Understand substance use, recognise the risks and respond with confidence.

Drug and alcohol use can affect an individual’s physical health, mental wellbeing, relationships, housing stability, employment and wider circumstances.

For professionals supporting vulnerable adults, understanding different substances and the complex factors contributing to dependency is essential to delivering informed, appropriate and non-judgemental care.

KIKIT’s Drug & Alcohol Awareness Training provides a comprehensive introduction to substance use, its potential consequences and the practical approaches professionals can take when supporting affected individuals.

Rather than focusing solely on identifying substances, the training explores the wider relationship between substance use, dependency, vulnerability, safeguarding and recovery.

What does the training cover?

• Understanding substance use and dependency: Exploring the differences between experimental, recreational, harmful and dependent patterns of substance use.
• Commonly used drugs: An overview of substances including cannabis, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, benzodiazepines, synthetic opioids, amphetamines, ketamine and other emerging substances.
• Alcohol-related harm: Understanding alcohol consumption, dependency, intoxication and the potential physical and psychological consequences of harmful drinking.
• Short- and long-term effects: Recognising how different substances affect the brain, behaviour, physical health and mental wellbeing.
• Signs and indicators of substance misuse: Understanding potential physical, psychological and behavioural indicators while avoiding assumptions, stigma or misidentification.
• Polysubstance use: Exploring the increased risks associated with combining drugs, alcohol and prescribed medication.
• Mental health and substance use: Examining the relationship between substance misuse, trauma, anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns.
• Safeguarding and vulnerability: Recognising concerns relating to exploitation, self-neglect, impaired decision-making and the wider risks experienced by vulnerable adults.
• Harm reduction approaches: Introducing practical, evidence-informed methods for reducing substance-related harm and encouraging safer decision-making.
• Engaging individuals effectively: Developing confidence in initiating sensitive conversations, communicating without judgement and responding to individuals who may be reluctant to seek help.
• Treatment and recovery pathways: Understanding the role of specialist drug and alcohol services, referral pathways and the importance of coordinated support.

Who should attend?

This training is suitable for organisations whose staff regularly engage with individuals experiencing complex needs, including housing providers, homelessness services, social workers, mental health support teams, community organisations, charities and criminal justice professionals.

It is particularly valuable for employees who do not work directly within addiction services but require a stronger understanding of substance-related issues as part of their professional responsibilities.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the training, participants should be better equipped to identify potential substance-related concerns, understand the risks associated with different substances and engage individuals through a more informed, compassionate and person-centred approach.

Participants will also gain a clearer understanding of when concerns may require safeguarding action, emergency intervention or referral to specialist support.