Agenda item
Substance Misuse
Report
of the Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Digital Officer
Minutes:
The Committee received information in relation to Substance Misuse as
contained within the circulated report.
Officers informed the committee that following serious concerns
regarding risks, threats and harm associated with substance misuse, including a
rise in violence and preventable deaths that the Public Service Board had
created a Critical Incident Group (CIG) made of members from partner organisations. Officers stated that the group were looking
at issues across the local authority areas of Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.
Officers explained that an action plan had been developed by the group and that
the main priorities included freeing up Police capacity to deal with issues in
relation to county lines by releasing police officers from hospitals sooner,
and by minimising the amount of time spent on dealing
with issues regarding Looked After Children. Officers
stated that a dedicated officer from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (ABMU) was now sitting in
the South Wales Police call centre to provide advice
on drug related issues and how to assist addicts. Officers explained that a lot of work was
ongoing over the next few months, and that communication over the radio,
digital and traditional means would take place so that communities and citizens
knew what to look out for and how to report any issues. Officers stated that
this would send a message to the crime gangs that partners were taking the
matter seriously.
Officers reported that there were real concerns over the number of drug
related deaths in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea. Officers stated that the group
had identified a need to develop an outreach programme
to identify and engage with people who were not receiving help through services
provided by partner organisations. Officers stated
that it was important to find, keep and treat these people. Officers explained
that those who did engage with services and had addiction to various substances
could wait up to two years for treatment, by which time they are taking a
concoction of different substances to satisfy their addictions which were
harmful and sometimes fatal. Officers stated that there needed to be swifter
and immediate action taken. Officers explained that communication and reporting
of rogue batches of substances between agencies in a timely manner would also
save lives.
Officers reported some services needed to be re-commissioned in future
to meet the need. Officers explained that school and universities had very
universal programmes to educate young people when it
was possible that a more targeted approach was required.
Officers informed the committee that the Area Planning Board (APB) had
re-focused their priorities. Officers stated that drug related deaths had
doubled in the past 10 years and that arrangements needed to be made fit for
purpose. Officers informed the committee
that there was a follow up meeting planned for December and that the Board
would then assess the impact at the end of February. Officers suggested that
the committee may want an update from the Board at some point to hold the APB
to account.
Members referred to the second bullet point on appendix one of the
report, and questioned how partners would assist the Police in freeing up time
to disrupt drug related crimes; and the seventh bullet point and questioned how
partners would remove barriers and silos to ensure effective working across
partnership agencies. Officers explained that there was an issue around the
amount of time that the Police were spending on cases regarding Looked After Children. Officers stated that the Council’s Chief
Executive would be addressing the issue. Officers added that the Chair of the
Critical Incident Group had also asked ABMU for the protocol for the ambulance
service to be reviewed in order to free up time spent by Police officers at
hospitals.
Members queried at which point would a looked after child be considered
missing and would then become the responsibility of the Police. Chief Inspector
Cahill stated that the missing child would become the responsibility of South
Wales Police Western BCU and not just resources in Neath Port Talbot, from the
moment the child was reported missing to the Police; however it had been
discussed at the CIG whether action could be taken by providers and foster
parents so that the Police were not always contacted in the first instance.
Supporting documents: