Agenda item

The Committee received updates regarding the Alcohol Action Plan and the Cheshire East pricing work from the Council’s Community Safety Officer (Alcohol Lead).

There were two key projects leading from the Alcohol Action Plan. The first related to early intervention through a complete revamp of the Personal Social Health and Economic (PSHE) curriculum in schools. PSHE which taught high school pupils about alcohol and drugs, was now outdated and it was felt that a review was needed with two secondary schools signing up to be early implementers. Staffordshire County Council had asked district councils to lead on the project which was considered important as this would give districts the chance to change matters locally. The project was currently passing through the partnership delivery group.

The two early implementer secondary schools were noted and Members questioned whether schools were resistant to sign up due to not wanting to acknowledge there was a problem at their school. Some were resistant to change and would take more persuading than others, but it was positive there were schools signing up. The Alcohol Change Lead was confident that other schools would sign up and those which had not were being contacted. There was also confidence the project would get rolled out to all schools and it was hoped more information would become available through the Alcohol Change Lead.

Members questioned whether there would be support for bullying and it was considered that alcohol was a cross-cutting issue with the project covering a wide range of issues including drugs and anti social behaviour, therefore the project could include bullying. There would be some local governance and bullying could be suggested if it was considered that it should be incorporated. Truancy would most likely be included in the project too.

Members felt there were difficulties with PHSE and unless it was delivered imaginatively, children would either forget or not be interested in the subject. Members were aware of a drug dealer serving a prison sentence visiting a school to speak with the pupils and a multi agency event where a road traffic accident was mocked up. There had also been a project in the ST7 post code area aiming to reduce teen pregnancy, which drinking could lead to. The Kidsgrove/Butt Lane LAP were responsible for the project and would be happy to get involved. It was considered that involving partners could be something to aspire to and this could be fed back.

The Council’s Community Safety Officer was aware of a survey, understood to be a parental survey, which had been conducted by four schools in Newcastle and could be circulated. The survey aimed to identify what parents would like to see their children learn in school. The Alcohol Change Lead would be attending the next Partnership Delivery Group and there should be more information available as a result of this.

The second project related to strengthening families and was a project driven by Staffordshire County Council which covered a broad range of issues. The county council were seeking further funding to roll out the project county wide.

With regard to the Cheshire East pricing work, Cheshire East was monitoring what was happening at national level. There was currently a debate in the news regarding the minimum unit price for alcohol and it was considered that there needed to be a consultation exercise with regard to this.

The Community Safety Officer would update the partnership of the Committee’s comments.

RESOLVED:                        That the information be received.