Sections
Contents
Progress against recommendations in 2022 report
Recommendation 1
Local premises to celebrate responsible drinking by offering and promoting low and no alcohol options.
Progress Update
Forums have been identified for discussions with licensees around low and no alcohol and discussions have been planned.
Recommendation 2
Further build on partnership working to:
- Use internationally endorsed alcohol screening tools to help people understand if their alcohol consumption is putting them at risk and;
- Provide information and advice to make any necessary changes that may be identified.
Progress Update
The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Tool (AUDIT) has been rolled out in the Homeless Hostel. Following the commissioning of a new ‘healthy behaviours’ provider, Making Every Contact Count (MECC) training is currently being promoted, with delivery from September 2023. This free MECC training offer is being targeted at voluntary and community sector groups and agencies.
Recommendation 3
Promote collaborative working between statutory and voluntary bodies to identify children, young people and families most at risk and support them to make changes to their drinking.
Progress Update
The pathway between Torbay Hospital and the Young Persons Drug & Alcohol Service, for young people discharged from hospital following a drug and alcohol related admission, has been strengthened; a more robust identification and referral system is now in place, supported by training for hospital staff. In addition, a short screening tool is being developed to improve pathways into treatment from Children’s Social Care, education settings and Primary Care. This is supported by training to improve understanding of the referral process into the Young Persons Drug & Alcohol Service.
A member of the Public Health team attends Torbay Safeguarding Children Partnership (TSCP) exploitation multi-agency meetings, chaired by Devon and Cornwall Police, where issues relating to exploitation, drugs and alcohol are discussed and responded to. The 0-19 service that delivers the Young Persons Drug & Alcohol Service attends Multi-Agency Child Exploitation (MACE) and Children and Young People’s Exploitation meetings as well as linking with the Looked After Children team.
Recommendation 4
Gain a fuller understanding of the role of alcohol in permanent school exclusion and what can be done.
Progress Update
A deep dive into the permanent school exclusions data has been completed and analysed using the broad categorisation of substances adopted by the Department of Education. It found that the vast majority of suspensions have been concerned with smoking, vaping and using over the counter medication inappropriately, rather than alcohol or drugs. In the academic year 2020/21 there were no exclusions relating to drugs and alcohol while in the following year there were two exclusions related to this category.
Guidance was developed in 2019 by the Devon & Cornwall Constabulary in partnership with school leaders and in accordance with The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) best practice. In 2021 this was followed up with an exercise that mapped the drug- and alcohol-related support available to schools, to ensure that good advice was being provided and that pathways to the exploitation team and toolkits were available.
Recommendation 5
Encourage the use of bar measures such as shot or wine measures in the home and alcohol tracker apps like the free ‘MyDrinkaware – Alcohol Tracker’ app to help people monitor their intake accurately.
Progress Update
A pilot campaign is being developed, to be run during 2023, targeting men aged between 40 and 55 living in three Torquay Wards who drink at home. The aim is to increase awareness amongst this group that measuring and monitoring alcoholic intake has benefits for the overall intake as well as health outcomes. This campaign will be evaluated with a view to expanding it further across Torbay.
Recommendation 6
Promote the support offers for those with alcohol dependency and their family members available in Torbay.
Progress Update
Work has been done to diversify the routes for communication of guidance and supportive information and review the content itself. Further work has been commissioned to better understand the accessibility of and barriers to support for those with alcohol dependency and their family members, with this informing strategic commissioning in 2024/5