This session will take place via Microsoft Teams and is due to finish at 3.30 pm. There will be a break in the morning, a 30min break for lunch and a break in the afternoon session. 
 

Our training attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors and we encourage active participation in our sessions through  group discussions and by inviting individuals to offer comments on issues relevant to their role. If you have any concerns about participating within this interactive format please highlight this in the additional needs section of the booking form. 

Overview 

Good empathic listening is fundamental in the helping relationship. Called accurate empathy by Carl Rogers (1965), it is the cornerstone for person-centred practice. It is fundamental to good communication. In this course, we practise refining empathic listening skills and address other core communication skills that are important in the helping relationship. 

Aim 

To practise core communication skills with a focus on expressing accurate empathy through reflective listening skills. 

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of course you will have:  

• Observed & debriefed a demonstration of the interpersonal style and core communication skills used in a helping relationship. 
• Practised the interpersonal style and primary core communication skills. 

This is a 4 day course running on 4th, 10th, 17th & 24th March 2025  from 9:15 am until 2 pm on all 4 days via Teams.  You must be able to attend on all 4 days.

The training focuses on developing Motivational Interviewing knowledge and skills. Skills practise includes “real play”. During real play activities participants will receive observation and feedback on practice. Our training attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors and we encourage active participation in our sessions through group discussions and by inviting individuals to offer comments on issues relevant to their role. If you have any concerns about participating within this interactive format please highlight this in the additional needs section of the booking form. 

Overview 

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a particular way of talking with people about change and growth to strengthen their own motivation and commitment to change (Miller and Rollnick, 2023). MI is particularly useful to help people when ambivalence is high, and people are stuck in mixed feelings about change. MI is an evidenced-based method that has been evaluated in more than 2,500 research trials demonstrating a rich evidence base in health & social care practice. This training provides an interactive and practical learning experience in MI. 

Aim 

To begin or refresh participant knowledge and skills in MI practice which will begin to support implementation into the participants’ own practice setting. 

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the training participants will be able to: 

• Describe what motivational interviewing is.
• Discuss how MI spirit, OARS and techniques can be used to  support motivation for change. 
• Discuss whether MI spirit, OARS and techniques could be used in own work setting.

Who Is This Course For? 

Practitioners who have conversations about change with people who present as often reluctant or ambivalent about making change. 

Certification 

You must be able to attend each of the training days in full to complete the training and receive a certificate. 

Declaration 

The Scottish Drugs Forum does not certify course participants as accredited in Motivational Interviewing. As a result of attending the course, participants may not represent themselves as accredited or certified by SDF to provide Motivational Interviewing. Course attendance does signify that participants have undertaken learning and development in the method of Motivational Interviewing and have undertaken practical experience in this approach.  

Pre-course Recommendation 

We recommend that you complete our ‘Motivational Interviewing in Brief Conversations e-learning module before taking part in the training. 

Motivational Interviewing in Brief Conversations - Scottish Drugs Forum 

Developed and delivered by SDF, funded by Glasgow HSCP & ADP

Our interactive facilitator-led training takes place on MS Teams and currently is only available to those who work in Glasgow City. 

There is no e-learning requirement for this course. 

Our training attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors and we encourage active participation in our sessions through group discussions and by inviting individuals to offer comments on issues relevant to their role. If you have any concerns about participating within this interactive format please highlight this in the additional needs section of the booking form.   

Course Overview 

This online training aims to increase knowledge and awareness of the key issues relating to alcohol use in Scotland. Participants will have the opportunity to consider harm reduction and support strategies. 

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the session participants will be able to: 

• Discuss the prevalence of alcohol use in Scotland. 
• Recall the unit content for common drinks and low risk drinking guidelines. 
• Identify a range of reasons why people use alcohol. 
• Discuss the effects and costs of alcohol use associated with different patterns of drinking. 
•  Recall key resources and support services available to reduce alcohol-related harm. 
• Our courses are very popular. If you find you are unable to make it then please let us know as soon as possible so we can allocate your place to someone on the waiting list. 

Please check, in some email systems your SDF booking email can land in a spam or junk folder. Make sure you don’t miss it. 

Please note this course is only for people who have their own personal experience of drug use. 

Others will be respectfully asked to leave and book on an alternative course. 

If you have any questions about this please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Overview

This short session will cover:

• Overdose risk factors
• Identifying and responding to an overdose situation
• Administering Naloxone to save a life
• Myths and misconceptions
• Open discussion and Q&A

We are offering some free training in overdose response exclusively for people who use or have used drugs.

People who use/used drugs are exceptionally well placed to save lives and often appear to be overlooked when training is offered.

We hope that offering sessions for people who use/used only people may be more inclined to attend.

This will be an opportunity for learning how to recognise and help someone experiencing an overdose as well as a platform for discussion and debate around issues faced by people who use/used drugs being more central to the harm reduction initiatives in Scotland.

If you book a place but are unable to attend please cancel to enable someone else to join as spaces are limited. 

Learning Objectives

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

• Summarise drug-related deaths in Scotland
• Identify an overdose
• Explain how to prevent an overdose
• Describe naloxone and its use

Target Audience

People who use or have used drugs.

Our training attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors and we encourage active participation in our sessions through group discussions and by inviting individuals to offer comments on issues relevant to their role. If you have any concerns about participating within this interactive format please highlight this in the additional needs section of the booking form. 

Overview 

Stigma can have a profound impact upon the lives of people who use alcohol and other drugs or those who have a history of substance use. The impact of stigma can permeate numerous aspects of a person’s life such as their health and wellbeing, relationships, education and employment prospects and socioeconomic status. 

Commonly, family, friends, service providers and institutions often place numerous expectations on people who use substances to engage in change behaviour, however, the social context that creates and perpetuates the cycle of stigma is rarely considered or challenged. Through developing a greater awareness of the wider context that the cycle of stigma fosters and exploring our own role in reinforcing and challenging stigma, participants can identify new approaches for fostering enhanced relationships with service users. 

Aim 

This one-day training will give participants a distinct set of knowledge and skills to help them understand and address alcohol and drug-related stigma. 

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the course you will be able to: 

• Describe the impact of stigma on people who use substances, people in treatment or in recovery from substance use 
• Recall language which de-stigmatises people affected by substance use. 
• Describe how stigma and discrimination impact on the quality and effectiveness of service delivery. 
• Identify institutional and structural stigma attached to people who use substances, people in treatment or in recovery from substance use. 

This session will take place via Microsoft Teams and due to finishing at 3.30 pm. There will be a break in the morning, a 30min break for lunch, and a break in the afternoon session.  

Our training attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors and we encourage active participation in our sessions through group discussions and by inviting individuals to offer comments on issues relevant to their role. If you have any concerns about participating within this interactive format please highlight this in the additional needs section of the booking form.  

Aim  

This introductory course will support trauma-informed practice when working with people who are affected by trauma and who use substances.  

Learning Outcomes  

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:  

• Define the concept of psychological trauma.  
• Describe how substance use is used as an adaptive coping response to trauma and its impact.  
• Identify how to respond to the needs of those affected by trauma at a trauma-informed level.  

We recommend that you complete our 'Drug Awareness - An Introductory Course' e-learning module.  

https://www.sdftraining.org.uk/e-learning/277-drug-awareness-an-introductory-course   

Please Note  

We recognise that trauma themes can at times be challenging for participants and can cause us to reflect on our own experiences.  We aim to create a safe and supportive environment by offering two facilitators on the course to debrief should anything arise during the course. 

Developed and delivered by SDF, funded by Glasgow HSCP & ADP

Our interactive facilitator-led training takes place on MS Teams and currently is only available to those who work in Glasgow City. 

There is no e-learning requirement for this course. 

Our training attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors and we encourage active participation in our sessions through group discussions and by inviting individuals to offer comments on issues relevant to their role. If you have any concerns about participating within this interactive format please highlight this in the additional needs section of the booking form.   

Course Overview 

This online training aims to increase knowledge and awareness of the key issues relating to alcohol use in Scotland. Participants will have the opportunity to consider harm reduction and support strategies. 

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the session participants will be able to: 

• Discuss the prevalence of alcohol use in Scotland. 
• Recall the unit content for common drinks and low risk drinking guidelines. 
• Identify a range of reasons why people use alcohol. 
• Discuss the effects and costs of alcohol use associated with different patterns of drinking. 
•  Recall key resources and support services available to reduce alcohol-related harm. 
• Our courses are very popular. If you find you are unable to make it then please let us know as soon as possible so we can allocate your place to someone on the waiting list. 

Please check, in some email systems your SDF booking email can land in a spam or junk folder. Make sure you don’t miss it. 

Our training attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors and we encourage active participation in our sessions through group discussions and and by inviting individuals to offer comments on issues relevant to their role. If you have any concerns about participating within this interactive format please highlight this in the additional needs section of the booking form.  

Overview  

This course will discuss how services and practitioners can better prevent drug-related deaths. This course will have a particular focus on identifying the needs and risks of older people aged 35 years and over who use substances.  

Aim  

To enable workers to recognise risk factors, high-risk times and support people to reduce risk of drug-related death.  

Learning Outcomes  

By the end of the course, participants will:  

• Identify individual risk factors and high-risk times for drug-related death.  
• Identify ways to engage and retain people in services.  
• Identify good practice to reduce drug-related death.  
• We recommend that you complete  our 'Overdose Prevention, Intervention and Naloxone' e-learning module   

https://www.sdftraining.org.uk/e-learning/156-overdose-prevention-intervention-and-naloxone

This session will be held online using MS Teams. A link will be emailed prior to the course.

Please join from 0915 for a prompt 0930 start.

The course description and learning outcomes:

An introduction to bacterial infection relating to people who use drugs.

The training will give an overview of bacterial infection and various outbreaks seen in Scotland. It gives participants the opportunity to explore harm reduction information relevant to bacterial infection. The training will provide an overview of the main signs and symptoms which practitioners should be aware of and will encourage participants to think about and develop a response relevant to their services.

Our training attracts attendees from a wide range of sectors and we encourage active participation in our sessions through group discussions and by inviting individuals to offer comments on issues relevant to their role. If you have any concerns about participating within this interactive format please highlight this in the additional needs section of the booking form.   

Aim 

The training aims to increase workers' drug awareness knowledge and provide an opportunity to explore current and emerging trends with substance use. 

Learning Outcomes 

By the end of the session participants will be able to: 

• Name the seven key drug categories and their key effects 
• Recall an overview of the key substances in use 
• Identify the reasons why people choose to use drugs and alcohol 
• Recall poly-drug use and dependant substance use patterns 
• Describe signs of overdose and how to respond 
• Identify effective techniques to support people who use drugs and alcohol. 

Our courses are very popular. If you find you are unable to make it then please let us know as soon as possible so we can allocate your place to someone on the waiting list. 

Please check, in some email systems your SDF booking email can land in a spam or junk folder. Make sure you don’t miss it.