Substance Misuse

Substance Misuse Personnel

Richard Palusinski - Head of Community Safety

Matthew Hibbert - Strategic Development Manager, Substance Misuse

Sean Manuel - Adult Substance Misuse Co-ordinator

Cath Johnston - Planning and Commissioning Manager, Young People’s Substance Misuse

Substance Misuse Brief

To reduce the harm related to drugs misuse in Swindon including:

• Harm to the individual through education, prevention and treament
• Harm to the community through reduction of crime and measures to control spread of blood borne viruses
• Harm to wider society through positive information, education and awareness and health promotion

To achieve this we:

• Commission treatment services for substance misusers
• Develop information, training and awareness strategies
• Create strategic links and networks with partners and other agencies
• Conduct analysis of the patterns of drug use and needs of drug users in Swindon
• Promote awareness and create opportunities for greater community cohesion in relation to substance misuse

Young People

The Partnership commissions Uturn, a specialist service in Swindon working with 10 to 18-year-olds who misuse alcohol and drugs (all illicit substances, solvents, prescribed medication, excluding tobacco).

Uturn works closely with partners from a variety of statutory children’s services and voluntary groups.

It takes referrals from all professionals and aims to encourage referrals from young people and their parents or carers by phone, fax, e-mail or post.

The service can provide a full assessment in relation to alcohol and substance misuse, cognitive behavioural interventions, motivational interviewing and specialist prescribing. Uturn works with young people to help them reduce the harm caused by alcohol and drug misuse and improve their health.

Uturn wants to work closely with carers and parents of young people to help them understand issues around alcohol and substance misuse in young people.  The service is available for consultation with professionals on how to work with young people using alcohol and substances.

To get in touch with Uturn:
E-mail: uturn@swindon.gov.uk
Telephone: 01793 465040
Fax: 01793 463114

FRANK

The Partnership works on a local level to support the initiatives of the national FRANK campaign.

FRANK aims to ensure:

• Young people understand the risks and dangers of drugs and their use
• Young people know where to go for advice or help
• Parents have the confidence and knowledge to talk to their children about drugs
• Professionals who work with young people, especially vulnerable groups, are supported

At a local level, the Partnership reviews FRANK and Department of Health resources to ensure professionals receive appropriate resources such as leaflets.  The Partnership also launches its own awareness campaigns, for example to highlight the dangers of cannabis.

Swindon Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy 2008-2010

The Swindon Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy has just been launched, setting out the agenda to inform our actions relating to reducing the personal and social harm caused by the misuse of alcohol over the next three years.  The strategy lays out our aims and objectives, under four agreed strategic themes, for the period 2008-2010.

• Better prevention through education
• Identification and treatment
• Crime and disorder
• Working with the licensed trade

A wide range of agencies were consulted in the course of preparing the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, including senior staff and managers from Swindon Borough Council, Wiltshire Constabulary, Swindon Primary Care Trust, Swindon & Marlborough NHS Trust, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, Swindon Youth Offending Team, Gay Men’s Health Project, Uturn Young People’s Substance Misuse Service, Swindon & Wiltshire Alcohol & Drugs Service, Specialist Drug & Alcohol Service, Swindon Service Users Rehabilitation Forum, Swindon Carers Centre, and the BID Company.

Please click here Swindon Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy to view a downloadable pdf version (1.24Mb)