Agenda item

Ben Anderson, Director of Public Health, to present

Ben Anderson, Director of Public Health, gave the following powerpoint presentation with the assistance of Laura Koscikiewicz, South Yorkshire Police:-

 

Context

-        The Rotherham Combatting Drugs Partnership was established in September 2022

-        The Partnership aimed to work together across the system to deliver the aims of the National 10 Year Drug Strategy: From Harm to Hope, at a local level

•         Break drug supply chains

•         Deliver a world class treatment system

•         Achieve a shift in the demand for drugs

 

Rotherham CDP Progress since March, 2024

-        South Yorkshirewide Combatting Drug Partnership established

-        Named leads identified for Public Voice, Data and Digital and Data and Digital Sub-Group established

-        Action plan signed off by Rotherham Combatting Drugs Partnership

-        Rotherham CDP Outcomes Dashboard developed by Data and Digital Group

-        Performance measures included in action plan

 

Rotherham Combatting Drugs Partnership: Working together to combat illegal drug use in Rotherham

-    Prepare – to build community resilience to reduce the impact of drug harm

•         Facilitate improved information sharing including with IT systems

•         Equip workers by providing education for professionals

•         Develop Combatting Drugs Communications and Engagement Strategy

-    Prevent – to stop individuals becoming involved in drugs and support recovery and reduce harm when they do

•         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 – to protect those in treatment and recovery, their families and the wider community

•         Develop and deliver harm reduction offer

•         Reduce drugs related deaths

•         Implement dual diagnosis pathways and improved psychological support

•         Develop and implement recovery pathway

-    Pursue – to reduce drug supply and related crime and bring perpetrators to justice

•         Continue effective pursue response working with partners

•         Develop focus on county lines/exploitation of children in line with Child Exploitation Strategy

•         Disrupt organised crime

 

Key progress against action plan

Prepare

-        A local outcomes framework has been developed to measure progress against the National Combatting Drugs Outcomes Framework

-        Local Drug Information System (LDIS) Panel has been established to collate, evaluate and respond to intelligence concerning potent, novel or adulterated substances

-        A range of drug and alcohol training session have, and continue, to be delivered to upskill the wider Public Health workforce

-        Stock of educational resources have been procured and distributed to schools and higher education alongside appropriate training from the Rotherham Alcohol and Drugs Service (ROADs)

Prevent

-        New Substance Misuse Early Help Team in the Family Hubs began taking referrals in August enhancing early identification and access to specialist services for parents

-        Work has continued to implement the revised pathway for access into detoxification and rehabilitation, enabling more individuals to benefit and increase successful treatment outcomes

-        New posts were now in place in the Sexual Health Service, working with the Drugs and Alcohol Service, to identify new clients and enhance the Service offer in both Services

-        Drinkcoach was procured and live since April 2023.  Drinkcoach was an online commissioned service that allowed people to assess their drinking and receive personalised advice and support online including free coaching sessions

Protect

-        ROADs had developed their harm reduction offer including providing Naloxone training to partners to help prevent opiate deaths

-        South Yorkshire Police Drug and Alcohol Related Death Prevention Co-ordinator Role successfully recruited to and now supporting work improving local intelligence systems to reduce harms from drugs

-        ROADs established as public involvement lead, developing plans to ensure a range of voices and heard throughout the work of the CDP

-        VAR had been commissioned to develop an independent Recovery Community in Rotherham.  This included the creation of public forums and lived experience champion roles and managing recovery grants to community groups.  This work would provide support for people at various stages of recovery enabling them to improve their lives and reducing the risk of relapse

Pursue

-        Additional 3 Drug expert witnesses were now in place to support the investigation of drug offences with appropriate knowledge, skills and experience

-        To ensure effective intelligence management additional South Yorkshire Police Threat and Harm meetings were now chaired by the Force drug lead

-        Operation GROW, partnership approach to cannabis, continued to be successful

-        A new Serious and Organised Crime Tasking Group to discuss intelligence relating to OCG members was now in place to set actions set at a partnership level

 

CDP Outcomes Framework:  Measuring progress against the national strategy

-        Break drug supply chains

The number of moderate and major disruptions against organised criminals

The drug trafficking and possession

Hospital admissions for assault with a sharp object

Number of county lines closed

-        Deliver a world class treatment and recovery system

Numbers in treatment

Continuity of Care (those leaving prison entering community treatment within 3 weeks)

Number of drug related deaths

Hospital admissions for drug poisoning

Hepatitis C prevalence for those who inject drugs

-        Achieve a shift in the demand for drugs

Estimated prevalence of opiate and/or crack use

Homelessness duty owed with a drug dependency need

The number of Children in Need with concerns about drug misuse

Proportion of those in both mental health and drug treatment (where a mental health need has been identified)

 

Discussion ensued with the following issues raised:-

 

•         Numbers in treatment – 2,081 last year and 2,153 at the end of November, 2023

•         131 in the system in 2022/23 down to 115 this year

•         Expansion of treatment pathway

•         Future work would build on what was already taking place i.e. better links into the criminal justice services, better engagement with those leaving prison and the Community Treatment Service

•         Work with Probation Service looking at more Drug and Alcohol Treatment Orders being used

•         A high number of drug users in Rotherham that were not known to Drug Treatment Services – need to ensure that pathways from Housing, Education and criminal justice services had an awareness of who they were and create the desire to come into the treatment service

•         Look to the judiciary service and the use of the drug programmes available

•         Extension of the drug testing in custody suites

•         Ability to appropriately support people coming out of prison

 

Ben and Laura were thanked for their presentation.

 

Resolved:-  That the progress against the action plan be noted and the work of the Partnership be supported.