Issue:

Paul X aged 55 years was admitted to hospital for alcohol related issues. Paul was due for release from hospital and both he and his friends were concerned for his welfare once back in the community. Paul lived just a few hundred metres from two off licences and a supermarket making the purchase of alcohol very easy.

Approach: With his consent a friend of Paul’s contacted the Empowering-Communities’ Count Me Out (CMO) Team the day before he was released from hospital. The Alcohol Self Exclusion forms were completed and an image of Paul was sent to the CMO Team. This information was uploaded to SIRCS and the members notified of Paul’s Self Exclusion. The two off licences were not members of the partnership at the time but they were contacted and signed up straight away.

Current Situation: Paul was realised from hospital and is still under going treatment. To date he hasn’t breached his self exclusion but help is on hand if he does. His family and friends have agreed to notify the CMO Team if he starts to try and purchase alcohol from other outlets. This scheme is primarily about licensees sharing information with each other but will also allow the police to share and receive information that is relevant to local business for the purposes of reducing crime and disorder. I’m fully supportive of this scheme and firmly believe that Great Yarmouth is the right place to make this work as there is already a strong network between the police, local authority and licensees Inspector Edward Brown, Head of the Norfolk Constabulary Licensing Team