Agenda item

To update the Committee on the ADDER programme including interim evaluation and to outline the proposed future strategy.

Ms Judith Mills, Consultant in Public Health introduced the report and set out the new approach being taken to service provision to people with multiple disadvantages in Blackpool. She highlighted that previously accessing of services amongst this group of people had been poor due to the fact that they had been set up without any input of the people they were supposed to help. Many people felt as though they had been let down by services and therefore did not trust those providing them. The new approach to services would ensure that people were listened to and were created with input from those people that had accessed support previously and current service users.

Inspector Dave Callan, Lancashire Constabulary provided an overview of the work of the Lancashire Violence Reduction Network, System Change and Trauma Informed Approach. He advised that significant investment had been made in targeting drug related crime, with over 80 arrests and almost £300k in drugs seized since the introduction of the team approximately 16 months ago. He advised that the Constabulary and partners were taking a refreshing approach to working with offenders and victims to ensure it was trauma informed and that officers were having a positive impact by having a greater understand of the people they were dealing with and the trauma that had already affected their lives.

Members noted the comments made in the previous item relating to communication with members of the public and raised concerns that the public could not see and understand the benefits of the softer, trauma informed approach taken to individuals who had potentially been arrested due to being exploited. In response, Insp. Callan advised that arrests were made when appropriate and it was the support being put in place following arrest that could have a positive impact on a life. Using the Lived Experience Team to engage with and support vulnerable people who had been exploited by criminals was integral to their recovery. It was agreed that it was important to ensure that the public had realistic expectations of what the Police would do and that work was required to increase understanding and tolerance. It was also agreed that the perception of the public was important and Councillors were encouraged to ensure that residents continued to report all issues to the Police to ensure an accurate picture.

The use of cannabis by young people was discussed in detail, with concern raised that smoking cannabis was very visible and that it could often be smelled around the town centre, on the promenade and even in residential neighbourhoods. In response Detective Chief Superintendent Sue Clarke, Lancashire Constabulary advised that there was a balance to be achieved with ensuring that young people were not brought into the criminal justice system without due cause due to the long lasting impact on their lives. She added that investment had been made to educate young people on the dangers of cannabis use and understand the reasons behind why they were using it. It was noted however, that there was a certain level of social acceptability regarding its use.

Further concern was raised that a lack of Police visibility increased the use of cannabis publicly. In response, Det Ch Supt Clarke advised that ideas from the Committee would be welcomed on improving communication with the public and encouraging the public to be more proactive in engaging with the Police. She advised that seven crime hotpots had been identified within Blackpool and that an increased Police presence would be visible in these areas.

The Committee referred to previous discussions held on the Blackpool Fulfilling Lives programme which had now come to a conclusion, with one legacy being the Lived Experience Team. In response to questions, Mr Ian Treasure, former director of Blackpool Fulfilling Lives advised that all required monitoring had been undertaken by the Lottery funding team. He reported that all spending had been approved and that the legacy work carried out in 2021 had resulted in Blackpool becoming a significant beneficiary of the new Changing Futures initiative. Of the clients referred to BFL, 529 people had been helped through the programme into new housing or treatment programmes. There had been a number of real life success stories with whole lives changed and dozens of people had found employment. A key reason for the high costs of the programme were the high levels of staffing required to work with a high needs group of people.

The work of Fulfilling Lives was commended as was the ongoing work of Adder, however, concern was raised regarding the sustainability of funding. In response, Ms Mills advised that new streams of funding were constantly becoming available and the team and partners had been very successful in being awarded funding.

Mr Jonny Hall, Team Leader, Adult Adder provided an overview of the ongoing work of Adder in Blackpool. He advised that the team worked with people with complex needs at risk of overdose. He advised that the aim of Adder was to work with people and react in a different way, as many clients would previously not have accessed substance misuse services. Referrals into Adder could come from the Police or Health Services and it was noted that Adder was for people that met a specific criteria with general substance misuse services still provided by Horizon.

The Committee went on to receive information from Lorraine Moffatt and Kelly Gorrie, representing the homeless health provision provided by FCMS who advised that the small team sought to build relationships with the clients in order to provide healthcare in a different way. Links to the Emergency Department had been established in order to allow information sharing and ensure clients received the treatment they needed. It was a nurse led provision with doctors available for support and guidance when required. The team worked flexibly and used imaginative ways to work with clients. Screening and vaccination were also made available to the client base, which would not usually access such services.

An overview of the Lived Experience Team (LET) was then provided by Nicola Plumb,, LET Manager who advised that the small team which had started as part of the Blackpool Fulfilling Lives initiative had now grown to a team of 21, all with lived experience and all now giving back to society. The team worked on a range of provision, looking at what a person wanted to do and needed to do in order to learn how to live their lives. This could involve taking a person for a day out to the zoo or attending AA meetings with them. She introduced Ross Golby, LET employee and former client of Blackpool Fulfilling Lives (BFL) who was in attendance to tell his story to the Committee.

Mr Golby explained that only five years ago he was abusing substances and living a chaotic life. He had been engaged by BFL who had worked with him to turn his life around, had provided him with housing, support and ultimately a job. He explained that without that help and support he felt like he would still be using drugs and that since starting recovery he had achieved a lot including attending college and passing his driving test. Members commended his achievement and felt that success stories like this one should be more widely shared with the public, with the individuals agreement, to show what could be achieved.

Councillor Jo Farrell, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health reported that a roundtable event was being arranged in order to identify how the narrative could be changed and ensure the right messages were promoted to the public. The Committee agreed that it was crucial that examples of the wonderful work were made more widely known.

The final topic for the Committee to consider was where service provision could and should go next, with the Changing Futures programme highlighted as building on the work previously undertaken. Laura Smy, Service Lead, People with Multiple Disadvantage, Public Health and Hannah Maiden, Public Health Registrar provided an overview of Changing Futures and the new posts being funded at in services such as the Citizens Advice Bureau that would use the learning of the Lived Experience Team to interact with clients in a different way.

It was concluded that the wider Blackpool approach to more effectively respond to multiple disadvantage was bringing about systematic change, mapping and identifying barriers to engagement, valuing lived experience and co-production. Members valued the approach being taken and agreed that the main thing required was communication with members of the public and all Councillors to help them understand the work services and the approach being taken.

The Committee agreed:

1.      That appropriate services work with their Communications Teams in order to identify the ways in which the successes can be communicated with members of the public and ensure that expectations were set appropriately.

2.      That all Councillors be invited to attend Trauma Informed training.

3.      That an update be provided to a future meeting to allow the Committee to ascertain progress.