E-bulletin for June 2008
Headlines
- From Policy to Project
- New additions to the Hub
- Updates from Alcohol Concern and the Department of Health
Articles
From Policy to Project
Bolton Alcohol Strategy and linked projects
The Bolton Alcohol Strategy was originally launched in 2006 in partnership between Bolton PCT, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council and Greater Manchester Police. The strategy is currently in the process of being reviewed with an updated version planned for release later this year.
The strategy will identify a number of options to find the best way of utilising new resources, in addition to identifying how to make the best use of current resources by effective re-prioritising.
The projects directly linked to this strategy and developed from the strategy include:
- Bolton Redesigned Alcohol Treatment System Highlighted in the Bolton Alcohol Strategy was a lack of integration and efficiency of local alcohol services in the area. Bolton PCT and Bolton Council responded to this issue by restructuring the area's Alcohol Treatment System through a process of stakeholder and service user engagement leading to a redesign of the treatment services and pathways into treatment. Link
- Bolton GP Surgery Alcohol Local Enhanced Service
In April 2008, Bolton PCT launched their alcohol Local Enhanced Service. The initiative is being piloted with 20 local GP practices for a six-month period, prior to it being rolled out across the area.
The scheme incorporates incentives and training for practices that are involved and aims to screen the majority of patients at each practice. Link
New additions to the Hub
Nottingham Alcohol Liaison Team
Since March 2002 the Nottingham Alcohol Liaison Team has seen over 4000 referrals from the hospital inpatient setting. The Team has also provided training on alcohol awareness, screening and brief intervention and alcohol withdrawal to over 1500 staff in the Nottinghamshire area. The team has received funding to expand to cover the Emergency Department at Nottingham City Hospital.
Gloucestershire Alcohol Arrest Referral Scheme
In 1999, the Gloucestershire Alcohol Arrest Referral Scheme project (AARS) commenced and this was the first in England. The scheme aims to screen offenders upon arrest to gauge if alcohol has been a factor in their offence. The scheme has had over 2000 attendances with a 75% attendance rate. Of those attending 80% have not re-offend during the following 12 months.
Bradford and Airedale Brief Intervention Training
In March 2008, Bradford and Airedale Teaching PCT began delivering alcohol screening and brief interventions training to staff in local Tier 1 settings. The project intends to train 900 staff by September. The project offers training to; youth offending teams, probation, housing, dentists, adult and children's care services, police, school and voluntary sector agencies.
Updates from Alcohol Concern and the Department of Health
Supporting Alcohol Services to work with Families and Domestic Violence
Anne Delargy has now started work as Team Leader of the Alcohol Concern Families and Domestic Violence Project, which has been funded by the Big Lottery Fund for the next three years.
The need for this project emerged from previous work that Alcohol Concern carried out on its Parenting and Alcohol Project and will work in close collaboration with the Mental Health Research and Development Unit at Bath University, as well as with the University of Birmingham, Adfam, Parentline Plus and the Stella Project.
The project aims to develop alcohol services’ capacity to work more effectively with families and to address issues of domestic violence, by enabling them to:
- improve their ability to make risk assessments and care plans involving children and families
- develop more ‘family friendly’ services
- build closer partnerships with their local communities, including Children and Family services and organisations concerned with domestic violence.
Alcohol Concern is offering:
- access to free training from experts in the field
- support in building capacity and partnerships, including relationships with commissioners
- support from other services facing the same challenges
The project is limited to eight pilot sites. If you are
- a non-statutory alcohol service
- not currently doing any formal work with families /on domestic violence issues
- willing to participate in the action research process for the next two years
- and are interested in taking part in this ground breaking work, please contact adelargy@alcoholconcern.org.uk to register your interest.
Units. They all add up.
This summer, following the publication of the Safe.Sensible.Social alcohol strategy in 2007, the Government launches two new alcohol campaigns. Focusing on all drinkers over the age of 25, the Units campaign, which launched in May, aims to improve the public’s understanding of the number of units in popular drinks. Subsequent phases will raise awareness of some of the health consequences associated with regularly drinking over the recommended daily guidelines.
The Department of Health is working closely with healthcare professionals to raise public awareness of the campaign. Professional associations endorsing it include the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of GPs and Royal College of Physicians, and specific materials have been developed for GPs to assist them in identifying increasing and higher risk drinkers.
A new advertising campaign targeting 18 to 24 year old binge drinkers will also launch later this month.
Information for local practitioners, including advice on developing local activity and information on ordering campaign materials, is available at the new stakeholder website www.nhs.uk/alcoholstakeholders The public-facing website is www.nhs.uk/units