Unit Title

GE1

/

Recognise indications of substance misuse and refer individuals to specialists

Summary

This unit is about recognising signs which may indicate that someone - an employee, colleague, co-worker, customer, student or anyone else you come into contact with during your work - may be misusing drugs (illegal, prescription or over the counter), alcohol, solvents or other substances. It covers taking appropriate action to minimise the risks to the individuals and others from their substance misuse, referring individuals to specialists for help, monitoring the situation and taking appropriate action as it changes.
There are two elements: GE1.1 Recognise indications of substance misuse GE1.2 Refer individuals with indications of substance misuse to specialists. This unit is for a wide range of people, such as employers, managers, teachers, sports instructors, youth workers, outreach workers, criminal justice workers, who
  • have a general responsibility for the health, safety and well-being of people they come into contact with
  • are required to recognise indications of substance misuse and take appropriate action, and
  • have the appropriate knowledge and experience to be able to do so competently. It is part of a group of units about helping individuals access substance misuse services

There are two elements:

GE1.1 / Recognise indications of substance misuse
GE1.2 / Refer individuals with indications of substance misuse to specialists

Target Group

This unit is relevant for all workers in the Justice sector and, in particular, the substance misuse workforce.

This unit was developed by Skills for Health (DANOS GE1).

Element

GE1.1

/

Recognise indications of substance misuse

Performance Criteria

To meet the standard, you

1 / regularly update your knowledge about the range of substances which may be misused and the possible indications of substance misuse
2 / remain constantly alert to possible indications of substance misuse by those with whom you come into contact
3 / respect individuals’ rights and the requirements of confidentiality
4 / investigate situations sufficiently to allow you to make a reasonable judgement about whether individuals are misusing substances
5 / obtain specialist assistance where you unable to make a reasonable judgement about whether individuals are misusing substances
6 / where individuals are not misusing substances, help individuals understand how indications may be interpreted
7 / assess the risk to the individual and to others which may result from substance misuse and take prompt action appropriate to your assessment of risk
8 / take action in line with legal and organisational requirements
9 / record situations and actions taken in line with organisational requirements
10 / provide information about situations and actions taken only to those entitled to have it

Element

GE1.2

/

Refer individuals with indications of substance misuse to specialists

Performance Criteria

To meet the standard, you

1 / regularly update your knowledge about appropriate specialists for the range of substances and the procedures to follow when referring individuals
2 / refer individuals to specialists in line with organisational requirements
3 / respect individuals’ rights and the requirements of confidentiality
4 / provide specialists with complete and accurate information about the situation in line with organisational requirements
5 / monitor the situation and regularly review your assessment of the risk to the individual and to others which may result from substance misuse
6 / take appropriate action in the light of changes to the situation and level of risk
7 / take action in line with legal and organisational requirements
8 / record situations and actions taken in line with organisational requirements
9 / provide information about situations and actions taken only to those entitled to have it

Unit

GE1

/

Maintain restrictions on individuals’ liberty whilst promoting and protecting their rights

Scope

Your work may include the following:

substancesa. illegal drugsb. prescription drugsc. over the counter drugsd. alcohole. solventsf. other

indications of substance misusea. physicalb. behaviouralc. information provided by the individuald. information from other sources

actionsa. agreed between yourself and the individualb. exclusion from normal activitiesc. referral to an authority in your organisationd. referral to an authority outside your organisation.Your work may include the following:

specialistsa. internal to your organisationb. external to your organisation

substancesa. illegal drugsb. prescription drugsc. over the counter drugsd. alcohole. solventsf. other

actionsa. agreed between yourself and the individualb. exclusion from normal activitiesc. re-inclusion in normal activitiesd. referral to an authority in your organisatione. referral to an authority outside your organisation

Unit

GE1

/

Recognise indications of substance misuse and refer individuals to specialists

Knowledge and Understanding

To meet the standard, you need to know and understand

Information Handling

1 / the importance of keeping full and accurate records, and how to do so
2 / the importance of providing full and accurate information, and how to do so
3 / the principle of confidentiality: what information may be given to whom

Legislation

1 / legal requirements relevant to the functions being carried out
2 / the rights of individuals with whom you come into contact

Monitoring and evaluation

1 / the importance of monitoring the situation regarding an individual’s misuse of substances, and how to do so

Organisational context

1 / organisational requirements and policies relevant to the functions being carried out

Risk assessment

1 / how to assess the risk to individuals and to others from their substance misuse
2 / the importance of regularly reviewing risk assessments

Substance misuse

1 / the range of different substances and their effects
2 / the range of different indications of substance misuse: physical, behavioural and information provided by the individual or from other sources
3 / other factors which produce indications that may be interpreted as caused by substance misuse
4 / ways of keeping your knowledge about substances and indications of substance misuse up to date
5 / how to investigate situations in order to make a reasonable judgement about substance misuse
6 / sources of assistance about substance misuse
7 / substance misuse specialists, and procedures for referring individuals to them
8 / the range of actions you can take when individuals may be misusing substances, and how to decide what action is appropriate
Skills for Justice / Page 1
National Occupational Standards for Community Justice / Final version approved November 2006