New forum created to prevent and reduce substance harm in North Wales

New forum to prevent and reduce substance harm has been set-up in north Wales.

Chaired by Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin, the forum recently held its first meeting at the North Wales Police HQ in Colwyn Bay.

The Preventing and Reducing Harm Forum brings together the key organisations working to reduce harm in communities across North Wales and will be managed on a day-to-day basis by Kirsty Brooke who is part of the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board Harm Reduction Team.

Each local authority, as well as probation services, police, and the third sector will be represented on the forum.

The plan is that it will use multi-agency working practices, share good practice and problem solve to ensure the principles of prevention and harm reduction are an integral part of all service delivery in the region.

The forum will meet on a quarterly basis to provide a forum for discussion and the agreement of common actions in preventing and reducing harm, taking a public health approach to the issue.

It will also develop and support joint policies, programmes, services and actions that work to improve the health, social and economic wellbeing of individuals, communities and society that are associated with the use of drugs and alcohol.

Another key area of its work will be to monitor emerging trends relating to substance use across North Wales; identify and implement appropriate multi-agency action plans and responses.

A further part of its work will be to monitor the North Wales Local Drug Information System, Take Home Naloxone Programme, and Needle and Syringe Programme on behalf of the Area Planning Board Executive and report on progress and any key issues.

It will also monitor the implementation and provision of Blood Borne Virus Testing and the delivery of the North Wales Alcohol Prevention Strategy.

The forum builds on other activity in the area of harm reduction and prevention. For example, in June last year, Andy Dunbobbin was invited to appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee to discuss the police’s approach to combatting drug crime in North Wales.

The hearing was part of the Committee’s inquiry into illegal drug use and its effects on society and the economy. He spoke as part of a panel of PCCs to stress the importance of partnership working to tackle drug misuse and reduce harm.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, Andy Dunbobbin, commented: “As Chair, I am pleased to see the launch of new Preventing and Reducing Harm Forum, which I hope will make a real difference in co-ordinating the approach to tackling substance misuse across North Wales.

“It’s important that we have representation from a range of services on the Forum as in the fight against substance misuse, we need to look at the whole gamut of services from housing, health and social services, to probation and policing.

“This focus on prevention is key as it reduces the impact on a community and lowers demand on already stretched public services.”

Paul Firth, Regional Commissioning and Development Officer (Substance Misuse), commented: “Substance misuse is insidious, can affect any family and, when it does, it needs a mitigating approach.

“No organisation can approach this issue in isolation and, once a person becomes addicted, this becomes a medical question that needs a co-ordinated response.

“I hope this new forum will fill a gap in service provision and partnership working. This is the right approach at the right time.”