| Data on alcohol-specific deaths The Office for National Statistics has recently published data on alcohol-specific deaths in the UK in 2024. Alcohol-specific deaths only include those health conditions in which each death is a direct consequence of alcohol (such as alcoholic liver disease). The data shows that 9,809 deaths from alcohol-specific causes were registered in the UK, the lowest number since 2021 (9,641 deaths), and the rate of alcohol-specific deaths (14.8 per 100,000 people) decreased to its lowest recorded number since 2020 (13.9 deaths per 100,000 people). Age-specific rates decreased compared with 2023 for people aged between 25 and 79 years, while rates for those aged 80 years and over increased; rates for those aged 20 to 24 years remained similar to 2023. The rate of alcohol-specific deaths for males remained around double the rate for females (20.2 and 9.7 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively); this is consistent with previous years. England and Wales had a decrease in the rate of alcohol-specific deaths (13.8 and 16.8 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively) compared with 2023. Scotland and Northern Ireland continued to have the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths (20.9 and 21.4 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively), with a decrease in the rate in Scotland and an increase in Northern Ireland when compared with 2023. The North East had the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths of any English region (21.1 deaths per 100,000); London had the lowest rate (10.9 deaths per 100,000). |
| Working with the interpreters toolkit Groundswell and the City of Westminster have published a useful toolkit on Using interpreters with those experiencing multiple disadvantages. It comments that: |
- Good communication is essential to safe and ethical practice, particularly when working with adults experiencing multiple disadvantages such as homelessness, trauma, migration, substance use, and mental ill health.
- Many services support people who do not speak English as their first language, have limited English, or feel unable to discuss sensitive issues in English. In these situations, staff may need to use an interpreter to complete assessments, explain care or support, discuss risk, or obtain informed consent.
- When there is a language barrier, important changes can be missed. Deterioration, cognitive difficulties, and safeguarding concerns may not be recognised, which can lead to unsafe decisions or delayed support.
Although interpreters are often used to bridge this gap, many staff have had little training in how to work with them. Communication can still break down, and the person’s needs may not be fully understood. This toolkit provides practical guidance on working with interpreters in a psychologically informed way to support engagement, understanding, and safe decision-making. It covers topics such as:
- Briefing interpreters
- Communication tips
- The need for time
- Safety red flags
| Co-production – the spectrum of participation In developing work on our neurodiversity project, we have been considering how to ensure co-production. An important guide on co-production has been Peoplehub’s Spectrum of Participation, which shows the various useful ways that people can be invited to input ideas and perspectives to organisations. |
| Care homes and alcohol We recently published our guidance on Improving accommodation options for people with alcohol dependency and complex needs. One of the themes in this was the need for residential care homes to have the training and skills to manage alcohol use by their residents. A new study, funded by Alcohol Change UK and the Welsh Government, looks at how care homes for older people seek to manage alcohol use and offers practical tools for improvement to enable them to offer alcohol in ways that are both safe and respectful. |
| Online training sessions by Alcohol Change UK Blue Light training: Working with people with entrenched alcohol dependency 9:30 am to 4 pm, Thursday 17 September The Blue Light Approach is a nationally recognised framework for improving outcomes for people with entrenched alcohol dependency who are not engaged with treatment services. This course equips practitioners with practical tools and evidence-based approaches to reduce harm, improve engagement, and work more effectively with people who are seemingly change-resistant. Co-occurring conditions: Alcohol and mental health conditions 9:30 am to 4 pm, Tuesday 13 October 2026 This course explores the complex relationship between alcohol dependence and mental health conditions, equipping practitioners with the knowledge and confidence to recognise co-occurring needs and provide more effective support. |