With the recent publication of part 2 of the comprehensive report by Dame Carol Black (July 2021), drug use in the UK has been highlighted as an area of growing concern. Simultaneously, regarding alcohol, the recent Commission on Alcohol Harm (2020), has powerfully illustrated the devastating impact of alcohol on our society and the need for drastic, structural and strategic change.
The Pandemic which has affected us all, has also disrupted and changed the drugs market, leading to adaptations that have increased the risk of harm to drug users and those around them.
This one day, face to face course allows participants to update their knowledge and build confidence in their interactions with drug users.
This course enables staff to feel more confident in supporting the health and wellbeing of people with alcohol and drug issues and those around them.
This session is appropriate for workers from a wide range of professions who will, or do, encounter alcohol and drug use in the course of their work. It is particularly suitable for workers who are able to have detailed conversations about a person's substance use.
This training is delivered as a one-day course.
By the end of the session participants will be able to:
- Name a range of commonly used substances and categorise them according to effect, duration and legal status
- Recognise the importance of attitudes towards users and how they impinge on service provision
- Recognise the part trauma and stigma play in someone’s drug use
- Respond to drug use more confidently
- Identify useful interventions that they can employ e.g., recognising signs and symptoms
- Name the main referral agencies available in the local area
