Agenda item

Presentation by Ben Anderson, Director of Public Health, and Laura Koscikiewicz, Chief Superintendent, SYP

Consideration was given to a presentation by Ben Anderson, Director of Public Health, and Laura Koscikiewicz, Chief Superintendent of South Yorkshire Police which described partnership efforts in relation to combatting drugs. A National 10 Year Drug Strategy aimed to break drug supply chains, deliver a world class treatment and recovery system, and achieve a shift in the demand for drugs.

Timelines for National Outcomes were noted.By the end of 2024/25 it was expected that the whole-of-government mission will have:

•       prevented nearly 1,000 deaths

•       delivered expansion of treatment capacity

•       contributed to the prevention of 750,000 crimes

•       closed over 2,000 more county

•       delivered 6,400 major and moderate disruptions of activities of organised criminals,

•       significantly increased removal of criminal assets,

Anticipated Rotherham Outcomes by the end of 2024/2025 were:

•       440 additional adults in treatment, 25 young people in treatment

•       Increase continuity of care between prison discharge and engagement in treatment to 75%

•       38 additional people to attend residential rehab in 2024/25

Progress in relation to the ask of Local Place included an established CDP including geography, core membership, SRO and additional roles; agreed Terms of Reference, a completed Needs Assessment, and a Draft Action Plan created/in development.

Rotherham Combatting Drugs Partnership was described. A Guidance for Local Delivery Partners document set out how local partners in England should work together to reduce drug-related harm and join up across sectors and a framework for local drugs strategy partnerships referred to as Combatting Drugs Partnerships.

Aims included:

•       Work together to understand the local population and how drugs and alcohol are causing harm in your area

•       Identify challenges in the system and the changes needed to address them

•       Identify, consider and/or support external funding opportunities to enhance or increase the partnership’s ability to deliver its responsibilities and objectives.

•       Complete the key tasks below as set oDrug and Alcohol Health Needs Assessment (HNA), 2022

•       Complete drug and alcohol covid impact assessment (in progress)

•       Complete a Rotherham Drug Market Profile, 2022

•       Submit updates to the Safer Rotherham Partnership

•       Management of Risk in Law Enforcement Documents

•       Drug markets and drug misuse MoRiLE rationale document

•       Country lines non scored document

•       OCG MoRilE Rationale Document

•       Vulnerable adults non scored document

•       Alcohol misuse non scored document

•       Family Hub Needs Assessment (in progress)

•       National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (NPSAD) data (awaiting)

•       Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2022

•       Existing inspection reports

•       CGL 2022 CQC report

•       Joint Combatting Drugs Unit

Needs Assessment Highlights were described. It was noted that successful completion of drug treatment was lower than national average. Within Rotherham there were four Organised Crime Groups (OCGs) that were believed to be actively involved in County Lines activity. There were 708 recorded drug offences in Rotherham for 2020-2021. Community engagement told us that families were concerned about young people being drawn into drug taking. Feelings of safety surveys identified drug and alcohol misuse as reasons people felt unsafe in public spaces. The majority of service users also had a mental health need. Alcohol/Substance Misuse was one of ten top presenting needs for early help. The majority of service users were not in employment at the time of presentation. There was a high unmet need for services, particularly alcohol misuse.

Development timeline and structure of the action plan was described, including a summary of the action plan:

•       Prepare

–      Facilitate improved information sharing including with IT systems

–      Equip workers by providing education for professionals

–      Develop Combatting Drugs Communications and Engagement Strategy

•       Prevent

–      Develop continuity of care in criminal justice pathway

–      Develop whole family approach

–      Develop wider support offer and capacity for increased numbers for alcohol and drugs treatment/support

•       Protect         

–      Develop and deliver Harm Reduction offer and Recovery pathway

–      Reduce drug related deaths

–      Implement dual diagnosis pathways and improved psychological support.

•       Pursue

–      Continue effective pursue response working with partners

–      Develop focus on county lines/ exploitation of children in line with child exploitation strategy

–      Disrupt organised crime

It was noted that governance design emphasised the need for true partnership working so that no one organisation had responsible for all the delivery. The responsible partners were noted.

In discussion, the following points were raised:-

-       Delivery required a high level of coordinating and agility of the services.

-       The significance of the dual diagnosis issue was emphasised. This is because of the challenges involved in improving mental health unless substance misuse stops, and challenges involved in the inverse situation where substance misuse cannot be stopped due to mental health. People with a dual diagnosis were the most vulnerable, yet there has not been much provision for them. Currently, the organisational set up did not work for these situations. It was felt that any such provision should proceed with carefully measured outcomes because of the organisational issue.

-       Historic changes around commissioning of services and how services  reacted to those changes were acknowledged. Under the recommissioned drug and alcohol service the new provider will transition the service from 1 April, presenting an opportunity to craft additional aims around drug diagnosis and treatment that include more psychological support around drug and alcohol.

-       A dual diagnosis pathway was newly commissioned, with further work to determine how the pathway will work and how it will be embedded. The challenges presented with the dual diagnosis were acknowledged and had led to this piece of work to bring in the pathway which will be worked with RDaSH with agreements imminent.

-       The importance of investment in working with subject matter experts in mental health was emphasised.

Resolved:-

1)    That the progress on establishing the CDP and developing the action plan be noted.

2)    That an annual progress report against the action plan be received.

3)    That the CDP Governance structure, which supports the CDP to overcome barriers, blockers and risks as necessary in conjunction with the Safer Rotherham Partnership, be noted.