Best Software for Addiction and Recovery Charities in the UK (2026)

Addiction and recovery charities in the UK are working under extraordinary pressure. In 2024-25, 329,646 adults were in structured substance misuse treatment in England — the highest figure since NDTMS reporting began — representing a 6% increase on the previous year. Drug-related deaths hit a record 5,565 in England and Wales in 2024, the highest since records started in 1993. Behind every one of those numbers is a person who needs timely, coordinated support from services that are already stretched thin.

The software these charities use is not a peripheral concern. It determines whether caseworkers can track complex clinical pathways, submit NDTMS returns on time, coordinate multi-agency referrals, and evidence their impact to commissioners. Yet many addiction services still rely on spreadsheets, paper forms, or generic systems that were never designed for the specific demands of substance misuse treatment.

This guide compares the best CRM and case management platforms for UK addiction and recovery charities in 2026, covering what features matter most and which systems deliver them.

TL;DR: Addiction charities need software that handles clinical pathway tracking, NDTMS/TOP compliance, multi-agency referrals, safeguarding, and outcome measurement. Plinth offers AI-powered case management, partner CRM for NHS and criminal justice referrals, and built-in impact reporting — purpose-built for the charity sector. Specialist systems like Theseus handle NDTMS returns directly. Charitylog and Lamplight serve as reliable generalist options. Salesforce offers enterprise power but requires significant configuration and budget.

What you'll learn: Which software features matter most for addiction and recovery services, how the leading platforms compare, and what to prioritise when choosing a system.

Who this is for: Service managers, operations leads, data officers, and trustees at drug and alcohol charities, recovery communities, and treatment providers.

What Addiction and Recovery Charities Actually Need From Software

Key point: Addiction charities have more complex data requirements than most voluntary organisations. They operate across clinical, social, and criminal justice boundaries — and their software must reflect this.

The UK addiction sector is distinct from other areas of charitable work. Services range from structured treatment programmes (detox, rehabilitation, prescribing) to peer-led recovery communities, harm reduction outreach, and recovery housing. Many organisations deliver several of these simultaneously, often under contract to local authorities or NHS commissioners.

According to government data, the non-opiate treatment group saw a 20% increase in 2024-25, while the non-opiate and alcohol group rose by 13%. This shifting pattern means services must adapt their pathways and reporting continuously — and their software needs to keep pace.

Here are the core requirements:

Clinical Pathway Tracking

Addiction treatment is not linear. A person may move between community prescribing, residential rehab, structured day programmes, and aftercare — sometimes across multiple providers. Software must track where each person is on their pathway, what interventions they have received, and what comes next.

NDTMS and TOP Compliance

The National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) is the mandatory reporting framework for publicly funded substance misuse treatment in England. Services must submit regular data returns covering treatment starts, modalities, outcomes, and demographics. The Treatment Outcomes Profile (TOP) must be completed within two weeks either side of the treatment start date, with a 28-day recall period, and again at treatment exit. Systems like Theseus have maintained a 100% track record of meeting NDTMS dataset timeframes since 2007 — that level of reliability matters when commissioner funding depends on compliance.

Safeguarding and Risk Management

Substance misuse services work with some of the most vulnerable people in society. In 2024-25, 4,273 people died while in treatment — 1.3% of all adults in the system. Effective safeguarding requires structured concern recording, escalation workflows, and clear audit trails. Over 48,000 people (44%) reported smoking tobacco in the 28 days before starting treatment, yet only 4% were recorded as having been offered smoking cessation referrals — an example of how gaps in systematic recording lead to missed interventions.

Multi-Agency Referrals

Addiction does not exist in isolation. One in ten UK adults has personally experienced addiction, and over half of UK adults have either experienced addiction themselves or know someone who has. Services routinely coordinate with NHS mental health teams, criminal justice agencies, housing providers, and social services. A significant proportion of adults in substance misuse treatment also require support for co-occurring mental health conditions. A CRM must manage referrals in and out across these agencies without creating administrative bottlenecks.

Group Session and Programme Tracking

Many recovery charities run group programmes — peer support meetings, structured day programmes, 12-step facilitation, SMART Recovery groups, and therapeutic communities. Software needs to track attendance, facilitator notes, and individual progress within a group context, not just one-to-one casework.

Outcome Measurement and Impact Reporting

Commissioners want evidence. Funders want outcomes. The sector needs to demonstrate that treatment works — and that requires consistent data collection, analysis, and reporting. UK recovery organisations assisted 35,000 people in a recent reporting period despite treatment gaps, but evidencing this impact requires robust systems, not retrospective spreadsheet exercises.

Comparing the Best Software Options

Here is how the leading platforms stack up against the specific needs of addiction and recovery charities.

Plinth

Plinth is a UK-built charity CRM with AI at its core. For addiction services, the standout features are AI Case Notes, which can transcribe and structure session notes from client interactions — reducing the 30-50% of caseworker time typically spent on administration. The Case Management module supports configurable pathways with concern levels and Theory of Change alignment, which maps well to the staged treatment models used in addiction services.

The Partner CRM is particularly relevant for addiction charities that manage referral relationships with NHS trusts, probation services, local authority commissioners, and housing associations. Rather than tracking these relationships in separate spreadsheets, Plinth centralises them alongside client records. Surveys can be configured for TOP-style outcome measures, and Impact Reporting uses AI to generate commissioner-ready reports from programme data.

Plinth's data is hosted in the UK/EU with GDPR-first design — a non-negotiable for services handling sensitive health and criminal justice data.

Theseus

Theseus is a specialist substance misuse case management system with deep NDTMS integration. It is purpose-built for drug and alcohol services and has maintained a 100% compliance record for NDTMS dataset submissions. Its Mobile Worker Module allows outreach staff to complete assessments and case management tasks on tablets in the field — valuable for street outreach and home visit teams. If your primary concern is NDTMS compliance and you need a system that handles this without configuration, Theseus is a strong specialist option. The trade-off is that it is narrowly focused: it does not offer the broader CRM, partner management, or AI features that a platform like Plinth provides.

Charitylog

Charitylog is used by around 1,000 charities across the UK and is one of the most established generalist CRM platforms in the sector. It handles cases, contacts, documents, communications, and workflows in a single system. For addiction charities, Charitylog offers a reliable and affordable foundation, but it requires manual configuration to support substance-misuse-specific workflows. It does not have built-in NDTMS compliance or AI features, so services with complex reporting obligations may find it limiting without additional tools.

Lamplight

Lamplight serves hundreds of UK charities and offers full database management and reporting. It is configurable enough to support addiction service workflows and is popular among smaller organisations that need a straightforward, well-supported platform. Like Charitylog, it does not offer specialist substance misuse features or AI capabilities, but it is a solid choice for recovery communities and peer support organisations with simpler data requirements.

Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud

Salesforce is the global enterprise CRM, and its Nonprofit Cloud offers powerful customisation. For large addiction charities — particularly those operating across multiple regions or running complex commissioning contracts — Salesforce can be configured to do almost anything. Einstein AI provides some automation at the enterprise tier. However, the cost (licensing, implementation, and ongoing administration) places it beyond the reach of most small and mid-sized addiction charities. Implementation typically requires specialist consultancy, and the learning curve for staff can be steep.

How to Choose the Right Platform

Selecting software for an addiction charity is not just a technology decision — it is a service delivery decision. The wrong system creates administrative burden that pulls caseworkers away from clients. The right system gives them time back.

Consider these factors:

NDTMS obligations. If you hold a public health commissioning contract, NDTMS compliance is non-negotiable. Determine whether you need built-in compliance (Theseus) or are comfortable configuring outcome forms within a more flexible system (Plinth, Charitylog).

Multi-agency working. If your service regularly coordinates with NHS, criminal justice, and housing partners, you need a system that manages these relationships systematically. A dedicated Partner CRM prevents referral relationships from falling through the cracks.

Caseworker time. With 5,565 drug-related deaths recorded in England and Wales in 2024, every hour a caseworker spends on admin is an hour not spent supporting someone in crisis. AI Case Notes and automated reporting can meaningfully shift this balance.

Scale and budget. A peer-led recovery community with five volunteers has different needs from a regional treatment provider with 200 staff across ten sites. Match the platform to your actual scale, not your aspirations.

Data sensitivity. Addiction services handle some of the most sensitive personal data in the voluntary sector — health records, criminal justice information, safeguarding concerns. Ensure your platform offers UK/EU data hosting, robust access controls, and clear GDPR compliance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NDTMS and do all addiction charities need to report to it?

NDTMS (the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System) is the national data collection system for drug and alcohol treatment in England. If your organisation receives public funding for structured treatment — typically through local authority public health commissioning — you are required to submit regular data returns to NDTMS. This includes treatment starts, modalities, the Treatment Outcomes Profile (TOP), and exit data. Not all addiction charities are covered: peer support groups, recovery communities, and services funded purely through charitable grants may not have NDTMS obligations, though many choose to collect TOP data voluntarily to evidence their impact.

Can a general charity CRM handle substance misuse case management?

Yes, but with caveats. General platforms like Charitylog and Lamplight can be configured for addiction service workflows, and a platform like Plinth with configurable Case Management pathways can be adapted to substance misuse treatment models. However, if you need automated NDTMS returns with guaranteed compliance, a specialist system like Theseus may be more appropriate for that specific function. Many organisations use a combination — a specialist system for NDTMS and a broader CRM for partner management, impact reporting, and wider organisational needs.

How does AI help addiction caseworkers specifically?

Addiction caseworkers manage high caseloads of people in complex, often chaotic circumstances. AI tools like AI Case Notes reduce the documentation burden by transcribing and structuring session notes automatically — particularly valuable after lengthy assessment appointments or group sessions. AI-powered Impact Reporting helps services produce commissioner reports without diverting staff time from client-facing work. And intelligent concern flagging within Case Management can help identify patterns — such as missed appointments or escalating risk indicators — that might be missed when a caseworker is managing dozens of active cases simultaneously.

What about data security for sensitive substance misuse records?

Substance misuse records are classified as special category data under GDPR, requiring additional protections. Any CRM you use should offer UK or EU data hosting, role-based access controls (so that staff only see the records they need), comprehensive audit trails, and encryption at rest and in transit. Plinth is built with GDPR-first design and hosts data in the UK/EU. Always check a provider's Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA) and ensure they can support your Caldicott Guardian obligations if you process NHS-shared data.

Recommended Next Pages

• Case Management Software for Charities — a broader look at case management across the sector
• AI Case Notes for Charities — how AI transcription reduces admin time for caseworkers
• Impact Reporting for Charities — evidencing outcomes for commissioners and funders
• Partner CRM for Charities — managing multi-agency referral relationships

Last updated: February 2026 Supporting people in recovery? Book a demo or contact our team.