ALCOHOL PRIORITY UPDATE 1. PURPOSE OF REPORT 1.1 To p

CAERPHILLY LOCAL SERVICE BOARD – 23/04/2012
AGENDA ITEM NO. 3A
SUBJECT:
ALCOHOL PRIORITY UPDATE
1. PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To provide an update to the Local Service Board (LSB) on the progress made in relation
to the Alcohol priority ‘To reduce the harm caused by alcohol’, and to set out proposals
for future activity.
2. THE REPORT
2.1 Following a request from the Local Service Board for an update on the ‘Alcohol’ priority,
the Health Social Care and Wellbeing Partnership requested that a cross partnership
meeting take place to provide a coordinated response to the request.
2.2 This report sets out the proposals arising from the meeting, which aim to provide focus to
the overarching priority and guide future activity.
Current Activity
2.3 Agencies within Caerphilly County Borough are committed to reducing the impact
caused by alcohol on individuals, families, communities and agencies. This commitment
is evidenced by the wide range of activity that has already been undertaken, this activity
is reflected in Appendix 1 of this report.
2.4 A draft action plan has been developed which is structured around the themes set out in
‘Working together to reduce harm’, the Welsh Government’s 10 year substance misuse
strategy, the themes are:
• Prevention
• Supporting substance misusers
• Supporting families
• Tackling availability and protecting individuals and communities
Proposals for Future Activity
2.5 Based on existing knowledge and data (see appendix 2 for data), it is proposed that the
LSB priority be broken down into three outcome areas to provide greater clarity for future
areas of work; these areas are:
2.5.1 Reduce under age drinking;
2.5.2 Reduce crime and anti social behaviour (ASB) associated with alcohol; and
2.5.3 Reduce the long-term health related effects associated with harmful drinking.
2.6 If the LSB are in support of these outcome areas, it is proposed that a Results Based
Accountability approach is adopted. This approach will consider key indicators, trends,
needs, performance and evidence of what works, to develop a coordinated, multi
agency, shared action plan, which is evidenced based and will ensure best value for
money.

2.7 It should also be noted that through the needs analysis, which will form the basis for the
LSB Single Plan, additional data will be identified to help further quantify the impact
alcohol is having on our communities. This will in turn help identify meaningful outcome
measures and assist in future planning.
2.8 It is recommended that any future work around alcohol misuse is guided by regional or
national approaches and in particular to the Gwent Area Planning Board’s (APB)
substance misuse strategy and commissioning plan, which is currently in development.
2.9 Alcohol harm reduction is currently a priority for the Health Social Care and Well-being
Partnership and the Community Safety Partnership. More specifically, Alcohol Harm
reduction is in the terms of reference of the Community Safety Partnership’s Prevention,
Education and Training Group. Alcohol is also a priority of the Health Social Care and
Well Being Partnership’s Well Being Network. There is a link between these groups to
avoid duplication of effort. It is proposed that representatives from these 2 groups take
forward the Action Planning process.
2.10 Caerphilly County Borough Council has accepted an invitation to fulfil a Leadership
role in relation to alcohol across the Gwent area which means that not only will
Caerphilly be guided by the APB, but that Caerphilly will also guide the APB in terms of
alcohol misuse priorities. As a result of this leadership role, Caerphilly will host a
regional alcohol conference, organised by Public Health Wales colleagues alongside
Area Planning Board partners, in the Autumn of this year.
3. CONSULTATIONS
3.1 The views of those consulted are included in the report.
4. RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 The Caerphilly Local Service Board is recommended to:
4.1.1 Endorse the outcomes areas suggested in 2.5 above.
4.1.2 Endorse the development of a shared evidenced based action plan for all
agencies with a view to collective action and partnership working to reduce
the harm caused by alcohol
4.1.3 Endorse that the proposed approach is delivered through the Health, Social
Care and Well-being Partnership and Community Safety Partnership.
Authors:
Consultees:
Tiffany Thackwray, Social Care and Well-being Coordinator and Kath
Peters, Community Safety Manager
Rob Hartshorn, Head of Public Protection, Caerphilly County Borough
Council
Chris Edmonds, Planning Manager, Aneurin Bevan Health Board
Howard Rees, Partnership Development & Collaborative Improvement –
Programme Manager
Sandra Aspinall, Corporate Director: Education, Lifeling Learning and
Leisure, Caerphilly County Borough Council

Albert Heaney: Corporate Director: Social Services, Caerphilly County
Borough Council
Sian Martin. Locality Director: Health Social Care and Well-being
Partnership
Jackie Williams, Senior Health Promotion Practitioner, Health Promotion
Wales

Appendix 1: See Attached
Appendix 2: Alcohol related data
Underage data
The graph below show the results of test purchases undertaken by under 18 year olds in on
and off licensed premises.
% Alcohol sales from test purchases
%
50
40
30
20
10
0
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
Year
Off licence
On licence
In 2005/2006 amongst 11-year olds in Wales 7% of boys and 4% of girls said that they drink
alcohol at least once a week. For 13-yearolds, this percentage rises to 23% of boys and 20%
of girls (Health Behaviour of School Age Children 2005/06)
Crime data
The table below shows the reduction in the number of crimes committed where people were
under the influence of alcohol, between 201/11 and 2011/12.
All crime in Caerphilly LPU with
under the influence of alcohol tag
Violent crime in Caerphilly LPU
with under the influence of alcohol
tag
Number of Crimes (April
– February)
2010/11 2011/12 Diff % Diff n
1110 941 -15.2% -169
853 698 -18.3% -156
Health data
The table below shows data relating to key health indicators associated with alcohol.
Wales Caerphilly
Adults who reported drinking above guidelines 44 % 46 %
Adults who reported binge drinking 27 % 29 %
Hospital admission rate due to alcohol (males) 1940 2095*
Hospital admission rate due to alcohol (females) 1073 1160*
Death rate from alcohol (males) 43 42
Death rate from alcohol (females) 17 17
*Statistically significantly worse compared to Wales
Source: Welsh Health Survey 2010 and Public Health Wales 2010