do not fit neatly into systems or services. Waythrough works alongside people without judgement, helping break down barriers to support and recovery.
As part of the STaR alliance, Waythrough contributes specialist treatment and recovery support within a collaborative, trauma informed and relationship based model.
CoLab Exeter
CoLab Exeter is a place based charity working to change what is possible for people facing some of the toughest challenges, while helping transform systems that can exclude and marginalise people.
Based in Exeter, CoLab brings together services, partners and communities to create more relational, responsive and collaborative approaches to support. Their work is rooted in dignity, trust and belonging.
As part of the STaR alliance, CoLab helps strengthen joined up working across organisations, creating spaces for collaboration, innovation and more connected support for people experiencing complex needs.
BtheChange
bthechange CIC designs and delivers trauma informed and culturally competent programmes that support people through periods of crisis, instability and change. Their work is rooted in inclusion, recovery and meaningful engagement, ensuring people facing structural barriers are met with compassion, authenticity and practical support.
Through criminal justice programmes, one to one support, early intervention and systemic change work, bthechange focuses on building trust, promoting fairness and creating support that is responsive to real world experiences and need.
As part of the STaR alliance, bthechange contributes trauma responsive, relationship based and culturally informed approaches that help strengthen engagement, recovery and long term positive change.
BCHA
BCHA is a charitable housing association supporting individuals and families across the South West and South of England. We are a major provider of a diverse range of housing, support and learning services for socially excluded people.
We have a continuing mission to meet housing need and end homelessness. We aim to achieve this through the building and provision of affordable and secure homes, and by supporting individuals to take control and lead independent, fulfilled lives.
As part of the STaR alliance, BCHA contributes specialist housing knowledge and support to help people build stability and move towards longer term recovery.
Devon County Council Public Health
Devon County Council Public Health department commissions and supports services aimed at improving health, wellbeing and outcomes for people across Devon. Through working in partnerships, Public Health supports innovative approaches to addressing complex social challenges.
As part of the STaR alliance, Public Health work alongside partners in Exeter City to build trust, provide help to enable people living with alcohol or other drug dependency to access their treatment needs and focus on reducing barriers to engagement, achieving stability and recovery.
Exeter City Council
Exeter City Council is a leader in the effort to prevent homelessness and make rough sleeping rare, brief, and non-recurrent in Exeter. Working with providers across the city, through its commissioned accommodation and support, it promotes a person-centred and partnership-led response to rough sleeping. The STaR partnership reflects Exeter City Council’s belief that no single service can end homelessness alone.
As part of STaR, Exeter City Council contributes housing expertise and outreach support. Helping to connect people to accommodation and housing pathways so that treatment and recovery support is backed by stable, long-term, housing outcomes.