What do we do?
Staff and professional training
Training for teachers and school staff
- All staff delivering the PSHE/PSE programme should receive training prior to it starting. This is to ensure teachers are fully aware of all the programme will cover, and have all the underpinning knowledge and a good understanding of the evidence base and best practice in drug and alcohol education. Feedback from teachers is that this has greatly increased their confidence and enabled them to deliver the sessions much more effectively to their classes.
- We also deliver training to all teachers and school staff to increase their awarenessof the current issues for young people around drugs and alcohol, the substances to which they are exposed and their risks and effects, and current data relevant to their students, to enable all staff to have an up-to-date understanding and be better placed to support their students. We send a survey to staff prior to training to ensure training is tailored to meet the specific needs and priorities of each group.
Training for professionals working with young people
- We deliver training to a range of professionals working with young people, including police, school nurses, healthcare staff, mentors, coaches and youth workers. This is always planned to meet the needs and priorities of each group, and can include content such as the current issues for young people around drugs and alcohol, teenage brain development and decision making, and practical strategies for keeping safe. It can also include training in how to deliver an engaging and effective workshop or assembly to students.
” …. it was both a moving and informative session, one that potentially in future would be useful to all staff and not just life skills teachers. The content was very relevant to the challenges that a lot of our children are facing at the moment.” – Assistant Head
Further resources for teachers
‘Schools, Colleges, Drugs and Decisions – A Pack for Teachers’ (Sheldon Press 2022), by DSMF Director Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, was written to supplement her award-winning book for parents, ‘I Wish I’d Known – Young People, Drug and Decisions: A Guide for Parents and Carers’ (Sheldon Press 2021) which was already being widely used and recommended by teachers and school staff.
This short e-book includes information and practical advice on:
- delivering evidence-based drug education
- embedding drug education across the curriculum
- engaging and involving parents
- building protective and preventative factors
- developing an effective drug and alcohol policy
- identifying and supporting students at risk
- coping with the loss of a student to drugs.
See our current offering booklets here.
For further information, please email us at bookings@dsmfoundation.org.uk
