Agenda item

The Chairman welcomed the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Commissioning and Contracts Manager at the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) to the meeting.  Mr Hunter and Mr Atkinson had been invited to the meeting to update the Panel on the work which the OPCC was progressing to lead, develop and support intervention for substance misuse across Humberside, specifically in relation to criminal justice.

The Panel was informed that the OPCC currently contracted with separate Unitary Authorities for the delivery of substance misuse interventions across Humberside.  The contractual terms varied but were held between the Public Health Director (local authority Client) and the contracted service providers.  The OPCC topped up these budgets, the summary of contract terms were:

·       An initial 3 year period commenced April 2018 for the South bank

·       Hull had a 6 year contract which commenced in 2018

·       The contractual terms facilitated two 12 month options to extend.  These were now being used on the south bank

·       The combined contractual value was circa £1m per annum

The investment was aligned to the police and crime plan aims, putting community safety, and reduction of harm at the heart of the approach.

Evidence showed that being in treatment itself reduced levels of offending.  The Modern Crime Prevention Strategy focused on the need for treatment, prevention and enforcement to mitigate the impact of drug-related crime.  Evidence-based drug and alcohol treatment could help reduce harm to the individual and the local community and delivered real savings, particularly in terms of crime costs.

The OPCC investment specifically included:

·       Screening and referral within Police custody

·       Management of substance misusing offenders within the community, including multi agency work with local partners such as Probation, Police, Courts.  To support license conditions and manage those with coexisting substance misuse and offending into treatment.

·       Liaison with through the gate services for continuity of care post prison release, Prison Healthcare, Offender Managers and prison visits to ensure continued engagement of treatment both through prison and post release, enabling safety of service users and their families and the wider community. Often this included;

Ø  Assess for and deliver community disposals (Alcohol Treatment Requirements / Drug Rehabilitation Requirements).

Ø  Work across a range of Criminal Justice partners to ensure pathways were in place, effective engagement and referrals into structured treatment.

Ø  Engaging clients in structured treatment to prevent further harm.

·       Priority services for those who were vulnerable to serious harm from others.  Priority groups included:

·       High risk and priority offenders/prison leavers and those involved with Criminal Justice System

·       Offenders where substance misuse was associated with offending behaviour, including: Domestic abuse perpetrators and those subject to Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), Multi Agency Tasking and Coordination (MATAC) and Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)

·       Individuals on discharge from prison

·       Those subject to a court ordered treatment requirements or with a Licence Condition requiring treatment

·       Those residing within Approved Premises 

Following the verbal presentation from the Commissioning and Contracts Manager at the OPCC, the Chairman facilitated a discussion between panel members and Mr Hunter and Mr Atkinson.

Resolved – (a) That Mr Atkinson be thanked for his attendance, verbal presentation and for answering members’ questions; (b) that the verbal presentation be noted, and (c) that the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner be congratulated for its work on tackling substance misuse in Humberside.