Agenda item

This report and presentation will provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the newly mandated West Sussex Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP). The Partnership has been established as part of the Government’s requirements following publication of the 10-year drug strategy in 2021 and is accountable to the national Joint Combating Drugs Unit.

60.1   Board Members received a presentation on the West Sussex Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP) (copy appended to the agenda, available on the website). The report and presentation provided an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the CDP which had been established as part of the government’s 10 year drug strategy in 2012 and is accountable to the national Joint Combating Drugs Unit.

60.2   In delivering this presentation, the following key points were made;

·       it was noted that the CDP is the local delivery structure for the implementation of the national 10 year drug strategy;

·       there has been a significant rise [nationally over the past decade] in drug and alcohol use with increased harm from substance misuse being experienced in the population such as homelessness, imprisonment, deprivation and reduced funding for treatment and recovery services which exacerbated health inequalities;

·       the CDP was described as a multi-agency forum that provides a single setting for understanding and addressing shared challenges related to drug and alcohol harm,

·       chaired by the West Sussex County Council Director of Public Health the CDP included representation from elected members, local authority officials, the NHS, Jobcentre Plus, substance misuse treatment providers, the Police and Crime Commissioner, the National Probation Service and the secure estate (e.g., prisons and young offender institutions)

·       responsibilities of the CDP were outlined as undertaking a joint local needs assessment, producing and agreeing on ongoing local drugs and alcohol strategy delivery plan and regularly reviewing progress on local delivery of the strategy’s objectives.

60.3   In receiving the report, Board Members noted that its purpose was to provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the newly mandated West Sussex CDP. Board Members views were sought and key points were made as follows;

·       it was established that, as the partnership was currently forming, the Terms of Reference were being drafted. It was expected that quarterly meetings would be held with minutes shared. Sub-groups and short task and finish groups could be used to focus on areas of local need.

·       it was pointed out that the lived experience was very important in order to inform and it was agreed that any information of this nature would be approached with sensitivity.

·       Community Support were keen to be actively involved and continue to build upon work already achieved as well as assisting with linking collaborative partners.

·       Board Members were pleased to see work in this area being reinvigorated in response to societal trends.

60.4   The Health and Wellbeing Board – Resolved that;

                   i.    the West Sussex Combating Drugs Partnership (CDP), chaired by the Director of Public Health, as Senior Responsible Owner for the partnership, is the local delivery structure for the implementation of the national 10-year drugs strategy and mechanism that central government will draw upon to track and support delivery of the strategy, be noted;

                  ii.    the significant impact that this new partnership can have on improving the quality of life for residents and communities and reducing future demand and costs for services across the wider health and care system in West Sussex, be recognised; and

                 iii.    the West Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board has considered how, as key systems leaders, the West Sussex CDP can be supported to gain representation and full involvement of local people with lived experience, to maximise collaboration and impact for this important agenda (e.g., people who are using/have used drugs, family members/carers who have been impacted by substance misuse harms, professionals/services affected by drug related harm).