Alcohol Policy UK

Jobs: 3 alcohol health promotion posts in Camden -18th of June deadline

Three alcohol Health Promotion Speciailists are to be recruited in the London Borough of Camden to deliver improvements in health and the reduction of inequalities relating to alcohol misuse. The posts wil lead on developing prevention and intervention campaigns, help co-ordinate education and support programmes and work with council colleagues and the alcohol industry to promote sensible drinking.

There are to be three specific areas for each of the jobs:

1) Alcohol and young adults
2) Adults and the workplace
3) Alcohol and children 

For further details please see the NHS site here

The deadlinr for applications is 18^th June 2008

Successful applicants selected for interview will be notified on Monday 23^rd June 2008

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Interview Date: 26^th June 2008

Jobs: Director of Policy and Communication, Alcohol Concern

Following the appointment of Don Shenker as Chief Executive, Alcohol Concern is looking for a Director of Policy and Communication.

• Salary: £50, 223
• Closing date: May 28th
• Details here

Jobs: Delivery Manager for Alcohol Harm Reduction National Support Team

The Department for Health is seeking a second Delivery Manager to work within the newly established National Support Team (NST) for Alcohol Harm Reduction.

The National Support Team for Alcohol Harm Reduction will work with selected local organisations to develop their capacity to meet the PSA target: to achieve a minimum of 1% reduction in the rate of hospital admissions per 100,000 population for alcohol related harm.

This NST is one of a number of teams working to support local areas and partnerships that are struggling to achieve their targets in relation to Choosing Health priorities such as Sexual Health, Tobacco Control and Teenage Pregnancy. This is done through regular structured team visits to local areas to identify barriers to delivery and propose solutions.

Further details:

• Invitation to apply
• Job description and person spec
• NST background

 

Alcohol number 1 threat to employee wellbeing?

A study by Norwich Union Healthcare has found that 77% of employers consider alcohol to be the number one threat to employee wellbeing and that it plays a large role in sickness absence. However only 9% of employees agreed that alcohol was the main threat, although 32% said they had been at work with a hangover and 15% said they had been drunk at work.

This may prompt more organisations including councils to introduce alcohol workplace policies that aim to ensure support and information is available to staff.  The Local Alcohol Strategy Implementation Toolkit encourages local partnerships to increase access to alcohol information at local levels.

Dr Douglas Wright of Norwich Union Healthcare, said

It seems that alcohol and the workplace often do go hand in hand. Sadly, alcohol use is associated with a number of medical conditions which can cause significant morbidity and therefore affect performance and attendance at work, costing UK plc. It's essential that companies have a robust Drug and Alcohol Policy and Procedure to tackle and, where possible, prevent any problems developing. This should include provision for support and, potentially, referral to appropriate facilities.

For an overview see the Institute of Alcohol Studies' factsheet Alcohol in the Workplace

Change at the top: Alcohol Concern; Drinkaware Trust

Alcohol Concern's chief executive, Srabani Sen, is leaving to run Contact a Family.  Closing date for applications to replace her is 22nd February, details here.  We understand Alcohol Concern's chair, Penny McVeigh, will stand down when she retires later this year.

Meanwhile, the Drinkaware Trust has announced the appointment of its new Chairman, Derek Lewis and its first two lay Trustees, (i.e. trustees with no professional ties to the alcohol industry), Dominic Fry and Jason Stockwood.    Lewis fills the chair left vacant by ex MP Debra Shipley last September. 

Derek Lewis is Chairman of Protocol Associates, a provider of education and training services.  He is also a Pro-Chancellor of the University of Essex and a trustee of WRVS. 

Dominic Fry is a consultant with Tulchan, a financial public relations consultancy. He was previously Group Communications Director of ScottishPower plc and before that, of J Sainsbury plc.

Jason Stockwood is Managing Director International at  Match.com, the world’s biggest online dating site. Jason joined Match.com in March 2007 from online travel brand Travelocity where he was Managing Director of Travelocity Business EMEA.

Alcohol strategy coordinator post, Southwark

Cathy Bruce is off home to take up an exciting post with ALAC, the Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand.  Her Southwark job is up for grabs, but you'll need to be quick - closing date is Friday 25th January. 

Details here.

Alcohol health worker posts

Alcohol Hospital Liaison Nurse, Haringey Advisory Group on Alcohol (HAGA)
2 posts at Band 6
Closing date 10/10/07
Details here

Primary Health Care Liaison Nurse, Haringey Advisory Group on Alcohol (HAGA)
Band 7
Closing date 10/10/07
Details here

Alcohol Healthcare Practitioner, Dudley Aquarius
£22,293 to £25,437
Closing date 26/20/07
Details here

Alcohol jobs: Northants, Wigan, SIPS

Alcohol Strategy Co-ordinator, Northamptonshire County Council
£27,492 - £29,859
Details here

Alcohol Strategy Officer, Wigan Council
£25,437 - £28,211
Closing date 21/9/07
Details here

Senior Alcohol Health Worker, St George's, London
Alcohol Screening & Brief Intervention Pilots: DH Trailblazer Research Programme (SIPS)
£27,622 - £36,416 Band 7, 1 year fixed term.
Closing date 14/9/07
Details here

Alcohol Health Worker, St George's London
Alcohol Screening & Brief Intervention Pilots: DH Trailblazer Research Programme (SIPS)
£21,985 — £ 31,004, Band 6, 1 year fixed term
Closing date 14/9/07
Details here

NDTMS to include alcohol from April 2008

The NTA Business Plan 2007/08 says this:

During 2006/07 the NTA was asked to scope what use could be made of existing alcohol data in current NDTMS (including TOP) and a national system for the monitoring of structured alcohol treatment use, mirroring NDTMS. The Department of Health will decide whether to commission a National Alcohol Treatment Monitoring System (NATMS) early in 2007/08 and NTA will take subsequent action.

It seems the decision has been taken to stick with NDTMS (National Drug Treatment Monitoring System) but to start processing data on primary alcohol users now.  From April 2008 all drug and alcohol treatment providers are asked to submit data to NDTMS on alcohol users; this includes alcohol-only services.

The NTA is recruiting an Alcohol Treatment Implementation Manager (details here), to coordinate the implementation of data collection on alcohol treatment through the NDTMS.

All this is good news.  The NTA and Department of Health will quickly get a clear and objective picture of the state of alcohol treatment and the inequality between provision for drug and alcohol users (if they were ever in any doubt).

However, treatment providers that do not receive NTA funding through the Pooled Treatment Budget (ie all alcohol-only serivces, in theory) may find the new requirement a burdensome imposition. 

What do you think?  Please get in touch - leave a comment here, or email us.

Further information

 

• The London NTDMS bulletin annouces the news (in a very low key way)
• LDAN's London Alcohol Statistics Project report

Alcohol Strategy Development Officer post, Camden

Alcohol Strategy Development Officer

Band 7

Fixed term to end of March 2008 (with the possibility of extension)

Secondments welcome

This is a an exciting opportunity to deliver a new strategy which will focus on promoting sensible drinking and reducing the harm associated with alcohol misuse in Camden.

You will need a sound understanding of the problems caused by alcohol and of the wider policy context. You will need to be self-motivated and committed to raising the profile of alcohol within Camden and you should have skills in communication and relationship building. The role will require working alongside partners and co-ordinating action on alcohol problems, including prevention, education, treatment and crime.

Camden PCT values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this. We therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community.

For further information please contact Dr Jo Copping 020 7530 6325 joanna.copping@camdenpct.nhs.uk.

To apply, please visit www.jobs.nhs.uk

Please quote job ref: 723-CP78769

Closing date: Tues 7^th August 2007

Interview date: w/b 20^th August 2007