E-bulletin for April 2009
Headlines
- From Policy to Project
- New Additions to the Hub
- Updates from Alcohol Concern and Department of Health
Articles
From Policy to Project
North Tyneside Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy and linked project
In March 2008, North Tyneside Strategic Partnership launched the first multi-agency alcohol strategy for the borough. The strategy aims to reduce the harms associated with alcohol misuse to individuals, families and communities, whilst ensuring the promotion of a safe, sensible and social drinking culture in North Tyneside.
The strategy has a strong commitment to partnership working and is underpinned by three broad objectives to:
- Promote sensible drinking and decrease alcohol consumption
- Ensure services are provided to support and treat hazardous, harmful and dependent drinkers and their families and carers
- Promote public protection through law and policy enforcement.
The strategy is backed up by Action Plans which have been developed and implemented by three North Tyneside Partnerships for:
- Health and Well-Being
- Crime and Disorder Reduction and Misuse of Drugs
- Children, Young People and Learning
A project directly linked to this strategy is:
- North Tyneside Screening and Brief Intervention in GP Surgeries Front line staff at 15 GP Surgeries in North Tyneside (of a total of 31 staff) have been trained to deliver evidence based screening and brief intervention around alcohol.
Practices began offering alcohol brief interventions to hazardous and harmful drinkers in April 2007. To support the delivery of brief interventions, an alcohol wheel/unit calculator based on a model designed by Langbaurgh Primary Care Trust was developed.
Those identified as dependent drinkers are referred on to the treatment pathway while young people are referred on to 'Never 2 Late' - a dedicated young people's substance misuse service in the area. Link
New Additions to the Hub
Portsmouth - Operation Drink Safe
Launched in July 2007, Portsmouth's Operation Drink Safe consisted of a wide range of community-based initiatives. The project increased enforcement in major entertainment areas, improved lighting, provided a night bus and taxi marshalls. An Alcohol Arrest Referral Service was piloted and conditional cautioning and brief interventions (in criminal justice) were introduced. Health professionals such as paramedics also conducted brief interventions where necessary.
The project ran a media and communications campaign in partnership with a local daily newspaper (the Portsmouth News). The newspaper ran a full-page article which included the AUDIT screening tool, along with promoting relevant local services. The campaign also promoted health messages through cinema, radio adverts and a banner displayed at Portsmouth Football Club.
Operation Drinksafe introduced a Licensed Premises Monitoring System where pubs and clubs were given red, amber or green codes, rating their performance in relation to alcohol related crime.
Isle of Wight - Know your limits local promotion
The Isle of Wight undertook a local promotion of the Know your limits advertising campaign was to promote knowledge on alcohol units, awareness of alcohol related harms and provide a sensible drinking message. The press advertising campaign spanned seven weeks with different theme for each week.
The themes tied in with the wider aims of the National Alcohol Strategy and on a local level linked mental health issues to alcohol related harm. Locally suicide rates amongst younger males have been higher than average and this was considered an important factor for inclusion by Health Promotion colleagues, who joint funded the campaign.
Norwich SOS Bus
The SOS Bus is a multi-agency initiative set up in 2001 to 'meet the needs of any person in Norwich's club land at night. The bus operates on a Friday and Saturday night between 9pm and 3am at the bottom of Prince of Wales Road in Norwich. People come to the SOS bus by foot, either of their own accord or brought by friends. If the person has an injury requiring more than first aid they will be treated on the medical unit. If a client is unable to get home the team will arrange for a taxi or contact friends or relatives to arrange a lift home, or get the client to a place of safety for the night.
Clients are advised where they can seek help and information leaflets are given out when needed. The youth worker from Children's Services is available to deal with youth issues and each shift has a team member who is trained in drug and alcohol signposting. To date the project has helped over 5000 people.
Updates from Alcohol Concern and Department of Health
Alcohol training for youth providers project 2006-08: evaluation report
In 2006, with funding from Comic Relief, Alcohol Concern developed training and accreditation to support youth providers to work more effectively with young people around their alcohol use. This evaluation reports on how the project successfully achieved its aim, to improve youth providers' knowledge, skills and confidence in identifying problem drinking amongst young people and to enable them to intervene appropriately. Recommendations for future training and projects are also included.
Download the full report
Alcohol Learning Centre Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) e-learning course
This short e-Learning course provides professionals with all they need to know to deliver simple identification and brief advice in healthcare settings. e-Learning for Healthcare produced this course as part of the Department of Health's Alcohol Improvement Programme.
The learning includes:
- information and facts about alcohol
- understanding units
- using identification tools
- structuring and conducting brief advice
- practicing brief advice
The course includes a number of interactive assessments and video examples of IBA in practice