NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNCIL

 

24 JULY 2024

 

STATEMENT OF COUNCILLOR MICHAEL HARRISON

 

 

Combatting Drugs

 

The Joint Combatting Drugs Unit (JCDU) and the Department of Health and Social Care’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) visited our Drugs & Alcohol Partnership at Police HQ in Northallerton in May where we were able to showcase some of our examples of innovative practice that are contributing to the delivery of our substance use strategy.  This included the North Yorkshire Drug Analysis Project, North Yorkshire Connected Spaces and the Drink Drug Hub – which is our harm reduction web resource and training platform.

 

The JCDU is responsible for oversight of the Government’s ten-year drugs strategy. OHID acts as a central hub for monitoring and improving substance use treatment in England, working alongside local authorities.

 

Public Health, Adult Social Care, Community Development, Localities, and Children and Young People’s Service directorates were joined by a wide range of partners including Police, Probation, North Yorkshire Horizons and RISE, Humber & NY Integrated Care Board, and people with lived and living experience – North Yorkshire Connected Spaces.

 

Safeguarding

 

The 2024 safeguarding week took place in June and focussed on areas such as substance use, language and stigma, safeguarding concerns, stories of hope and recovery from addiction, learning from safeguarding adult reviews and much more.

 

The theme was ‘Safeguarding is everybody’s business’ and the Safeguarding Adults Board, Adult Social Care and Public Health delivered 12 interactive sessions as part of the week-long programme, with attendance of 50+ people at each session.  Over 900 people signed up for the North Yorkshire adult sessions alone which were co-delivered alongside people with lived experience.

 

This is such an important subject, and I am keen to help anyone who feels they need more information on this subject.

 

Separately, Adrian Green has taken up the post of Independent Chair for the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Adults Board in succession to Dr Sue Proctor. Until recently he was working for Durham Police as a Divisional Commander. I would like to welcome Adrian and to thank Sue for her excellent work as Chair over the last few years.

 

Good Care Month

 

Our Care Provider Services celebrated Good Care Month throughout June with a series of events. These have included celebrations with people the teams support as well as training and awareness sessions with a spotlight on quality, dignity, equality, diversity and inclusion. There has also been an emphasis on wellbeing and fun culminating with a dancing competition ‘Come Dance with Care Provider Services’ across all care provider services, which was supported by the wider HAS teams. I am keen to support these initiatives as feedback from last year’s competition was that it was thoroughly enjoyed by both people in receipt of support and our care professionals who said it had a positive impact on team morale.

 

Healthy Schools

 

On 19th June, the Healthy Schools Award Programme held a celebration event in RHS Harlow Carr Gardens in Harrogate, presenting awards to several schools. Children had the opportunity to attend workshops on oral health, wellbeing and how gardens are beneficial to health, as well as being treated to various activities over the course of the day. Over 80% of North Yorkshire schools are now actively working on the various award levels and City of York schools have joined the programme too.

 

Centre for Ageing Better

 

The Centre for Ageing Better is a “What Works” organisation leading work nationally around older people. This includes highlighting and championing issues around housing, ageism, and employment as well as supporting local communities to become age friendly, linking with the World Health Organisation. The Centre leads a national age friendly steering group and the council recently hosted them in Northallerton and so took the opportunity to arrange visits to local projects including Northallerton Men’s Shed, Rivendale Extra Care, Hambleton Community Action and the Northallerton over 50’s forum.

 

Members of the national team attending included representatives from Northern Ireland, Scotland, London, Sunderland, Sheffield and Bolton and were joined by colleagues from North Yorkshire Council and the Older Person’s Champion Cllr Caroline Dickinson.

 

NHS Bradford and Craven

 

I would like to thank Nancy O’Neill, Chief Operating Officer at NHS Bradford and Craven who leaves her role in September after nearly 43 years’ service in the NHS. Nancy has played a key role in health services in Craven (and across North Yorkshire) for many years, including vital help she provided during the first COVID lockdown with supplying much-needed testing kits to people living in care homes across many areas of the County. She will be much missed by her NHS and local government colleagues.

 

 

 

COUNCILLOR MICHAEL HARRISON