Fife Council has decentralised its services and community learning and development (CLD) teams are now structured around seven area committees. CLD staff in these areas carry out youth work, and work across adult learning, community development and anti-poverty activity. They also work with those who are looking to get more involved in opportunities and to help shape their local community.

Fife’s Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) approach to locality planning is also based around seven locality planning Core Groups, of which Levenmouth is one. Within this partnership, CLD is represented alongside colleagues involved in Fife’s Alcohol and Drug Partnership and third sector services.

The Alcohol and Drugs Strategy 2024 to 2027 highlights the need to reduce stigma, educate the local area on inclusivity, and build a sense of all-inclusive community environments. The previous strategy also highlighted the need for a locality-based approach to ensure equity of support for those at risk of drug related death or harm. Partners in the Levenmouth area developed successful approaches to meet the needs of the community, with the aspiration of using the 20 minute neighbourhoods approach, in line with national guidance.

The improvement issue

The community of Levenmouth experience significant challenges regarding health inequalities linked to substance use. The associated and tragic loss of lives is a recurring trauma faced by those who live and work in the area.

Drug-related deaths in Scotland are the highest in Europe and show an increasing trend. In Fife, analysis of data from 2009 to 2022 shows that one out of five drug-related deaths occurred in the Levenmouth area, with concentrations in specific data zones in the locality. This evidence highlights a disproportionate level of avoidable loss of life that effects individuals, families, and the wider community.

What Fife Council HSCP did

Fife’s HSCP approach to locality planning led to the creation of Locality Planning Core Groups which includes representation from the health profession, third sector, housing and CLD practitioners. These groups were established to help transform the delivery of local services to improve personal outcomes. Partners involved in the Levenmouth core group mapped the wide range of services delivering interventions such as acute, emergency and recovery activities. They recognised that increasing community-based support could help to reduce stigma and drug related deaths using more creative approaches.

The locality planning groups for the HSCP and CLD in Levenmouth used the Fife Alcohol and Drugs Strategy to inform the development of common goals, which included the delivery of local services to effect change in the community. They recognised that community members needed more visible safe spaces to access a wider range of inclusive group activities and complement existing provision. Across Fife, the aim of locality planning groups’ was to develop localised approaches that would result in the delivery of acute support. They also recognised that wider societal issues such as, access to housing support, income maximisation and learning, could present barriers to participation. Together with third sector groups and CLD the HSCP locality planning group used an active solution-focused approach to address these specific needs.

The CLD practitioners in the local area worked with existing groups who were based within community centres to establish supportive conversations. They raised awareness of the benefits of integrating existing services into community centres to increase the availability and uptake of preventative support. This led to the delivery of:

• a weekly one stop shop approach that supports access to treatment services within Methil Community Centre (KY8);
• a weekly drop in café and support sessions to assist Fife’s recovery community in Buckhaven Community Centre (Restoration Fife); and
• a partnership drop-in designed to increase opportunities to engage young people in preventative holistic support in Methil Community Centre (Clued Up).

What the sustained impact has been

Partners now share a common goal to encourage greater community collaboration to effect positive change and deliver services nearer to those who would benefit most. All organisations have consistent and trusted relationships, and this is encouraging connections to the wider community network. They also recognise that communities need visible safe spaces for those most in need to access services to help aid recovery. Access to these spaces are helping local community members who may be feeling anxious, scared, or believe they may be at risk. Partners maintain a relationship-based approach and work with the community to develop solution-focused approaches to address wider community needs. This includes, for example, helping to mitigate the negative impacts of poverty and deliver learning in a dignified, confidential and supportive manner.

Specialist drug and alcohol services remain central to delivering support to people. A broader range of services and pathways are helping people access additional support in safe and barrier-free ways. This includes access to welfare, health services and emergency food provision. The sustained impact of these approaches is that recovery is becoming more visible within the local community. A longer-term commitment by partners is tackling change around complex issues and is engaging those hardest to reach. As a result, evidence shows a reducing trend in drug related deaths in the area.

Strong relationships with specialist services are providing a more supportive and consistent presence in local community centres. This is leading to enhanced and regular opportunities for local residents to engage in support. The range of support includes, same day opiate substitution therapy prescribing, family and peer support, and recovery activities. There are safe spaces and groups to help community members overcome anxiety, and to make better connections. Participants are progressing onto other learning opportunities including certified courses and volunteering in the community. Participants also now have the confidence to engage more frequently with other health professionals including general practitioners and dentistry. Participants who were once in receipt of services are progressing to volunteering and employment within the CLD sector.

These improved services are more informed by an asset-based community development approach. They are enabling community members to connect, address holistic barriers and build capacity of communities to look after each other. This is helping to create a more caring neighbourhood. As a result, peers are supporting each other with recovery. There is greater signposting to other groups and referral pathways to services. Support groups are transitioning in a way that staff and participants feel respected and included in community life.

As a result of this successful approach, the model has been extended to other locality partnership areas, including Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath. Building from the success of the 2020-23 strategy, a new strategy has been developed. Its aims are to increase opportunities for those with lived experience of drugs and alcohol issues, to co-produce and inform policy and service development. This will help to ensure that holistic early harm reduction and early intervention approaches are integrated with other services for those community members most at risk.