E-bulletin for February 2009
Headlines
Articles
From Policy to Project
Manchester Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and linked project
Manchester's Alcohol Strategy 2008 to 2011 builds on the achievements of Manchester's first strategy (2005 to 2008) and was created in consultation with a wide range of communities and stakeholders.
The strategy is divided into key sections around prevention, treatment, young people and crime and disorder. Each of these sections is broken down into an action plan providing a justification and description for the action and a commencement date.
The performance of the strategy will be assessed on a number of levels, such as:
- The rate of alcohol-related hospital admissions
- The percentage of the public who perceive drunk and rowdy behaviour to be a problem in their area
- The rate of alcohol-related presentations to Accident and Emergency services
- The levels of alcohol-related crime.
Information gathered locally will be analysed to identify how the situation is changing and be compared to regional and national data.
A project directly linked to this strategy is:
- Manchester NHS Drinking Responsibly Project
The NHS Drinking Responsibly Project consisted of training workshops for licence holders and bar staff in Responsible Alcohol Retailing and the development of three sensible drinking campaigns at the point of sale.
Two of the sensible drinking campaigns targeted vulnerable groups whilst one was a universal campaign. The universal campaign promoted awareness around the idea that "one drink isn't always one unit". The first targeted campaign was aimed at 18-25 year olds highlighting the short-term risks associated with binge drinking such as unplanned pregnancies or becoming a victim of crime. The other targeted campaign was aimed at pregnant women or those thinking of pregnancy and the possible harms associated with alcohol-use during pregnancy.
An evaluation report on the project is attached to this project listing. (Link)
Read more about Manchester's Strategy
New Additions to the Hub
Screening and Intervention Programme for Sensible drinking (SIPS) AED
The Screening and Intervention Programme for Sensible drinking (SIPS) project aims to identify the best screening methods, brief intervention techniques, and methods of implementation, that are the most appropriate, acceptable and cost effective across three health and social care settings. Outlined here is the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) trial.
The study will compare three conditions:
- The control condition where AED staff are trained on appropriate screening methods and from the results of this screening offer a Patient Information Leaflet on 'Alcohol and Sensible Drinking'.
- Brief advice where AED staff will be trained to carry out screening and deliver up to 5 minutes of brief advice for hazardous and harmful drinkers, using the Brief Advice tool "Brief Advice About Alcohol Risk", developed for the SIPS programme.
- An Alcohol Health Worker, based on the St Mary's Hospital model. AED staff will be trained to carry out universal alcohol screening and to refer hazardous and harmful drinkers identified by screening to see an Alcohol Health Worker (AHW). The AHW will be experienced in carrying out alcohol assessment and brief interventions and will carry out a brief lifestyle counseling intervention lasting for 15-20 minutes.
The trial is taking place across 9 AEDs across the North East, London and South East of England. The SIPS project has now recruited all 51 research sites, trained 250 Accident and Emergency staff across the hospitals involved in the study and 189 primary care staff across the 24 GP surgeries.
Sheffield Identification and Brief Advice Training Project
The Sheffield Identification and Brief Advice Training Project is a training programme designed to develop skills amongst a range of Tier 1/2 staff who work face to face with harmful/hazardous drinkers, and enabling these staff to deliver opportunistic identifications in their communities.
The training consists of a one day training session, aimed at both primary care staff (e.g. Community Matrons, GPs, Practice Nurses) and other community based staff (e.g. Community Wardens, Youth Workers). A training pack is made available to support each identification, which contains information and advice, tools for tracking drinking and motivational messages.
The project has learnt that it was essential to have the support of managers to allow their staff to attend the training. To do this a few named managers were targeted and visited. The objective was to enable them to see how the training of their staff would benefit their clients and help the organisation to reach disadvantaged groups and contribute to the health inequalities agenda across the city.
Dudley Alcohol and Homeless Support Pilot Project
In the late 1990's there were increasing concerns about public drunkenness in Lye, coupled with complaints from traders and the local MP. This resulted in the formation of a multi-agency group committed to addressing the issues around homeless drinkers.
The multi-agency group recognised the problems these drinkers had in accessing services, both in terms of accommodation and access to support and services that would help change their drinking behaviours.
The Report of the Dudley Homeless Alcohol Misusers Research Project identified that alcohol professionals often feel they lack specialist knowledge or training in homelessness. A possible solution was in developing the Gibbs Road House in Balds Lane' Lye (part of the Focus Housing Group). It was proposed to appoint an Alcohol Support Worker, based at Gibbs Road House, working with homeless drinkers to offer advice and support.
From this the Alcohol and Homeless Project came about. The aim of the project is to work with individuals experiencing homelessness and who have alcohol related problems and to reduce their drinking and improve their access to services. Now when new clients present at Gibbs Road House staff undertake an initial assessment and support is offered through formal counselling, group work and a range of informal interventions.
Update from Alcohol Concern
Embrace Project Officer Position
Alcohol Concern has set up an exciting project - Embrace - to enable alcohol services nationally to work more effectively with families affected by alcohol misuse and alcohol-related domestic violence and abuse. With funding from the Big Lottery until April 2011, the project will work with pilot sites based in non-statutory alcohol services, and the resulting action research will help drive forward policy to make a real difference to those affected directly or indirectly by alcohol misuse.
The Project Officer will have joint responsibility for developing the project and be responsible for training, research and evaluation of the project outcomes. They will support pilot sites in building capacity to work with domestic violence and family issues. The Project Officer must have experience of working with domestic violence issues. Experience of working in/with alcohol misuse and families issues is also highly desirable.
More information is available via the Alcohol Concern website: www.alcoholconcern.org.uk
AC News - Feb e-bulletin
AC News is Alcohol Concern's general information and update list. The February edition includes information on:
- a new inquiry by the House of Commons Health Select Committee looking at the health harms associated with alcohol misuse
- the Guidance by Department of Children, Schools and Families around young people and alcohol
- the statistics on alcohol-related deaths released by the Office of National Statistics
- the Health Profiles for England
To subscribe to the list send a message to acnews@alcoholconcern.org.uk with the word "SUBSCRIBE" as the subject. The service is free and open to members and non members.
The February edition is available on the Alcohol Concern website: www.alcoholconcern.org.uk