Decision details

It presents an excellent opportunity to develop public health and harm reduction approaches with GMP for a relatively small investment.

GMP do not currently have a bespoke Drugs Policy or Strategy and this cross cutting thematic is widely acknowledged as a demand driver in crime and health provision.

Jason Kew is a subject matter expert and former Detective Chief Inspector with Thames Valley Police and Violence Reduction Unit.

He led the development of Thames Valley’s cross sector Drug Related Harm Reduction Forum, fusing together partnerships, communities, and service providers to enable the joint commissioning of diversion schemes, peer recovery worker Naloxone training for drug users and police officers, and the installation of needle exchange points in custody suites.

He was the Home Office appointed Southeast Heroin and Crack Action Area Coordinator and undertook a yearlong review into drug use, supply, and harm reduction across the Southeast. He is a member of The Faculty for Public Health, has a fellowship with the University of South Wales Substance Use Research Group, and serves on the Boards of the ISSUP (International Society for Substance Use Professionals) and GLEPHA (Global Law Enforcement and Public Health).

The decision is that:
GMCA and GMP will jointly fund consultancy work led by Jason Kew to develop a GMP and GMCA Drug Framework and Delivery Plan.

The cost of 10 days of Jason Kew’s services will be £4,750 inclusive of all expenses and taxes.

An Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) bid has been approved by GMP for £2,375 (half the total costs). Matched funding of £2,375 will be provided by GMCA.

It is proposed that that over a period of two months he will:

• Work alongside Mark Knight the Strategic Lead for Substance Misuse at GMCA, who is fully sighted and supportive of this proposal and bid;
• Conduct research into existing drug strategies, and align recommendations with national and regional GMP and GMCA strategic objectives;
• Consult with the National Police Chief Council Drugs Lead (Mark Lay, who has agreed to work with Jason) as well as regional drugs leads and experts from ISSUP (International Society for Substance Use Professionals) and other academic and medical expert forums, to identify solutions and innovative approaches not already considered by existing drug strategies; and
• Engage at every opportunity with people with lived experience and draw upon the knowledge and experience of those people to shape the delivery of the final framework, attending either in person or remotely (where permitted), strategic, stakeholder, and community meetings.