This course is now delivered online via Zoom & Microsoft Teams. Please enquire for details.
Drug & alcohol awareness training for professionals. Get your team up to date.
This course aims to increase awareness of drugs and alcohol use and provides information to help your workers begin to assess clients for drug & alcohol problems and how to refer people into effective specialist services.
Course description
This knowledge-based drug & alcohol training course will look at alcohol, prescription medication, NPS (former legal highs) and the different types of illegal drugs that are commonly used and the issues surrounding them.
This course can be adapted and tailored to your service and training needs.
Aims and objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
Recall basic definitions of commonly used terms
Distinguish between drug & alcohol facts and myths
Describe how various drugs affect the body
Use the unit measuring system to work out how much a client is drinking
Identify reasons why people use illegal drugs
Clarify when drug or alcohol use becomes a problem
Differentiate between different patterns of drug & alcohol use
Explain how substances are classified
Recall current drug and alcohol legislation
Target audience
This is a one-day course, open to non-specialist service providers who come into contact with clients who may have drug and alcohol issues. It is also open to workers new to this area of work and is suitable for people who may need to develop their knowledge of drugs and alcohol such as;
Health Visitors, Practice Nurses, Doctors Receptionists, School Nurses, Community Wardens, Police Community Support Officers, Police Officers, Social Workers, Youth Workers, Probation Staff, Teachers, Housing Officers.
Capability Framework Alignment
This course aligns with the Capability Framework for the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Workforce (NHS England/OHID, 2024), which underpins the 10-Year Strategic Plan for the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Workforce 2024–2034.
| Capability Domain (NHS England / OHID, 2024) | Framework Section |
| Knowledge of the harm associated with the physical and psychological effects of commonly used substances, including alcohol, cannabis, stimulants, opioids and novel psychoactive substances | Drug and Alcohol Worker: Application of Knowledge |
| Knowledge of the nature, prevalence and patterns of drug and alcohol use in the UK, including health inequalities and the social determinants of substance use | Drug and Alcohol Worker: Application of Knowledge |
| Ability to recognise signs and symptoms of substance misuse and respond appropriately, including signposting and referral to specialist services | Drug and Alcohol Worker: Application of Knowledge |
| Ability to use screening and brief intervention tools (e.g. AUDIT, DAST, FAST) to identify risk levels and structure brief advice sessions | Drug and Alcohol Worker: Engagement, Assessment and Care Planning |
| Ability to provide evidence-based harm reduction information and advice to reduce risk to individuals and those around them | Drug and Alcohol Worker: Harm Reduction, Treatment and Recovery |
| Recovery-oriented approach — working with individuals to build personal, social and community recovery capital | Engagement, Assessment and Care Planning |
| Ability to support individuals to access appropriate drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services, including referral pathways | Drug and Alcohol Worker: Harm Reduction, Treatment and Recovery |
| Underpinning Principles Embedded in This Course Trauma-informed care • Recovery-oriented approach • Evidence-based practice • Person-centred working • Forming a working alliance • Therapeutic optimism • Challenging stigma • Co-occurring needs and multidisciplinary working |
Note: National Occupational Standards (DANOS/NOS) are retained within the National Occupational Standards library but are no longer the primary workforce development reference for the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery sector. This course uses the NHS England / OHID Capability Framework (2024) as its primary alignment standard.