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Case studies

Training for Supported Housing staff in Manchester

Manchester Drug and Alcohol Strategy Team in conjunction with Housing Services in Manchester City Council asked Alcohol Concern to develop and provide a Drug and Alcohol Training Package for Supporting People and Housing Services staff in the city.

The project began with research into the impact of alcohol and drugs on housing projects and a training needs analysis. The research for this project highlighted its importance. Many of the housing projects interviewed recognised that over 50% of their clients had alcohol or drug problems.

A major concern of the projects interviewed was what to do with clients who do not want to change their drinking or drug use. Specialist services were perceived as mainly working with those who wanted stability or change but their main client group was the more chaotic group.

As a result the three day course that was ultimately developed contained elements on identification, intervention and referral but also on managing clients who are not ready to change. The course was run twice and then evaluated. The feedback was uniformly positive.

Wigan Local Enhanced Service Evaluation

Ashton, Leigh & Wigan Primary Care Trust (PCT) asked Alcohol Concern to undertake an evaluation and option appraisal of the area's Local Enhanced Service (LES) for Alcohol. The objectives of the work were to:

• Provide a detailed profile of the activity undertaken over the last six months in the LES scheme.
• Compare the implementation of the pilot against the planned model.
• Explore primary health care practitioners' opinions about the roll out of the LES for alcohol.
• Draw on national best practice to inform a number of options for the roll out of the LES for alcohol.

The project fell into two parts:

• The gathering of quantitative data.
• Interviews to gather qualitative data.

Each of the nine practices involved in the LES was sent an email questionnaire asking for data on numbers of patients screened, demographic characteristics and outcomes. Staff from all the practices were also interviewed about the roll out and operation of the LES. On the back of an analysis of all this data recommendations were made about how to move forward with the next phase of the LES.

Sheffield Alcohol Strategy

Sheffield Drug and Alcohol Action (DAAT) team asked Alcohol Concern to develop a cross-cutting alcohol strategy for the city. A separate strategy was developed for young people.

The development process consisted of interviews with almost 50 stakeholders, workshops to consult users and carers and an analysis of statistical and other written material. The strategy was then drafted and after consultation, a final structure was agreed.

The strategy itself was available in both printed format and an electronic version. The written material consisted of a full research report and a briefer strategy document. The latter was expected to be the main public document and referenced the full report. The electronic version allowed a reader to look at the strategy and then click on any section to see the evidence from the full report that supported that finding. The full report could also be clicked on at points to allow the reader to see relevant national and local reports.

Other previous clients include:

• Bolton PCT
• Bournemouth and Poole PCT
• Bury DAAT
• Ealing DAAT
• Government Office South West
• The Home Office
• Kent County Council
• Leicester City PCT
• London Borough of Richmond
• Sandwell PCT
• Swindon Community Safety Partnership
• Westminster DAAT