Training & Consultancy :: Courses

Families and Drugs

Duration: 2 days

Appropriate for: All workers working with families where substance use is (or maybe) an issue. Includes social workers, police, Sure Start, midwifery services, Health Visitors, drugs workers etc. Previous drugs training (basic - intermediate) is required to ensure familiarity with key drugs.

About the course: The course looks at the issue of substance use within two main contexts:

(a) Where parents use and how to assess and respond to the risks that this creates

(b) where children use and the role of parents and carers in providing education and prevention, and the support needs of parents.

The course comprises two modules detailed below. While the two modules can be run seperately, it is more effective to run them together as a two day course.

Parent and carer drug use: Working with families where parents and carers use

Duration: 1 day

Appropriate for:: Workers with some previous drugs training or experience, who work with families, parents or carers where drug use is an issue. Previous attendance on a drugs course is required.

About the course: This course looks at where parent/carer substance use is present and the risks that it can pose to babies, children and young people. It looks at the nature of risk, how to assess it, and how to respond confidently and proportionately.

Objectives:

To increase awareness about drugs and drug use
To familiarise participants with key issues regarding parent/carer substance use
To be aware of the potential impact on parent/carer substance use on young people
The support needs of young people
Increase awareness of substance related risks
To improve understanding and competence in models of assessing risk relating to parent/carer substance use.
To be confident in developing and implementing risk reduction strategies
To be confident in responding professionally where drug-related risk is present

Course includes

Revision of drugs facts in the context of children and families
Recent research: ACMD "Hidden Harm"
Implementation of Hidden Harm - the Every Child Matters agenda
Risks and interventions: Pre-conception, during pregnancy, neonatal, early and later childhood
Barriers to services and how to overcome them,
Models of assessing risk - looks at the work of Bolton ACPC and the HAS Report (2001) in assessing and responding to parent/carer substance use
Scenarios to look at assessing and responding to parent/carer substance use
Issues in terms of service development/confidentiality
Joint working with Social Services and others

Format:

Taught sections,
Small group work
Work in pairs,
Whole group discussion.

Handouts: Full handouts will be provided.

Families and Drug Use: Where children use - the role and needs of parents, carers and the wider family

Duration: one day

Aimed at: Workers in contact with families where drug use is an issue.

This course requires familiarity with key concepts in drug use, and so participants will need to have attended a two-day basic course, advanced course or equivalent.

About the course: This one day course is a partner to the Parent and carer Drug Misuse Course. This module looks at the issues that arise where parents or carers are concerned about their children's substance use. It looks at this issue from several perspectives including parent and carer roles as educators and preventors, their support needs and their role in provision of treatment.

Objectives: By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

Consider strategies for addressing drug use in the family that involve family members as risk or protective factors;
Understand the support needs of parents and carers encountering drug use in the family
Be able to identify the nature and type of education or support most applicable to families
Be aware of barriers to services and strategies for overcoming these
Develop skills in considering whole-family strategies,
Be more confident in responding effectively to drug use within family settings

Course Includes: The course looks at the complex issue of family drug use from variety of perspectives including:

Parents and carers - their attitudes to drug use;
How a child's drug use can affect parents and carers
Parents as educators - how and why
Parents who need support - what, where and how
Parents of older children - how to cope
Support issues where drug use is present in families
The Signs and symptoms issue

Format

Taught sections
Work in small groups
Work in pairs
Whole-group discussion
Home reading

Handouts: Comprehensive handouts including drugs information, trends, and families, exercises and OHPs

DANOS Modules: AA1, AA3, AA4, AB2, AB4, AB5, AB7, AC1, AC3, AF2, AG2, AG3, AL7

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