Safer
Injecting, Needle Exchange and Young People
About
the Course:
Work with injectors generally can be complex. When the injector
in question is a young person, the work becomes still more challenging.
This course is intended to enhance the skills of workers engaging with
young injectors and ensure that they are equipped with the theoretical
and practical knowledge to work lawfully and competently with this client
group.
Appropriate
for: All workers who work with young injectors or deliver
exchange. It is intended for workers who have not had previous needle
exchange training but can be a useful refresher for those who have been
previously trained. The course assumes a basic level of drugs awareness.
Duration:
3 days
Learning
Outcomes: By the end of the course,
workers will be able to:
-
Describe
key differences between young and adult injectors
-
Relate interventions
with young injectors to wider harm reduction and treatment interventions
-
Illustrate
how injecting works using models of human anatomy
-
List key
drugs which are injected and describe specific issues related to each
drug
-
List the
main types of paraphernalia required and critique various items available
-
Summarise
differences between veins and arteries
-
List main
injecting sites and critique them.
-
Role play
the process of preparing drugs for injecting, and analyse where risk
enters the process
-
Describe
SC and IM techniques and explain risks of these routes
-
Describe
key injecting complications and summarise prevention and treatment
responses
-
Critique
injecting behaviour, describing key risks
-
Describe
alternatives to injecting
-
Summarise
key legal and practice frameworks governing needle exchange
-
Apply assessment
of competency to young people
-
Analyse
how local provision currently engages with young injectors
-
Plan how
local provision could be developed to work with young injectors
-
Formulate
responses to practice scenarios
DANOS MODULES:
AA4 Promote people's equality, diversity and rights
AB2 Support individuals who are substance users
AB4 Contribute to the protection of individuals from harm and abuse
AB8 Contribute to assessing and act upon risk of danger, harm and abuse
AB9 Relate to families, parents and carers.
AB5 Assess and act upon immediate risk of danger to substance users
AD1 Raise awareness about substances, their use and effects
AD2 Facilitate learning through presentations and activities
AD4 develop and disseminate information and advice about substance use,
health and social well-being
AF2 Carry out assessment to identify and prioritise need
AH3 Supply and exchange injecting equipment for individuals
Format:
Taught sections; work in pairs, small groups, group discussion
Handouts:
Set of slides, assessment and policy tools, backed up by online resources
