East of England

East of England Alcohol Office

Department of Health GO for East of England, Easbrook, Shaftesbury Road, Cambs CB2 8DF

Melvin Hartley, Regional Alcohol Manager

e: melvin.hartley.dh.gsi.gov.uk
t: 01223 372757

The Alcohol Improvement Programme in the Region

The Regional Alcohol Steering Group oversees the action plan and its members are senior officers drawn from key partner agencies including Primary Care Trusts, Acute Trusts, the Police, the Ambulance Trust, Government Office, National Offender Management Service, and the trade. The group is co chaired by Dr Paul Cosford, Regional Director of Public Health and Ian Martin, the Regional Deputy Director for Safer and Stronger communities.

There are 5 task groups, one for each of the priority areas and these are chaired by the following people:

• Treatment -Simon How
• Awareness -Hazel Thomson
• Young People -Rick Andrews
• Crime and Justice -Tim Hedges
• Information -Hannah Walford

There are two members of staff who work full time on the programme. Melvin Hartley who is the Regional Alcohol Programme Manager and Karen Mole the Information Analyst for Alcohol.

Reducing Alcohol Related Harm Across the Region

It is the role of the regional tier of government to ensure a comprehensive approach to reducing alcohol harm across its population, particularly in 'hotspot' localities and amongst communities and groups experiencing the greatest problems. The alcohol work plan for the east of England sets out a framework to advise the Regional Alcohol Steering Group (RASG) on some clear, key priorities. The overall aim of the work plan is to'

'Minimise the health harms, violence and antisocial behaviour associated with alcohol while ensuring that people are able to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly'

2009 - 2011 Action Plan

The 2009-2011 action plan identifies 6 key areas of work and there are task groups working to deliver the actions contained in the plan.

Priority 1 - Strategy: Delivering a clear coherent regional alcohol programme

Actions

• Carry out regional review in all PCT areas using agreed checklist. Prepare report based on best practice, identified gaps and next steps. Also identify which High Impact Changes (HIC) are in place and which are planned.
• Review Governance, structure and reporting arrangements of the Regional Alcohol Programme.
• Encourage each local authority area to develop and implement local alcohol strategies (top and 2nd tier).
• Maintain links to other public health programmes - obesity, tobacco, physical activity to enable cross cutting initiatives.
• Carry out regional review in all PCT areas using agreed checklist. Prepare report based on best practice, identified gaps and next steps. Also identify which High Impact Changes (HIC) are in place and which are planned.
• Review Governance, structure and reporting arrangements of the Regional Alcohol Programme.
• Encourage each local authority area to develop and implement local alcohol strategies (top and 2nd tier).
• Maintain links to other public health programmes - obesity, tobacco, physical activity to enable cross cutting initiatives.

Priority 2 - Treatment: Reducing the harm to health caused by alcohol misuse

Actions

• Facilitate the development of treatment services so they are provided across the range of tiers with clearly defined pathways between them in each PCT area.
• Encourage the development of Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) across services in primary care, hospitals and in the community including Improving Access to Physiological Therapies (IAPT).
• Provide tools and training for effective commissioning of alcohol services in line with DH guidance and World Class Commissioning.
• Provide and encourage the provision of training in IBA and Train the trainer courses.

Priority 3 - Awareness: Increasing awareness of the harms of alcohol misuse

Actions

• Develop and implement an internal (NHS & statutory partners) communications strategy that will promote and raise awareness of the alcohol improvement programme including 2010 Conference, newsletter and website.
• Share results of The Big Drink Debate at Regional, PCT and LA level with a view to the development of targeted campaigns based on the findings that will influence public behaviour and attitudes about alcohol including Know Your Limits, Units, and other nationally led social marketing initiatives.
• Work with employers, including the NHS, to develop workplace policies that encourage sensible drinking, help with legal issues, treatment services and alcohol related issues.
• 'Alcohol Champions' and lead commissioners for alcohol misuse services identified in each local area and PCT respectively.

Priority 4 - Reducing under age drinking and alcohol related harm among young people

Actions

• Treatment services for young people are provided with targeted screening and early intervention, especially with vulnerable young people.
• Promote the practice of partnership working to tackle under age drinking and illegal sales to under 18s.
• Ensure Tier 1 universal education on alcohol via healthy schools, curriculum based alcohol education.
• Run workshop(s) for education - best practice, tools and techniques for raising awareness of alcohol misuse and so provide clear accessible information for young people.

Priority 5 - Crime and Justice: Reducing the impact of alcohol misuse on the community

Actions

• Develop IBA in criminal justice settings including police, prison and probation.
• Drink driving - i) gather data on alcohol related accidents and ii) target action accordingly.
• Co-ordinated strategies to tackle and reduce alcohol related violent crime in public places e.g. Night Time Economy (NTE) in identified Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRP) areas.
• Engage with the Domestic Violence Forums via regional meetings to ensure programmes include alcohol related responses

Priority 6 - Information: Using information to intelligently help reduce the harm caused by alcohol misuse

Actions

• Relevant training opportunities be made to service providers including a workshop on data sharing.
• Gather data on the extent of alcohol related incidents and encourage the undertaking of coordinated action.
• Documented routine sharing of assault data between Accident and Emergency departments and CDRPs as per the Cardiff model. Partnerships actively using the data to target problems.
• Employ an Information Analyst for the alcohol programme - provision of data analysis, interpretation and presentation, develop dashboard and assist in the creation of alcohol service needs assessment tool for commissioners.