Alcohol Policy UK

Alcohol-related DV patrols for Rugby World Cup - Wales

Police are launching patrols in the south Wales valleys during the Rugby World Cup to allow them to respond quickly to domestic violence.  Specialist officers will be in vehicles on match days in Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly county.

Det Insp Bill Davies, who is co-ordinating the initiative, said the officers would be on hand to offer extra support to colleagues dealing with incidents of domestic abuse. He said the previous campaign had shown that "early intervention is key". He said:

"On match days domestic violence incidents peaked earlier in the day, around 8pm, whilst on non-match days such incidents heightened around 11pm - midnight.

"Such initiatives have proven successful when run previously, at specific times of the year, when it's anticipated there will be an increase in factors that can sometimes lead to domestic abuse, such as alcohol and debt."

Domestic violence Police say domestic abuse peaks at about 8pm on rugby match days The assembly-funded Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline said one in four women in Wales would be a victim of domestic abuse by their partner or ex-partner at some time in their life.
The helpline's Tracey Owens said:

"Although our calls do not rise significantly on the days when there are big sporting events, this does not mean that domestic abuse incidents are not on the increase during this time, when there is a likelihood of increased alcohol consumption.

"Although I would point out that alcohol is by no means an excuse for domestic abuse, if there are already issues within a domestic relationship then they can be exacerbated with alcohol."

The helpline, aimed at men, women or children suffering domestic abuse, was launched in 2004. It is now a 24-hour operation and received 13,500 calls in the 12 months to April this year. The Wales Domestic Abuse Helpline is on 0808 80 10 800  BBC News

alcohol strategy action planning workshops: working with DV survivors with alcohol problems

alcoholpolicy.net and LDAN
alcohol strategy action planning workshops
workshop four: alcohol and domestic violence – working with women who experience both
Wednesday 15th August, 2 to 4.30pm, Central London

The workshop will explore the links between alcohol use and domestic violence, as well as policy and best practice in working with both issues – from the survivor's perspective.  (Workshop five, on October 3rd will concentrate on perpetrators who have alcohol problems.)

Speakers include:

• Karen Bailey (Stella Project)
• Michelle Robson (DASL Star Project)
• Foziha Raja (EACH)
• Cordelia Mayfield (ARP; tbc) 

Topics include:

• research and theory on alcohol use and DV
• working with DV within a substance misuse service
• working with Asian women
• joint working in practice
• the Cycle of Change for women

This workshop is the fourth in a series of six practical workshops to bring you up to speed with the latest stuff, and help you make progress on alcohol.

aim: to drive local action on alcohol through practical guidance target audience: local alcohol champions (we mean anyone who wants to get things moving on alcohol)

why attend: these workshops will change your (working) life.  Action on alcohol has been bogged down in talking endlessly about all too familiar problems, and waiting for funding.  There is important work we can be doing now, with existing resources.  Come and get started.

about us: alcoholpolicy.net is behind the website and podcast for the alcohol harm reduction field.  We are an informal network of consultants, researchers and practitioners, keen to share our learning and ideas. Our motto: nonus wheela reinventare.  LDAN is the London Drug and Alcohol Network – developing substance misuse policy and supporting the capital’s treatment sector

other info: the workshops are free.  Materials and audio from the workshops will also be freely available on www.alcoholpolicy.net to book contact Shona Flannigan  at shona.flannigan@ldan.org.uk or 020 7704 0004

CDRP statutory instruments: breakthrough on alcohol-related data and local alcohol strategy

Two new statutory instruments relating to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) reform under the Police and Justice Act 2006 will come into force on August 1st (England only).

SI 1830: The Crime and Disorder (Formulation and Implementation of Strategy) Regulations 2007 obliges CDRPs to:

• carry out annual strategic assessments - to include the impact of alcohol misuse on crime and disorder
• prepare annual community safety agreements that identify how partners should work together
• prepare a three year strategy for the reduction of crime and disorder and for combating substance misuse in the area.  'Substance misuse' explicitly includes alcohol.  The plan is to be revised at the beginning of each year. 

See also Explanatory Memorandum here.
SI1830 makes compulsory the preparation of local alcohol strategies mentioned in the Government's updated alcohol strategy for England Safe. Sensible. Social.

 

SI 1831: The Crime and Disorder (Prescribed Information) Regulations 2007 sets out what information CDRP partners must share.  Crucially for alcohol, it places a duty on PCTs to provide quarterly submissions to the CDRP, with depersonalised data as follows:

• the general postcode address of persons resident in the area admitted to hospital, the date of such admissions and the sub-categories of each admission within the blocks
  • assault (X85-Y09)
  • mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use (F10-F19)
  • toxic effect of alcohol (T51)
  • other entries where there is evidence of alcohol involvement determined by blood alcohol level (Y90) or evidence of alcohol involvement determined by level of intoxication (Y91)
• the general postcode address of persons resident in the area admitted to hospital in respect of domestic abuse, and the date of such admissions.

• the location, time and date of ambulance service calls to incidents relating to crime and disorder and the category of such incidents using any system for classifying crime and disorder used by that authority.

See also Explanatory Memorandum here.

Tackling Violent Crime Programme: lessons on identification of alcohol-related crime

The UCL Jill Dando Crime Institute of Crime Science has published Cross cutting issues in violence: results from the TVCP tranche 3 problem profiles, here. The report gives an overview of cross cutting issues in violence as identified by problem profiles submitted to the Police Standards Unit under tranche 3 of the Tackling Violent Crime Programme (TVCP).  Alcohol features strongly throughout.

One of the key findings is that:

• It is difficult to accurately identify alcohol-related crime, and evidence is often anecdotal.

The report highlights problems with flagging police data as alcohol-related - the flags are under-used and sometimes misapplied.  Information from the TVCP areas shows that alcohol is linked with violence associated with the night time economy, and domestic violence.

The report concludes:

• Overall, violent crime clusters in town and city centres on weekend evenings and alcohol is often a contributory factor..... Trends confirm that residential areas are peak location for domestic violence, and that this type of crime also clusters on weekend evenings.

Alcohol interventions with domestic violence arrestees, Lewisham

Claire Sibson writes:

According to the 2001 British Crime Survey, 26% of women and 17% of men have experienced at least one incident of domestic violence since they were 16. Whilst there is not a simple causal link between alcohol and domestic violence, research shows  a significant association between the two.  Alcohol appears to be important in escalating existing conflict, and levels of consumption are related to the likelihood, and severity, of domestic violence (Quigley and Leonard, 2000;White and Chen, 2002).

A 2003 Home Office  research study on  the characteristics of Domestic Violence Offenders identified alcohol as  a feature in a majority (62%) of the offences studied, with almost half (48%) of the sample of perpetrators being alcohol dependent. A key recommendation of this study was that problems of alcohol use should be addressed where identified as an offending-related need.

Lewisham has the  highest volume of reported domestic violence across the  London boroughs (Greater London Domestic Violence Project, 2007) with  a steady increase in numbers from 2003 to 2006. To date, there has been no  specific collection of data on how many of these featured  alcohol. My post as an alcohol/domestic violence worker was set up as a six month pilot, funded largely by the Government Office of London  Domestic Violence Fund, with the aims:

1. To test  the association between alcohol and domestic violence at a local level
2. To test the feasibility of delivering voluntary alcohol assessment and brief interventions to domestic violence perpetrators in the custody suite at Lewisham Police Station.

With the support and cooperation of Lewisham Police Community Safety Unit, and of custody staff, I have been introducing myself to all domestic violence arrestees, and inviting them to participate in a brief alcohol assessment (AUDIT).  The voluntary nature of this intervention is emphasized, with the use of consent forms,  and it is made clear that it will have no bearing on  the outcome of the police investigation.

I have been operational since early February.  Initially, it had been agreed  that the investigating police officer would invite the prisoner  to see  me. This approach produced few referrals, so it was decided that I would  introduce myself.  This change of tack   worked, and  I have so far  assessed 29 people, the majority of whom have accepted onward signposting or formal referral to local alcohol services.  The majority of this group have been drinking at  a harmful level, though I have seen 5  dependent drinkers, none of whom had had any past contact with local treatment services.

My post is funded up to June 30th, and  the issue of onward funding remains uncertain. I think this short pilot  has already achieved its aims, confirming that there is a significant pool of people locally whose drinking is exacerbating their domestic violence, and that their arrest  can provide a good opportunity for alcohol intervention.  Given an extension of the project, it would be possible to set longer term objectives around retention in treatment and reconviction for example.

This appears to be the only such project running nationally in a police station context, though it has  features in common with the brief alcohol interventions currently being developed  with A & E and hospital inpatient populations, which parallel has provided me with   some good contacts. I would be really interested in discussing my work  with others  involved in  developing “ joined up” services in alcohol/domestic violence, whether from a treatment or a criminal justice angle.

Claire Sibson Alcohol/Domestic Violence Worker
23 Mercia Grove London
SE13 6BJ

0208 314 8078

London briefing on alcohol-harm reduction for the World Cup

The London Alcohol Coordinators' Group has produced a briefing on activities for the World Cup that are planned at borough, pan-London and national level.  It outlines details of the forthcoming AMEC (Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign), DVEC (Domestic Violence Enforcement Campaign), as well information about local plans.

The Group found that getting much of this information was not straightforward, and that networks need to be developed both at borough level and across London.

The Group has also produced a pro forma for applying to the Drink Aware Trust for campaign materials, and an evaluation tool for campaigns.

Resources

• London Alcohol Coordinators' briefing download
• Drink Aware Trust application pro forma download
• Campaign evaluation tool download
• Southwark's draft guidance for licensees download
• World Cup match schedule download
• A guide on how to keep yourself safe when you’re drinking Suzy Lamplugh Trust here
• Dealing with Drunkenness: A guide for staff in pubs and bars Portman Group, via here
  

Evidence base

• Links between big sports events and drinking here (US research)
• Links between big sports events and violence here
• Links between big sports events and domestic violence here and here (New Zealand research)
  

Alcohol harm-reduction and the World Cup: Operation Summer Nights

Lancashire Constabulary's assistant chief constable Mike Cunningham launched Operation Summer Nights yesterday, a partnership campaign to tackle alcohol-related crime (including domestic violence) which is expected to rise during the World Cup.  Stories here and  here.

In 2005 Operation Summer Nights saw all recorded crime fall by 10%, violent crime reduced by 13%, arson reduced by 7% and criminal damage reduced by 7%.  Details on the Lancashire Constabulary site here.

  Cunningham said at the launch:

Operation Summer Nights is about letting people know that it is all right to have a good time but not at the expense of others. Our message is "Drink sensibly this summer."

Aims of Operation Summer Nights:

• To reassure the public that agencies are working together to tackle anti-social behaviour, alcohol-related crime and criminal damage at a critical time of year when we often experience an increase - particularly in relation to incidents arising from drinking.
• To reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour, alcohol-related crime and criminal damage and Domestic Violence.
• To increase public confidence and improve feelings of safety.
• To build on the positive work and behaviour of most young people, encouraging everyone to make respecting themselves and others a greater consideration.

Partners working with police include local emergency services, Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority, Lancashire County Council, The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, local Youth Offending Teams, Lancashire Youth and Community Service, each of the Borough Crime and Disorder Partnerships, Connexions Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen Council, Blackpool Borough Council, The Lancashire Young Person's Alcohol Project, The Crown Prosecution Service, Trading Standards and the Lancashire Drugs Action Team.

DASL's domestic violence and substance misuse project

Drug and Alcohol Service for London (DASL) started its DV project in 2003. A report on the service by Ranzetta Consulting is published today to coincide with the Greater London DV Project's conference 'A bitter pill to swallow'.

DASL's project works with substance misusing women who also experience domestic violence. Support and advice to the women includes assessment, brief alcohol/drug intervention, weekly therapeutic and supportive groups, advice clinics, and one to one counselling. The project also provides drug, alcohol and domestic violence training to relevant practitioners and professionals, and participates in local domestic violence forums.

The report (download it here) reviews current thinking on best practice in DV and substance misuse interventions and assesses the project in the light of this. An evaluation framework for similar projects is proposed.

Tags
domestic violence
alcohol treatment
alcohol strategy
substance misuse