- Established the Substance Misuse Joint Commissioning Group.
- Commissioned a population needs analysis to inform the development of a substance misuse commissioning strategy.
- Supported the implementation of the regional Drug Intervention Programme.
- Secured grant funding from the Alcohol Education Research Council to support the 'Lions Breath' project into drinking behaviour in the city centre.
- Secured a capital grant from the Welsh Assembly Government to enable NewLink Wales to purchase a new headquarters building.
- Appointed a Family Support Development worker.
- Delivered training to multi-agency professionals to carry out the Strengthening Families Programme.
- Developed a substance misuse policy for the Youth Service, including a 'young people's' poster version and subsequent audit of Youth Centres in relation to the policy.
- Developed a substance misuse toolkit for Healthy Schools programme.
- Secured funding for the AXIS service to have a permanent base within the community.
Substance Misuse Action Team and Advisory Planning Group

The Cardiff Health, Social Care and Well Being Strategy 2008-2011 "Working Towards a Healthy City" identifies substance misuse in Cardiff as one of its priorities.
Mission Statement
The Substance Misuse Action Team and Advisory Planning Group is the strategic partnership which develops and implements the Substance Misuse Action Plan for Cardiff and provides a clear framework for the delivery of the key strategic aims and objectives set out in the national strategy "Working Together to Reduce Harm" and the implementation of the Welsh Assembly Government Substance Misuse Treatment Frameworks.
Key Achievements 2005-2008:
Priorities and Key Strategic Aims 2008-2011:
- Promote health improvement by engaging in harm reduction and prevention initiatives.
- Reducing inequalities by strengthening the information base with regard to substance misuse issues for particular groups within society.
- Increase local service capacity for people who misuse drugs, alcohol and other substances in line with the stated priorities in the local/regional commissioning plans in respect of; open access services; structured community based services; residential and in-patient care.
- Reduce the number of incidences of unplanned ending of contact with services.
- Achieve a waiting time within 10 working days between referral and assessment.
- Achieve a waiting time of within 10 working days between assessment and the beginning of treatment.
- Young people referred from YOT to receive an appropriate assessment within 5 working days of referral.
- All young people referred from a YOT to have commenced an agreed care plan no later than 10 working days from the completion of the assessment.
- Reduce the number of incidences of reported acquisitive crime (defined as those listed as 'trigger offences' for Drug Testing on Charge areas) (Linked to Home Office Public Service Agreement 1).
- All clients who are injecting drug users to be offered information, counselling, screening and where appropriate immunisation against Hepatitis B.
Partners on Substance Misuse Action Team and Advisory Planning Group:
- Cardiff & Vale NHS Trust
- Cardiff Council
- Cardiff Local Health Board
- Safer Capital
- South Wales Police
- South Wales Probation Service
- Crime Reduction Initiatives
A range of Voluntary & Statutory Sectors are represented on the SMAT.
Key Documents
- Terms of Reference (pdf)
- Substance Misuse Chapter HSCWB Strategy 2008-2011 (pdf)
- HSCWB Strategy Implementation Plan - Substance Misuse (pdf)
- Welsh Assembly Government "Key Performance Indicators for Substance Misuse Treatment Services in Wales" (pdf)
- Welsh Assembly Government "Managing the Evening and Night Time Economy - a Draft Framework for Tackling Alcohol-Related Crime, Disorder and Anti-Social Behaviour in Towns and Cities in Wales" (pdf)
- Welsh Assembly Government Substance Misuse Treatment Frameworks
- Welsh Assembly Government "Working Together to Reduce Harm - The Substance Misuse Strategy for Wales 2008-2018" (pdf)
- Welsh Assembly Government "Working Together to Reduce Harm - The Substance Misuse Strategy Three-year Implementation Plan" (pdf)
Other Web Links:
- Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
- Advisory Panel on Substance Misuse
- Dan 24/7
- Welsh Assembly Government Drugs Interventions Programme website
- Welsh Assembly Government Substance Misuse website
- Welsh National Database for Substance Misuse
Contact
SMAT Coordinator
Safer Capital Partnership
101 House
Cardiff Gate Business Park
Pontprennau
Cardiff
CF23 8RS

