NORTH EAST DRUG & ALCOHOL TRAINING SERVICES

Started in 2003 in response to the demand for substance misuse training from professional statutory and voluntary social care and health services. Although courses were initially focused on Substance Misuse Awareness training, it soon emerged that professionals wished to acquire additional skills to enable them to work successfully with individuals and communities who experienced difficulties with substance use.

Courses have subsequently been developed to meet the needs of the trainees and commissioners, and are delivered by a multi disciplinary team. Examples of this would include the 3 tier training plan developed in partnership with Durham County Council Social Care and Health (formally Social Services Department) in response to the needs of their employees. This programme allows the trainees to develop new skills whist completing all the work necessary for external accreditation with the Open College Network. More recently NEDATS has developed and facilitated a skills based training programme with Darlington DAAT / PCT focused on awareness raising and the introduction and use of a substance use screening tool for Young People who come into contact with services. NEDATS believes that successful training can only be developed in partnership with commissioners and trainees and ensures that its programmes have a strong anti oppressive perspective, acknowledging the discrimination facing substance users and showing an awareness of how other factors such as race, gender, disability, age, religion and sexuality influence treatment.

NEDATS, using its unique mixture of educational and practical social care skills, constantly strives to develop new courses to meet the changing needs of all sectors in health and social care. This would include the new courses that have been developed in response to ”Hidden Harm“ that focus on parental assessment, drug use and pregnancy and courses aimed at the needs of young carers. All courses are designed to meet DANOS and contribute towards personal professional development.