Alcohol stocktake
self-assessment tool
Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
About Public Health England
Public Health England’s mission is to protect and improve the nation’s health and to address inequalities through working with
national and local government, the NHS, industry and the voluntary and community sector. PHE is an executive agency of the
Department of Health.
We were established on 1 April 2013 to bring together public health specialists from more than 70 organisations into a single
public health service.
Public Health England
Wellington House
133-155 Waterloo Road
London SE1 8UG
Tel: 020 7654 8000
http://www.gov.uk/phe
@PHE_uk
PHE August 2013
For queries relating to this document, please contact: 020 7972 1945
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Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
About this tool
This stocktake tool is designed to provide a structure for local
areas to take a systematic view of their system for responding to
alcohol-related harm in the adult population.
Aim
To raise standards of planning and delivery of integrated alcohol
prevention and treatment systems.
Purpose
This stocktake tool provides an opportunity to benchmark against
evidence-based practice, thereby facilitating the identification of
effective practice, highlighting any gaps and informing
improvement activity.
It is recommended that users identify the best evidence against
each criterion. Criteria are hopefully clear and their meaning selfevident. However, where there may be room for query or
misinterpretation some self-assessment guidance is provided,
denoted by .
The self-assessment criteria cover seven domains, grouped into
five broad sections:
Strategic leadership and planning
Domain 1
Needs assessment and data
Domain 2
Finance
Domain 3
Pathways
Who it is for
• Directors of Public Health
• Strategic Lead Officers
• Commissioning Officers
• Provider Managers
Primary prevention
Domain 4
Population level actions
How to use the stocktake tool
It is likely that a range of strategic, commissioning and provider
stakeholders will need to be involved in order to identify evidence
across all domains. It will probably be helpful to identify a lead for
the self-assessment process, who will co-ordinate identification
and ultimate assessment of the evidence.
Hospital-based alcohol services
Domain 6
Hospital-based alcohol services
Secondary prevention
Domain 5
Targeted interventions
Tertiary prevention
Domain 7
Specialist treatment
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Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
Version
Partnership
Domain criteria
Date
Comments / evidence identified
Strategic leadership and planning
1. Needs assessment and data
1.1
The local JSNA includes a comprehensive section on alcohol-related
harm that reflects need across the whole spectrum of harm and readily
acknowledges the impact of alcohol work across the PHOF and NHSOF
resulting in partnership collaboration and support. 
1.2
Needs assessment, the local commissioning strategy, CCG strategy and
Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy (JHWS) demonstrate an explicit link
between evidence of need and service planning. 
1.3
There is an alcohol planning document that describes how best to meet
local need, which clearly identifies:
• the level of local demand
• existing strengths and ways in which services can be commissioned
• finance and resources made available.
There is a shared understanding of local level of demand and need,
based on a range of local and national data across a range of public
services.
Local data on alcohol interventions provided in hospitals, Primary Health
Care, and other settings is collected to inform needs assessment. 
The commissioners have analysed the local levels of alcohol-related
admissions to hospital in order to target interventions. 
The commissioners have analysed and monitored local specialist
treatment data including specific breakdown by gender, age, postcode,
condition, route of admission, repeat admission, etc. in order to compare
current treatment provision with need.
There are contracts in place for commissioned services that specify the
outcomes to be achieved that are regularly monitored and reviewed. 
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
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Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
Strategic leadership and planning
2. Finance
2.1
Investment is sufficient for a range of alcohol harm reduction services,
including primary prevention, early intervention and specialist treatment,
that is commensurate with the level of identified need.
2.2
The partnership can identify the total level of local investment in alcohol
harm reduction by all partners who contribute to delivery. 
2.3
A value for money approach is a fundamental part of the commissioning
strategy and the effective management of budgets.
3. Pathways
3.1
The general public, service users and staff in other mainstream services
have ready access to information that enables them to understand the
alcohol services available, the pathways between them and points of
entry.
3.2
Alcohol pathways for both alcohol dependent and hazardous/harmful
drinkers are jointly agreed and regularly monitored and reviewed by all
relevant local partners.
3.3
Care pathways and services are geographically and socioculturally
appropriate to those for whom they are designed. 
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Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
Secondary prevention
Primary prevention
4. Population level actions
4.1
Where local alcohol social marketing campaigns are employed, they
reflect, and amplify, national campaign messages when appropriate. 
4.2
Local crime and health & social care data are used to map the extent of
alcohol-related problems as part of licensing policy.
4.3
Hospital and ambulance data are shared routinely to inform
improvements in community safety activity. 
4.4
A 'cumulative impact' policy is adopted if an area is saturated with
licensed premises informing the consideration and implementation of the
range of measures and conditions available to the local licensing board.
4.5
Optimal use is made of existing legislation to target the prevention of
under-age sales, sales to people who are intoxicated, proxy sales to
minors, non-compliance with any other alcohol licence condition and
illegal imports of alcohol.
4.6
Local arrangements are brokered with industry partners to promote
responsible marketing, promotion and selling of alcohol. 
4.7
The Responsibility Deal is appropriately promoted and facilitated, with a
range of local organisations committing their support.
5. Targeted interventions
5.1
The JHWS clearly indicates that the partnership has an integrated plan
that sets out the agreed roles and responsibilities of partners, including
workforce development, to roll out Identification and Brief Advice (IBA) in
a range of settings with a system in place to monitor activity.
5.2
Services that deliver IBA collect, analyse and report data to demonstrate
the level of delivery. 
5.3
Local ‘Making Every Contact Count’ (MECC) activity includes evidencebased alcohol IBA. 
5.4
NHS Health Check programme includes evidence-based alcohol IBA in
line with regulations and guidance. 
5.5
There is IBA delivery across a range of adult local authority services,
criminal justice and health settings. 
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Tertiary prevention
Hospital-based alcohol services
Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
6. Hospital-based alcohol services
6.1
A joint commissioning approach is adopted where there is a shared
responsibility for commissioning and planning e.g. LA/CCGs around
hospital-based services pathways.
6.2
Alcohol Care Teams are contracted and employed in all acute hospitals
where they could have an impact. 
6.3
Senior medical/nursing support and leadership is provided to the postholder(s) to ensure that their role and function is understood, and utilised
by partners in the system.
6.4
Linkages to and in-reach from community alcohol services is offered to
support patients requiring further treatment and recovery support e.g.
housing.
6.5
There is a range of services to support and reduce the number of
frequent hospital attenders.
7. Specialist treatment
7.1
There is an integrated alcohol prevention and treatment system
configured to meet the needs of the local population across community
and prison settings.
7.2
A joint commissioning approach is adopted where there is a shared
responsibility for commissioning and planning e.g. LA/NHS England
around prison/community services pathways.
7.3
There is sufficient capacity in the treatment system to address the needs
of the local estimated dependent population.
7.4
Services are commissioned to target highest risk groups, wherever they
are located within the community.
7.5
There is an explicit information governance agreement across all
services to ensure that information is shared routinely to support
effective care delivery and risk management.
7.6
Alcohol treatment providers report data to the National Drug (and
alcohol) Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) and this data is
analysed locally to inform improvements.
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Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
Tertiary prevention
7.7
Treatment Services in all settings offer evidence-based, effective
recovery-orientated interventions in line with NICE guidance and Quality
Standards including, where appropriate, Quality Statements 4, 5, 7, 8, 9,
10, 11, 13,) and, for example, service improvement tools such as
clustering and packages of care tools. 
7.8
A range of recovery support interventions and services are accessible to
facilitate the recovery journey e.g. peer support, mutual aid,
family/parenting support, employment, training and housing.
7.9
The outcomes from treatment interventions are measured, reported and
analysed on a regular basis to demonstrate effectiveness and inform
planning.
7.10 There are integrated pathways in place between the prison and
community alcohol treatment and recovery support services to ensure a
managed through-care that are monitored and improved on a regular
basis.
7.11 Treatment providers have workforce plans that describe how specialist
staff are trained and supported to ensure appropriate competence and
supervision to deliver specialist interventions. NICE quality statement 4
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Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
Self-assessment guidance
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Criteria
1.1
The JSNA describes primary, secondary and tertiary prevention measures agreed by a range of partners and stakeholders.
1.2
There is clear congruity between all documents from needs assessment to strategic planning.
1.5
This might include data from: NHS Health Check, DES, LES (or equivalent), hospital services.
1.6
Commissioners use analysis of alcohol-related admissions to identify in-need population groups so that appropriate, accessible
services can be designed and located.
1.8
Contracts should cover all commissioned services from primary prevention to structured treatment.
2.2
Investment in services across the whole spectrum of alcohol interventions including any from e.g. NHS, Police, private sector.
3.3
Service location and culture are such that the most in-need groups can access them and choose to use them.
4.1
Local areas may decide that they are adequately served by national campaigns, but where local health campaigns about, or
including alcohol are employed they are in line with the national messages e.g. Change for Life.
4.3
Evidence of use of anonymous A&E and ambulance data to improve community safety responses and, where appropriate, to inform
licensing decisions.
4.6
This refers to voluntary agreements with industry partners. Draft responsibility deal toolkit
5.2
Reporting in this case refers to reporting to local commissioners in order that delivery can be monitored and driven.
5.3
Evidence-based IBA is described in NICE guidance PH24.
5.4
Evidence-based IBA is described in NICE guidance PH24. Health Check regulations require an alcohol screen and Health Check
guidance recommends that brief advice is given to those who are indicated as increasing or higher risk.
5.5
IBA can potentially be delivered by anyone in a helping position. Appropriate settings would include GP practices, Urgent care, walkin centres, A&E, community pharmacy, probation services, courts, prison, police custody, local authority mental health, disability and
elderly services, fire & rescue, housing and leisure services.
6.2
"Alcohol Care Team" is a generic term for services or groups of services in hospitals, which may be individually referred to Alcohol
Liaison Nurse, Alcohol Specialist Nurse, Alcohol Health Worker services, etc.
The NICE Clinical Guidance Alcohol dependence and harmful alcohol use (CG115) and Alcohol-use disorders: physical
7.7
complications (CG100) are relevant to structured alcohol treatment.
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Alcohol stocktake self-assessment tool
Further links to related guidance and resources
Social Marketing
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/Topics/Browse/SocialM
arketing/
Brief Advice Leaflets
http://www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/drink-less-alcohol.aspx
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/_library/Change4Life/4
08723_Your_Drinking_And_You.pdf
Awareness Raising / Self-help
http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/pages/sneaky-drinks.aspx
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/Topics/Browse/BriefAd
vice/?parent=4444&child=5007
Licensing and responsible sales
http://www.alcoholpolicy.net/licensing/
E-learning Courses
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/eLearning/IBA/
http://www.alcoholpolicy.net/2013/04/licensing-informationpack-toolkit-supports-data-collection-and-decision-making.html
Training Resources
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/eLearning/Training/
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/police-reform-andsocial-responsibility-act-supporting-guidance
DES Guidance
http://www.nhsemployers.org/Aboutus/Publications/Documents/
2013-14-GMS-contract-Guidance-audit-requirements.pdf
Data Sharing
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/Topics/tags/?tag=data
%20sharing
NHS Evidence
https://www.evidence.nhs.uk/search?q=ALCOHOL+CARE+TEA
M
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/eLearning/violence_elearning/
Care Team Examples
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/LocalInitiatives/project
s/projectDetail/?cid=6371
Alcohol Screening Tools
http://www.alcohollearningcentre.org.uk/Topics/Browse/BriefAd
vice/
Related NICE Guidance
PH24 http://www.nice.org.uk/PH24
CG115 http://www.nice.org.uk/CG115
CG100 http://www.nice.org.uk/CG100
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