Corporate Director Health and Care Services

Transcription

1 COUNTY COUNCIL Meeting date: 16 th January 2014 From: Corporate Director Health and Care Services CUMBRIA ALCOHOL STRATEGY 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 In 2009 partners involved in tackling alcohol related harm in Cumbria signed up to a joint alcohol strategy. This brought together a broad range of agencies involved in tackling alcohol related harm under a single strategic framework and was led by Cumbria Drug and Alcohol Action Team (DAAT) 1.2 The Draft Alcohol Strategy is very much a continuation of that work, being revised with the input from a similar broad range of partners however recent changes to legislation through the Health and Social Care Act have seen the transfer of the DAAT functions to Cumbria County Council. It is therefore now within the broad health and wellbeing responsibilities of Cumbria County Council to lead the implementation of this strategy and ensure where possible that the response to alcohol related harm is joined up and connected to the Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB) structure 1.3 This is a 3 year high level strategy which will require a multi-agency response with all partners involved to develop action plans in line with the strategic aims 1.4 In view of this multi-agency approach, the Draft Alcohol Strategy will be signed off by Cumbria Health and Wellbeing Board and the Board will oversee the actions on behalf of the relevant partners in Cumbria. 1.5 In addition to directly delivering and influencing service provision, there is a clear community leadership role for Cumbria County Council in tackling alcohol related harm through the recent transfer of Public Health responsibilities from the NHS to local government in the Act described above.

2 2.0 STRATEGIC PLANNING AND EQUALITY IMPLICATIONS 2.1 Public Health is at the centre of the councils approach to health and wellbeing and supports the council plan objectives in the following ways: Challenging poverty in all its forms The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) clearly shows that alcohol consumption is a major health and wellbeing issue in Cumbria, also being a priority of the Health and Wellbeing Board. Further analysis shows that problematic alcohol consumption is more prevalent in areas of deprivation especially amongst young people and that alcohol related crime and disorder rates are higher in these areas. The county JSNA is now available at locality level enabling much more focused activity in areas of greatest need. In addition the Health and Wellbeing Board is in the process of establishing a structure of locality based Health and Wellbeing Forums to take specific work forward. These forums exist in 3 out of the 6 localities and tackling alcohol related harm is a priority for each. Additionally the strategic framework encourages partners to take account of associated factors such as the economy, poverty, worklessness and the effects of the recession which could all have an effect on problematic levels of consumption 2.2 Ensuring that the most vulnerable people in our communities receive the support they need Central to any response to alcohol related harm is a comprehensive treatment system. This is currently commissioned by Cumbria County Council through the Unity substance misuse contract in all parts of Cumbria. The system has a distinct recovery focus seeking to work with clients to overcome addiction and return them to family life in communities with opportunities for learning, training and employment. In addition to these important treatment services, the strategy seeks to influence the opportunities to prevent problematic alcohol use through working with partner organisations to deliver specific initiatives such as Brief Interventions. Staff trained in delivering Brief Interventions can be a powerful resource in preventing harm and subsequent hazardous or harmful alcohol use. Through targeting our training opportunities we can ensure those staff who adopt the skills to deliver Brief Interventions are placed in the areas where vulnerability is greatest. This is a very cost effective way to utilise the existing workforce to improve health in the organisation and beyond. Improving the chances in life of the most disadvantaged in Cumbria Alcohol related harm is an issue of inequality in that prevalence is greater in areas of deprivation, furthermore the prevalence amongst young people in

3 these areas is likely to be higher than in other areas. Alcohol misuse amongst young people can have a dramatic effect on educational attainment, employment and training prospects. 2.3 This Draft Alcohol Strategy has been developed with close cooperation from partners within the County Council (Trading Standards, Community Safety, Children s Services through Targeted Youth Support/Children and Families, Public Health). There has been the same strong cooperation from District Council licensing officers and Cumbria Constabulary who co-chair the group with Public Health. The Police and Crime Commissioners Office has recently been included in the development of this framework and there is a dedicated GP specialist adviser on substance misuse in place 2.4 It is intended that once agreed, this Strategy will influence partners to deliver actions in line with the agreed priorities. This will result in a multi-agency action plan focused on delivering these aims which will be overseen by the Cumbria Alcohol Strategy Group and linked to the Health and Wellbeing Board. 3.0 RECOMMENDATION 3.1 That council reviews and comments on the Draft Alcohol Strategy prior to final agreement at Cumbria Health and Wellbeing Board ADVICE OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR HEALTH AND WELLBEING 4.0 BACKGROUND 4.1 This is the second Alcohol Strategy for Cumbria, the first being published in 2009 and having been evaluated as successful in its implementation. This strategy process was key to bringing partners together to develop joined up solutions to shared problems. The model in Cumbria has been cited as good practice nationally 4.2 Tackling alcohol related harm has long been a Public Health priority however this strategic framework enables alcohol to be viewed in the round with treatment services, law enforcement, licensing, trading standards, prevention activity and services focused on vulnerable children and adults. This gives a much greater chance to tackle both the current issues facing us and the wider determinants of alcohol related harm in the longer term 4.3 There are few areas of public life which would not be improved if alcohol related harm was tackled effectively. At the higher end there are proven and significant links to premature mortality, long term illness and costly interventions. In addition, evidence tells us that alcohol affects family life, educational attainment, absence from employment, offending, risk taking behaviours and access to other substances which compromise health status.

4 4.4 The North West regional alcohol social enterprise, Drink Wise calculate that alcohol related harm costs just under 200 million to the Cumbrian economy in health costs, costs of crime and licensing, costs to the workforce and wider economy and social services costs, many of which the council would directly benefit from by leading a coordinated approach 5.0 OPTIONS 5.1 Discuss, comment on and support the alcohol strategy 5.2 Discuss the strategy and decide not to support the alcohol strategy 6.0 RESOURCE AND VALUE FOR MONEY IMPLICATIONS 6.1 This paper sets out the proposed Alcohol Strategy for the next three years. The Framework provides a set of principles that partner organisations including Cumbria County Council will use to develop their action plans in relation to alcohol related harm in Cumbria. 6.2 Detailed resource and value for money implications of the action plans developed will be worked up and considered as part of the Strategic Planning process by the services for 2014/15 and beyond. 7.0 LEGAL IMPLICATIONS 7.1 The Health and Social Care Act 2012 ( the Act ) gives responsibility for health protection to the Secretary of State and health improvement to upper tier and unitary local authorities. In April 2013, upper-tier local authorities assumed lead responsibility for improving public health, for coordinating local efforts to protect the public s health and wellbeing, for ensuring health services effectively promote population health and for addressing health inequalities. The Act gives each relevant local authority a new duty to take such steps as it considers appropriate to improve the health of the people in its area and it gives examples of health improvement steps that either local authorities or the Secretary of State could take, including giving information, providing services or facilities to promote healthy living and providing incentives to live more healthily. 8.0 CONCLUSION 8.1 This Draft Alcohol Strategy gives members the assurance that steps are being taken to tackle the problems identified in alcohol related harm. The response is very much the business of whole council and other agencies alongside communities. Leadership in the framework through cabinet and the Health and Wellbeing Board is key to success

5 Richard Parry Corporate Director, Health and Care Services 6 th January 2014 APPENDICES Appendix 1 Cumbria Draft Alcohol Strategy Electoral Division(s): All Executive Decision Key Decision No No If a Key Decision, is the proposal published in the current Forward Plan? N/A Is the decision exempt from call-in on grounds of urgency? N/A If exempt from call-in, has the agreement of the Chair of the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee been sought or obtained? N/A* Has this matter been considered by Overview and Scrutiny? If so, give details below. Has an environmental or sustainability impact assessment been undertaken? Has an equality impact assessment been undertaken? PREVIOUS RELEVANT COUNCIL OR EXECUTIVE DECISIONS [including Local Committees] none CONSIDERATION BY OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY Not considered by Overview and Scrutiny BACKGROUND PAPERS Cumbria Alcohol Strategy RESPONSIBLE CABINET MEMBER Cllr Patricia Bell, Public Health and Communities REPORT AUTHOR Contact: Paul Musgrave, , paul.musgrave@cumbria.gov.uk